Ladies and Gentlemen,
Because of its denial of democratic rights, in the long run, tiny Singapore island with its tiny population simply cannot compete with free democratic countries.
For any country to advance and progress, firstly its people should have respect for its institutions. Today every single core institution in the island has been thoroughly discredited. Singapore's judges have been seen for a long time as mere henchmen of the ruling government, routinely jailing government critics, peaceful protesters and anyone who stands against them as criminals.
Anyone who believes that Singapore has the rule of law believes the Moon is made of cheese.
As a result, the average Singaporean is resigned to the fact that if you want to live in the island, you simply have to obey and submit.
Rights which one would have taken for granted such as an independent press, right to free speech and expression and peaceful protest have all been criminalized and the understanding is that if you wish to live in the island, it will be on their terms, not yours.
And by far the most disgusting part of life in Singapore is the rulers open and shameless corruption, which once again, you have to accept or else go to jail. Lee Kuan Yew's son, the present day dictator of the island pays himself and every single Minister in his government who all happen to be his relatives both close and distant (a big family government), no less than $2 million dollars per year. Anyone with eyes can see this is corruption, but if you complain, you are faced with the routine defamation of character lawsuits which will end in your shaming in the state controlled press and certain bankruptcy.
Now who in his right mind would want to live in such a state if he could avoid it.
As a result there continues to be a mounting brain drain to the West. More and more young men and women naturally find such a life distasteful and simply pack up and leave. It is bad enough for a large country like China to lose its talent but can you imagine how devastating it is for a tiny island like this.
Besides those leaving, there are those who can contribute to society who remain in Singapore but refuse to participate in this dictatorship because they find it disgraceful. There are thousands of highly educated and skilled individuals who simply lead a quite elusive, reclusive life because they don't want to sully their hands with this dictatorship. Here again is another section of society who are lost for Singapore's progress.
Anyone can see the difference between the free and democratic societies and the dictatorships like Singapore. The educated and skilled continue to pour into the West, such as Australia New Zealand USA and Canada. I don't think the best and the brightest are making a bee line for this island.
Naturally people around the world want to live in free democratic countries because they have respected governments. One can expect the rule of law in Australia, freedom in Australia and the rest of the free world, qualities that parents look to make their homes and bring up their children. Nobody wants to move to a dictatorship where your life literally depends on the whims of a dictator as is the case in Singapore.
As a result the citizens of these societies stay and work to build it up, while highly educated and skilled from around the world continue to move there to boost their skilled population even further. People in free societies love their countries and stay behind to improve it.
In Singapore on the other hand, everyone who can manage to leave is leaving and the sort of immigrants they attract are at best only mediocre, ones that cannot qualify for the West.
Steadily you will see Singapore island losing out to the competition of the free world. Singapore's banking laws have been changed to attract money launderers and thieves to park their money there. But it will not be these characters who can do anything for the island.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean by birth
Now American citizen
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
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