Singapore. A people in denial

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singaporeans it seems are either in complete denial or simply ignorant of their situation.

Singapore's state controlled newspaper the Straits Times of June 08, 2011 reports "Restless youth seek anchor in politics", in a discussion forum held at the Orchard Hotel recently organized by Singapore Lee Kuan Yew's Institute of Policy studies representatives from local political parties discussed the needs of Singapore youth before an audience of 250.

Leaders of these Singapore's minuscule castrated opposition parties felt that the youth needed to take part in politics as a means of rooting themselves in Singapore, as if that was a momentous earth shattering revelation!

Desmond Lee of Lee Kuan Yew's ruling party and the recent phenomenon Michelle Lee of Dr. Chee's SDP appears to have stated the obvious that the youth have grown up in a stable Singapore (so is Communist China) and they are deeply affected by world events (who would not be if they are literate and the Middle East is boiling).

Yaw of the WP on his part stated something which is of no use to anyone, that the youth were "restless" and that "they were searching for their place in Society where their aspirations can be fulfilled". Thanks for telling me that, as if I did not know and even if I did, does it really matter one way or another?

From what these so called Singapore's leaders have to say, it is simply a waste of time. Inconsequential nonsense. Singapore has much more urgent problems to be addressed and by leisurely saying that the youth are restless is not helping the situation at all.

Let me tell you what you already know.

Singapore today suffers from an abuse of the law by compliant judges who send innocent people to jail, bankrupt them and send authors like Alan Shadrake to prison, where he is now, just because he wrote a book critical of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew legal system.

This corrupt politicized judiciary is a curse on Singapore, almost a crippling malignant decease, which stifles it's development turns Singaporeans into slaves. Lee Kuan Yew can anytime send any critic of his to jail and misery, merely by deploying his judges who willingly bend the law for him.

Without the rule of law, there can be no development of the nation at all. This is the most serious problem facing Singapore and correcting it is something that the government must do, something which is not negotiable as far as Singaporeans are concerned. Yet these Singaporean opposition have nothing at all to say about it.

Singapore does not have a free press because it is all state controlled and censored. This is another debilitating problem facing the people of Singapore which has to be corrected before anything else. Yet these Singaporean so called opposition leaders have no comment at all.

The same with the serious fundamental issues of the lack of free speech, assembly and association; serious violations of human rights which are at the core of Singapore's problems, preventing it from aspiring to become a democracy. Yet Michelle Lee is content to say that Singapore youth is restless! We should ask her whether that is all she has to say!

These opposition politicians should have the courage at least to be honest, honest to themselves and to Singaporeans. There is no point for them to claim a leadership role, when it is quite obvious that they are afraid to confront the Lee Kuan Yew regime on these issues that are fundamental before anything else, as nothing else can advance if these crippling problems are not settled.

The sad situation in Singapore even after the recent elections is this. Singaporeans are either in denial or completely unaware of the serious problems under which they live, literally a dictatorship without any rights. And without rights, there is no point in talking about other issues such as immigration, flooding or anything else; because if you can be shut up anytime and sent to jail by Singapore's corrupt judiciary, like what British author Alan Shadrake is now undergoing in Singapore, Singaporeans are doomed to continue at the pleasure of the Lee Kuan Yew family.

These fundamental violations of the erosion of the rule of law and denial of fundamental human rights are not issues which Singaporeans can merely complain and sit patiently by, waiting for Lee Kuan Yew to correct them. These are issues which should be demanded and protested, and there should be no let up until the government finally concedes. These are issues which demand relentless sustained civil disobedience until your rights are fully restored. If you are not prepared to do that, then you will simply continue as you were the last 52 years; that is at the mercy of the Lee Kuan Yew family.

I suspect, from the actions of these recent additions to the opposition, Oxbridge and London educated people such as Michelle Lee of Dr. Chee's party, that they are the latest of Lee Kuan Yew's tricks to infiltrate the opposition ranks, which are already weak and ineffective.

Lee's cunning idea this time appears to be to give the impression that there are capable people speaking for the opposition now; except that these "capable" people who are PAP in disguise, are only going to skirt the issues by raising issues of inconsequence but who will not really confront the Lee Kuan Yew family where it really matters.

Chee Soon Juan whom I previously admired, and still do I must add, was the champion for democratic change in Singapore by his willingness to truly and fearlessly confront the Lee ruling party where it matters, on fundamental issues such as basic human rights, appears to have had a change of heart and now appears to go along with the flow, content to raise issues such as the economy, but unwilling to proclaim that the economy cannot go anywhere unless the people had the rule of law, a free press and the right to free expression.

If I am right in believing that Chee has now decided that the best thing to do is to get into Parliament by carefully making sure that Lee Kuan Yew or his Son are not offended, by raising only secondary issues but leaving alone fundamental human rights, he might as well go one step further and resign his position as Secretary General of his party entirely, since there may be a general perception among the Singapore populace that he is the main impediment, given his past of civil disobedience, to his party's advancement.

Of course I don't believe that he should step down or do any such thing.

But I am only saying, as the Devil's advocate, that if he is going to moderate his actions for the sake of expediency, which I believe is wrong in principle, he might as well go all the way and step down for the sake of his party and allow Tan Jee Say, his recent colleague who actually criticised him for his past in civil disobedience to step into his shoes.

Another possibility, Michelle Lee, the London graduate since she too does not believe in confronting Lee Kuan Yew with peaceful protests to demand fundamental human rights. She appears content to tell us that the youth are restless!

All round, a very sad time for the cause of freedom in Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/

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