Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew's one principle purpose throughout his 53 years in control has been his total determination to keep his people ignorant of their Constitutional rights because the moment they demand it, is the time he loses his total grip over them. He is a man who is either unwilling or unable to engage in a democratic process with contending groups as is the case in democracies around the world. Being a weak leader which he is, he must have dictatorial powers over his people, because that is the only way he can govern, and for it to work, the more ignorant his people the better.
The Constitution of Singapore is as good a document as any other in the world. It gives the universally recognized fundamental liberties to the people of Singapore similar to the rights enjoyed by American, Englishmen, and Australian. Under it, Singaporeans have the right to free speech, expression, assembly, a free press and the rule of law. But in truth Singaporeans don't have any of it. Every single one has been diluted or removed entirely leaving Singaporeans with no rights at all.
But the fact that Singaporeans do in fact have these rights and the fact that they have been removed are things which the average person has no clue about.
Students are not taught the Constitution in schools, law students at Singapore Universities are deliberately not taught this subject or are deliberately misinformed, while at the same time, people who criticize, peacefully protest or agitate are all arrested sued and bankrupted.
In the end, the average Singaporean goes away thinking that it is illegal to criticize or protest or in any way challenge the government. Having successfully brought upon this blanket of fear and the belief that engaging in any of such activity is illegal, Lee Kuan Yew can effectively do whatever he wants whenever he wants with impunity.
In other words Singaporeans as a people are both ignorant and misled about who or what they are.
This fact is seen in the Lee's being able to do away with all basic fundamental liberties of his people without any objection whatsoever. There was no protest at all against his nationalizing the press, his abusing the courts as an instrument of political control, and his criminalizing any form of criticism or peaceful protest. If the people had known their rights, they would not have sat idly by when every single of these human rights were taken away. But they did, because they never knew they had any in the first place.
If Lee Kuan Yew truly believed in Singapore's interests, he would have known that an enfranchised educated population is necessary to advance the state. An ignorant people are an impediment and a handicap in this purpose.
Today, Singapore's population is weak as a people. They are incapable of understanding that their participation is necessary for the country to advance. It is not enough to let Lee Kuan Yew and a few of his friends at the top decide everything for you, because if so, they would decide things in their interest, not yours. In any case, any true citizen would want to be an active participant in his nation's progress.
Today, Singaporeans are so fed up with what is going on that they have completely decoupled from the government. They no longer care what happens to their country since their opinions don't count anyway. This leaves Lee Kuan Yew to decide where to build, how many buildings to build and every other possible decision that you can think of, while ignorant Singaporeans who are unaware of their constitutional rights just go along for the ride.
Fed up, neglected and a mere digit, as Lee Kuan Yew called his citizens in the past, they find life uninteresting, living like a caged animal. So they decide not to have children, with Singapore having the lowest birth rate in the world; they decide to leave for settlement abroad, with Singapore having the highest rates of emigration in the world; and to replace the people either leaving or dying off, Lee Kuan Yew brings in planeloads of Chinese immigrants from Communist China who know nothing about Singapore, let alone the Constitution.
Lee Kuan Yew does not have any foundational basis in running his island. There is no Constitution, no independent judiciary nor do the people have any rights whatsoever. He merely does what he wants whenever he wants and the ignorant people of Singapore who have been successfully kept for 53 years in the dark simply go along with it.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
Disbarred from practicing law in Lee's Singapore, imprisoned and refused entry to the island for criticizing Singapore's judiciary in this blog (see blogpost May 29, 2008 Singapore. Judge Belinda Ang's Kangaroo Court)
Actively practicing law in California and in good standing at the California Bar.
Member in good standing as a lawyer in England and Wales (Barrister).
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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1 comment:
The way Goh Keng Swee/Toh Chin Chai were treated is disgraceful. Both suffered complete media blackout as well as a physical blackout. You will not hear/see/read about these 2 - and for 25 years, these 2 former greats lived a life of anonymity, forced on them by LKY. Why? So that he will be the only one from the past that mattered. The others can go to hell - and he made it happen. Even the annual PAP convention did not invite these 2. What is disgrace. No wonder the younder PAP members know nothing about these 2. This is planned by LKY. He wants to be the last one standing - praised for everything that is good in Singapore. Now we hear about the zero estate duty. I wonder if this is true.
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