Singapore. Lee's Kangaroo courts latest denial of freedom of assembly verdict in the Chee case, another body blow to it's legal reputation

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Yesterday, Singapore island, which the Lee Ruling Family govern through their father and son team, had their courts, which they also control, make another disgraceful ruling, which we have become sadly used to, that it is a crime for anyone to even peacefully protest in the island. See state controlled Straits Times report titled "SDP Court of Appeal bid rejected" http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/thursday/breaking-news/singapore/story/sdp-members-court-appeal-bid-rejected-20121011

Most people who know Singapore know that these cases are decided by "telephone justice" a term which is commonly used in Putin's Russia today where political opponents are dealt by their judges through a phone call from Putin as to what the sentence is going to be.  Singapore is run like any other Communist government where state institutions, including their courts and the citizens are require to obey the orders of the Lee Ruling Family.

A short recapitulation. In 2008, Chee Soon Juan, Chee Siok Chin his sister, John Tang Liang Joo the secretary general of Chee's political party and film maker Seelan Pallay, a supporter of Chee and a democracy activist were arrested for peacefully protesting among other things, at Toa Payoh a housing estate, the high cost of living and the astronomical salaries of the Lee Ruling Family and their friends (each get paid 5 times the American president's salary). Co-incidentally, I too was arrested with them during my ill fated, and shall I say interesting trip to Singapore then but as I was already in custody for criticizing Lee's judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean for misusing the law to bankrupt Chee, and since I was an American citizen about to be deported anyway, they dropped the charge against me.

These judges cannot be better described as Lee's Kangaroo Judges in Lee’s Kangaroo Courts. Strong words but nevertheless true. Anyone who knows anything about democracy and Constitutions would know that the reason why a Constitution exists is because it is the Supreme Law. It is almost etched in stone which any government has to obey. Not only that, it makes any law which negates or even modifies it, however little, absolutely illegal and void.

As expected, the Singapore constitution, just like the Constitution of any other free country in the world has a provision which guarantees it's people the right to assemble and protest. It is almost a fundamental foundation and pillar of any democratic country. Constitutions can only be amended under extreme emergency circumstances or not at all, such as when there is a serious threat to law and order which may sparingly allow its change in those circumstances.

But since the Lee Ruling Family are ruling the island as if they can do whatever they want whenever they want, damn with any Constitution, they have gone ahead in their one party state to make a law requiring anyone even a lone individual wanting to engage in any peaceful protest to have a permit to do it. And what is interesting is that no one in Singapore’s entire history has ever been given one to protest against the Lee Ruling Family government. They treat the Singapore Constitution as if it was just a grocery shopping list.  

Chee and company were duly convicted in a lower court. They appealed even though they knew that these Kangaroo courts would never have allowed this appeal anyway. I suppose they did it to pin their shame to posterity, which they appear to have succeeded since the Court of Appeal of Kangaroos refused their appeals, as was expected.

Chee has reported this repeated disgrace of Lee Kuan Yew courts in his article "Judge Rejects Public Assembly" in his blog Singapore Democrat of October 10, 2012. See http://yoursdp.org/news/judge_rejects_public_assembly_application/2012-10-10-5401

In this case the position of Chee and company under the law is simply unassailable and that of the Lee Ruling Family and these Kangaroo courts simply indefensible; there is simply no two ways about that.

What Chee should do now is to drive the point home, even though he has done it numerous times, once more. He should defy the Lee Ruling Family's courts and conduct another peaceful demonstration at a location other than the Singapore version of the Speakers Corner. Remember the Constitution does not make any reference to protests at any one particular location. When Chee is arrested once again and convicted, he should publicize this once more and drive home, not only locally but internationally, the fact that Lee's courts have no respect whatsoever for any law, even the Constitution.

I long to see the devastating consequences of this throughout the island and abroad, the effects of which are already beginning to hurt. The already small local legal profession would get even smaller with even more senior lawyers leaving the profession, (it has not more than about 2500 lawyers in an island of 5 million) not wanting to be associated with a body so discredited. Almost every lawyer has less than 10 years of experience. Other than con men and embezzlers, they won't be able to attract honest immigrants to the island. And the already de minimus birth rate will become completely non existent, since no one would want to have families and children in an island with a corrupt legal system and Kangaroo judges.

We have to thank Chee for doing this because like me, thousands of people around the world are reading the abuse in the Singapore judiciary and it is beginning to hurt the Lee Ruling Family even more.

Gopalan Nair
A Singaporean in Exile
Attorney at Law
Fremont California USA
Tel: 510 491 4375