Singapore Island's obedience trained political opposition

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singapore Island, a tiny spot at the bottom of the Malay Peninsula has literally speaking the most corrupt government in the world, the most corrupt judiciary in the world, the citizens of whom are totally lacking in any human rights despite a Constitution which guarantees those rights, an island which does not have a minimum wage law, a place where there are no independent trade unions and a place where literally the people are, even though they may not realize it, literally the property of Lee Kuan Yew and his government.

A gross exaggeration, you may say but look at the facts. Lee Kuan Yew and his ministers pay themselves an official salary of $3.7 million a year each; I have lost count or something to that effect. Tell me if this is not corruption.

In a series of cases in Lee's Singapore courts the judges have made numerous rulings running into millions of dollars against opposition politicians for merely criticizing Lee and his government. Tell me if this is not a corrupt judiciary.

Despite the Constitution guaranteeing free speech, you can be sued and bankrupted for political criticism. Tell me if this is not a denial of human rights.

There is no minimum wage law for workers. Tell me if this is not an abuse of worker rights.

And so on and so forth.

But what has Singapore opposition, if indeed there is one done about it? Nothing. The recently formed Reform Party and the numerous others with acronyms such as NSP and SDA and so on and so forth are numerous. But they are as good as dead. The Reform Party's leader can be heard to make periodical statements about something or other such as the illegality of bank loans, he may try to get some attention now and then by suing the government for claims such as the abuse of state funds which he will inevitably lose and after that he will go to sleep again.

The only party that deserves some recognition is Chee Soon Juan's Singapore Democratic Party but they too appear to be somewhat mellow lately. Now, other than writing blog articles in their Website the Singapore Democrat and periodically holding seminars and going on walkabouts in Lee's housing estates, they are not doing anything more. Unless you took the trouble to read Chee's blog, you will know nothing about these activities as the media is state controlled and don't give him coverage.

As for peaceful demonstrations which he held in the past for which he was greatly admired, it appears he has given that up.

Mind you I haven’t mentioned the Workers Party who claims to be opposition and actually have 6 seats in Parliament. But the Workers Party is an illusion. Lee has cleverly decided that if Singaporeans are going to vote for an opposition, it is as well that he turn the opposition into PAP. This is what has happened to the Workers Party. Voting for them is as good as voting for the PAP. They are merely stooges who further the interests of the PAP by making inane speeches for no purpose.

Which is why Low this Khaing their leader who has been in Parliament for decades has really managed to do nothing at all, except, making speeches, which I suppose he will do for another two decades.

And while he makes his speeches, Lee continues to take millions and the island continues as it is.

With Palmer, the PAP MP being caught with his pants down in his adulterous affair and resigning, it would appear that his ward will have a by election. But I don't think Chee or the Reform Party man or anyone from these dead political parties is ever going to win. The residents would be thoroughly intimidated and thoroughly confused into thinking that the Workers Party is best, as Lee has cleverly managed to do in the past and they will win once again. And the people will think once again that they have managed to vote another opposition man with the Workers Party, into Parliament while Lee would be licking his chops, knowing he has fooled them once again.

What Singapore needs is not speeches in Parliament, blog posts in the Singapore Democrats or law suits filed by the Reform Party. What they respect is courage. For a man to go out there on the streets and demand that he will not budge unless justice is done; unless Lee stops stealing state funds, unless the people are given their fundamental rights, unless the judiciary will promise independence.

Alas, they have no courage. Lee has successfully house trained and domesticated them into pedigree show poodles. All they are capable of is to write blog posts and file law suits periodically, as Lee wants them, while Lee continues to steal and while his courts continue to abuse the law.

Unless they get off their backsides and do something real, there is no hope for the island. It is doomed as Lee's serfdom until he dies when it will descend by default into chaos.

Gopalan Nair
Fremont, CA USA
Attorney at Law
Tel: 510 491 4375