Ladies and Gentlemen,
As there is no need to take any bets whether I will be disbarred from the Rolls of Lawyers in Singapore which is a forgone conclusion; for persistently criticizing Singapore’s bully boy Lee Kuan Yew, his corrupt judiciary and his "unique" legal system; and since my date for disbarment is fast approaching, with my trial set for May this year in Singapore, which by the way I cannot attend since I have been denied entry into Singapore; it is time to re-visit it's cause and effect so as not to forget what this is all about.
There are 5 charges against me as follows.
Charge 1 and 2, are for the allegations that on July 4, 2008 I had had used abusive language against Lee Kuan Yew’s policemen in a Singapore street, and had behaved in a disorderly manner.
I denied these charges and went though an 18 day trial in Lee’s court totally refuting the incredulous claims of 5 policemen who dutifully repeated the same accusation that I behaved in this way.
As to what motive I would have to do this while my passport was held by them prohibiting my leaving the island was never explained.
Neither was it proven that I was mentally of unsound mind as only someone unsound would want to be doing this for no motive at all!
The evidence of the chief witness, a policeman was so incredible; it was more apt for the pages of Alice in Wonderland.
If alcohol was an issue, which too was demolished since the amount, was less than a tenth of the limit even for driving a motor vehicle!
And finally what crowns it all is the Singapore state controlled newspaper the Straits Times reported earlier that as many as 25 bystanders had witnessed my unacceptable behavior but strangely not a single one of them, an independant witness, was called at trial.
All we have is policemen repeating the same thing after sufficient coaching. In any case, even in the assumption that I did it, which is not the case, these charges are not something which requires a lawyer to be struck off the rolls in any law abiding country.
Charge 3 relates to this blog Singapore Dissident. It states that in this blog, on May 28, 2008, while in Singapore, I had written the following words about Lee Kuan Yew's judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean following her corrupted biased and totally unjust court decision granting her master Lee the sum of over $400,000.00 against Dr. Chee Soon Juan for criticism which was completely acceptable and normal in any democratic society in the world.
I had said: "The Judge Belinda Ang (Belinda Ang Saw Ean) was throughout prostituting herself during the entire proceedings by being nothing more than an employee of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and his son and carrying out their orders".
I had said these words of the Singapore strongman's judge and I would gladly repeat it again. It was a correct usage of the English language to indicate a total abdication and corruption of her role as a judge in her thoroughly denying Dr. Chee Soon Juan a fair hearing between May 26 and May 28 2008 in Singapore at which time I was present.
The reader is invited to read my blog post again as well as perusing the correct dictionary meanings of "prostituting" in the circumstances in this case.
This is not a case where any lawyer in any respectable democracy would be disbarred.
Charge 4 refers to my retracting the assurances I gave in Lee Kuan Yew's courts just before I was released from Lee's jail and permitted to leave the country.
The circumstances are as follows.
On or about August of 2008 I had already been convicted and sentenced as relating to Charges 1 and 2 above, “the disorderly case”.
In September of 2008 I was sentenced to 3 months jail for "insulting" Judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean as in Charge 3 above.
While in jail, when I had only about a week to go before my date of release from prison of November 20, 2008, around the 12 of November 2008, I was visited by Lee’s police in the prison and charged this time for contempt of court for statements I made earlier in court during my "disorderly" case as in Charge 1 and 2 above.
The statements included such as “I have no trust in the impartiality of this court” and “this is a politically motivated case”.
If I denied the charges, I would certainly have lost in Lee Kuan Yew's courts; this would also mean my having to stay even longer in Lee Kuan Yew’s prison.
For the sake of getting out of Singapore, I would have even said that Lee Kuan Yew is the same as Mahatma Gandhi if they wanted it; I apologized to the judge several times in order to conform to the terms set down by Lee's prosecutor and promised never to criticize the Singapore judiciary again, ever. Had I been asked to say that the Singapore legal system was the best in the world, I would have said that too.
Of course when saying any of this, I had no intention whatsoever of keeping any of these promises.
Lee's judge, satisfied with my remonstrances of remorse repentance and contrition, for which had there been a Hollywood producer present, I would have received an Oscar for acting, my incarceration was not extended.
After having been relieved from Lee Kuan Yew's prison on November 20, 2008 and leaving Singapore for good on May 26, 2008, after arriving in California, I retracted all apologies given to this kangaroo court of Lee Kuan Yew in this blog and swore to continue criticizing Lee and his judges where criticism is due.
This charge relates to my blog post of November 28, 2008 in California in which I withdrew all apologies given to Lee Kuan Yew's judge in Singapore.
No lawyer in any real democracy in the world would be disbarred for this.
Charge No 5, relates to my blog post of November 30, 2008 in which I repeated the same words that I had used in relation to Judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean in Charge 3, that is, Lee Kuan Yew's judge Judith Prakash had "prostituted herself" in her decision to send 3 Singapore democracy activists to jail merely because they had worn T Shirts emblazoned with the picture of kangaroos outside Belinda Ang Saw Ean's court during the Dr. Chee Soon Juan hearing referred to in Charge 3.
This judge did in fact "prostitute herself" for sending these 3 men to jail because this is not contempt of court and she was acting merely to please her master Lee Kuan Yew.
Again this is not a case where any lawyer would be disbarred from the practice of law.
Every move of Lee Kuan Yew's disciplinary tribunal in this case as well as the arguments of his selected lawyer to carry out his pleasure, will be posted on this blog.
I will of course be disbarred in Lee Kuan Yew's island for this, which will cause the rest of the world to observe another instance of Lee's routine usage of the law to punish his critics.
This will turn out to be an advantage to me for giving me another opportunity to expose the misuse of the law and another confirmation to the International Bar Association’s 72 page finding that Singapore does not have the rule of law.
With Lee’s above charges, it would be impossible to convince anyone in any place other than North Korea, Burma or Cuba that discipline is warranted let alone disbarment.
Of course, one thing Lee Kuan Yew could do is to now create new offences, by accusing me of imaginary crimes.
Why not claim that I had killed 25 people while in Singapore and the only reason they did not charge me earlier was that only now were the bodies recovered!
Why not say that I had burgled 25 houses in Singapore but since the victims only reported the crimes now, they could not have charged me earlier!
Surely with these made up crimes, which you know Lee Kuan Yew is an expert in doing, disbarment will be at least arguable.
But on these present charges as they stand, Lee is going to look silly again.
From now until May 2010, there is still time for him to do this. Can we expect murder charges?
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Singapore. Time to abandon a sinking ship
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am not sure if the Singapore strongman is 86 or is he 87, but in the main, I don't think it really makes much difference. A man cannot go on for ever, even if he is Lee Kuan Yew. He has to die very soon, this year or next. And even if he doesn't die, he would be for all purposes useless anyway, certainly not up to running around dictating the way he used to.
And surely, is this not the time for those who have been running around in riches blowing his trumpet, to question whether is it safe to stay on in the island? Would not packing up and going to Alice Springs Australia a very good option now as things stand?
Despite all his claims for intelligence I think he is quite incompetent, really quite incompetent. Anyone wanting to preserve at least some of what he has built would have realized that governance has to spread out. All power being in him alone is not a good idea because when he dies or becomes bedridden, power does not seamlessly shift to someone else. It may happen in North Korea or Cuba, both closed societies, but it is most unlikely in a English speaking (or a form of it anyway) city state with open borders. That is why if Kevin Rudd resigns, Australia does not collapse and neither does Britain if Gordon Brown does it.
In an island city state run up till today by a man who has held power since 1959 and puts anyone in jail for criticism, ruling through fear, can it be fairly accepted that the people would turn their kowtows to his son, who will in turn become the Dear Leader?
I doubt it.
If you are not thinking about it, you should do so now. It is not safe. The Belinda Ang Saw Eans of Singapore, the Judith Prakashs, the Walter Woon Cheong Mings, the K Shanmugams should really take stock of their prospects now.
I predict Singaporeans refusing to pay homage to Singapore's Dear Leader's son in the event of his demise. I expect unrest but on what scale I cannot say. But there will be unrest. There will be a outgoing flood of foreign companies, foreign assets, and people with cash trying to save what is left of their savings. You are going to see a run on the Singapore dollar, and on the whole mayhem. After some time, just as after all calamities, the situation will become stable but to what extent one cannot say.
Singapore, will not produce a new despot such as Dear Leader Lee Kuan Yew and out of this melee, something else may come out in the end; unrest, chaos and uncertainty.
But if you are the standard Singaporean or Belinda Ang Saw Ean, one of Lee's ever willing judges, is it not time to pack up? Better to be to be able to keep some of your money and in Belinda Ang Saw Ean's case, better to be alive than dead!
The "SS Singapore" is listing badly and taking water. It may be time to abandon ship.
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
I am not sure if the Singapore strongman is 86 or is he 87, but in the main, I don't think it really makes much difference. A man cannot go on for ever, even if he is Lee Kuan Yew. He has to die very soon, this year or next. And even if he doesn't die, he would be for all purposes useless anyway, certainly not up to running around dictating the way he used to.
And surely, is this not the time for those who have been running around in riches blowing his trumpet, to question whether is it safe to stay on in the island? Would not packing up and going to Alice Springs Australia a very good option now as things stand?
Despite all his claims for intelligence I think he is quite incompetent, really quite incompetent. Anyone wanting to preserve at least some of what he has built would have realized that governance has to spread out. All power being in him alone is not a good idea because when he dies or becomes bedridden, power does not seamlessly shift to someone else. It may happen in North Korea or Cuba, both closed societies, but it is most unlikely in a English speaking (or a form of it anyway) city state with open borders. That is why if Kevin Rudd resigns, Australia does not collapse and neither does Britain if Gordon Brown does it.
In an island city state run up till today by a man who has held power since 1959 and puts anyone in jail for criticism, ruling through fear, can it be fairly accepted that the people would turn their kowtows to his son, who will in turn become the Dear Leader?
I doubt it.
If you are not thinking about it, you should do so now. It is not safe. The Belinda Ang Saw Eans of Singapore, the Judith Prakashs, the Walter Woon Cheong Mings, the K Shanmugams should really take stock of their prospects now.
I predict Singaporeans refusing to pay homage to Singapore's Dear Leader's son in the event of his demise. I expect unrest but on what scale I cannot say. But there will be unrest. There will be a outgoing flood of foreign companies, foreign assets, and people with cash trying to save what is left of their savings. You are going to see a run on the Singapore dollar, and on the whole mayhem. After some time, just as after all calamities, the situation will become stable but to what extent one cannot say.
Singapore, will not produce a new despot such as Dear Leader Lee Kuan Yew and out of this melee, something else may come out in the end; unrest, chaos and uncertainty.
But if you are the standard Singaporean or Belinda Ang Saw Ean, one of Lee's ever willing judges, is it not time to pack up? Better to be to be able to keep some of your money and in Belinda Ang Saw Ean's case, better to be alive than dead!
The "SS Singapore" is listing badly and taking water. It may be time to abandon ship.
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Law Society vs Gopalan Nair Disciplinary Proceedings, as of Feb 26, 2010 and my List of Documents.
Update: March 04, 2010, This post/list of documents was inadvertently not sent to Angela Chopard and Yogeswari daughter of N Vadivellu, both of the Tribunal as service earlier, which we have done now. Low, Singaporean lawyer for their Law Society was served earlier as stated.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Lee Kuan Yew's work towards disbarring me from the Rolls of Lawyers in Singapore continues without much activity.
First, the Tribunal had ordered the parties to file and serve their list of documents latest today. I understand by this that Lee Kuan Yew's preselected lawyer commissioned for the dirty work, to successfully prosecute me and having me disbarred was required by court order to do this latest by today.
As it is the 27th of February 2010 in Singapore as I write in California, this Lee Kuan Yew's handpicked prosecutor appears to have overlooked the dateline, since as of now, no list of documents has been served on me. I suppose we can assume that since my being struck off the Bar in Lee Kuan Yew's paradise island is a forgone conclusion, it really does not matter whether they follow the rules or not.
As for me, I will be doing the same now (filing and serving the list of documents) in this blog post, which will double as my list, and serving the same on Lee Kuan Yew's handpicked lawyer and his judges who must have by now, already received orders to finish me off, in Singapore's "best legal system".
This is another case where you know the verdict even before you enter the courtroom. Gopalan Nair is disbarred. Another gentleman in Singapore who also knows the verdict even before the trial is Singapore's Dr. Chee See Juan. When Lee Kuan Yew sues him for defamation it is no point taking bets. You won't find any bookie willing to do it. Verdict Lee Kuan Yew 10, Dr. Chee Soon Juan 0.
You are already aware from my previous post that Lee Kuan Yew's Immigration authorities have refused up till now to give me permission to enter Singapore for my trial there which has been fixed from May 17, 2010 to May 21, 2010. As you are aware, I have been refused entry into Singapore without express permission from the Immigration authorities although I hold an American passport.
Lee's immigration authorities nor his Tribunal nor anyone else, nor Woon Cheong Ming Walter Lee's Attorney General nor his Tamil Minister for Law K Shanmugam nor anyone else has ever responded to my request for safe passage in and out of Singapore since demonstrably according to them, I have committed numerous crimes by my writings in this blog by calling his judges corrupt. Moreover I had retracted my apology in this blog after my return to California, which I had given in his courts imprisoned and in chains for criticizing him and his corrupt judiciary.
All this means that unless I have a firm guarantee that I will not be harmed by his police and his corrupt judges, travelling to Singapore to defend myself would be tantamount to willingly going to his jail.
As for my request to them to provide the court transcripts, up till now they have refused to do provide them. They have also refused to provide the audio recordings of my trial in the High Court.
As of now, since the last communication from the Singapore Disciplinary Tribunal they have totally shut themselves off from any further communication with me.
Gopalan Nair's List of documents: I shall be relying on all correspondence and evey bit of evidence available that is material to these proceedings
This blog post that doubles as my List of Documents for my Singaporean Disciplinary Inquiry is being served on the following via Email:
1. Angela Chopard, Head Singapore Disciplinary Tribunal, angela_chopard@supcourt.gov.sg
2. Yogeswari daughter of N Vadivellu (Yogeswari d/o N Vadivellu), Chopard's sidekick, yogeswari_n_vadivellu@supcourt.gov.sg
3. Peter Cuthbert Low, a fancy Western name but a thoroughly local Chinese who manages to speak only Singlish. He is the man selected for the dirty job of prosecuting me and to see to it that I am disbarred from Lee's courts, not a difficult task at all since the courts decision has to be pleasing to Lee in any case. He works in the firm Colin Ng and Partners in Lee's city state, peterlow@cnplaw.com
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Lee Kuan Yew's work towards disbarring me from the Rolls of Lawyers in Singapore continues without much activity.
First, the Tribunal had ordered the parties to file and serve their list of documents latest today. I understand by this that Lee Kuan Yew's preselected lawyer commissioned for the dirty work, to successfully prosecute me and having me disbarred was required by court order to do this latest by today.
As it is the 27th of February 2010 in Singapore as I write in California, this Lee Kuan Yew's handpicked prosecutor appears to have overlooked the dateline, since as of now, no list of documents has been served on me. I suppose we can assume that since my being struck off the Bar in Lee Kuan Yew's paradise island is a forgone conclusion, it really does not matter whether they follow the rules or not.
As for me, I will be doing the same now (filing and serving the list of documents) in this blog post, which will double as my list, and serving the same on Lee Kuan Yew's handpicked lawyer and his judges who must have by now, already received orders to finish me off, in Singapore's "best legal system".
This is another case where you know the verdict even before you enter the courtroom. Gopalan Nair is disbarred. Another gentleman in Singapore who also knows the verdict even before the trial is Singapore's Dr. Chee See Juan. When Lee Kuan Yew sues him for defamation it is no point taking bets. You won't find any bookie willing to do it. Verdict Lee Kuan Yew 10, Dr. Chee Soon Juan 0.
You are already aware from my previous post that Lee Kuan Yew's Immigration authorities have refused up till now to give me permission to enter Singapore for my trial there which has been fixed from May 17, 2010 to May 21, 2010. As you are aware, I have been refused entry into Singapore without express permission from the Immigration authorities although I hold an American passport.
Lee's immigration authorities nor his Tribunal nor anyone else, nor Woon Cheong Ming Walter Lee's Attorney General nor his Tamil Minister for Law K Shanmugam nor anyone else has ever responded to my request for safe passage in and out of Singapore since demonstrably according to them, I have committed numerous crimes by my writings in this blog by calling his judges corrupt. Moreover I had retracted my apology in this blog after my return to California, which I had given in his courts imprisoned and in chains for criticizing him and his corrupt judiciary.
All this means that unless I have a firm guarantee that I will not be harmed by his police and his corrupt judges, travelling to Singapore to defend myself would be tantamount to willingly going to his jail.
As for my request to them to provide the court transcripts, up till now they have refused to do provide them. They have also refused to provide the audio recordings of my trial in the High Court.
As of now, since the last communication from the Singapore Disciplinary Tribunal they have totally shut themselves off from any further communication with me.
Gopalan Nair's List of documents: I shall be relying on all correspondence and evey bit of evidence available that is material to these proceedings
This blog post that doubles as my List of Documents for my Singaporean Disciplinary Inquiry is being served on the following via Email:
1. Angela Chopard, Head Singapore Disciplinary Tribunal, angela_chopard@supcourt.gov.sg
2. Yogeswari daughter of N Vadivellu (Yogeswari d/o N Vadivellu), Chopard's sidekick, yogeswari_n_vadivellu@supcourt.gov.sg
3. Peter Cuthbert Low, a fancy Western name but a thoroughly local Chinese who manages to speak only Singlish. He is the man selected for the dirty job of prosecuting me and to see to it that I am disbarred from Lee's courts, not a difficult task at all since the courts decision has to be pleasing to Lee in any case. He works in the firm Colin Ng and Partners in Lee's city state, peterlow@cnplaw.com
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Even more instances of Singapore style "rule of law"!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore's state controlled newspaper the Straits Times online edition of Feb 26, 2010 has an incredible story titled "New Sub Court Initiatives".
It talks of yet another of Singapore's "brilliant" (or harebrained, depending of which way you look at it) story of it's government compliant chief Justice introducing new initiates in the Subordinate Courts.
It says, since at least a 3rd of criminal litigants represent themselves, because they cannot afford fees for private attorneys, a body has been set up in the courts to provide resources to help them with "basic court procedures and processes".
You can see the hypocrisy of this uncaring government staring at you. If what this means is a set up to teach criminal defendants defend themselves in court, tell me how is this possible in a few minutes to accomplish this, when it takes at least 4 years of tertiary education and several years more of legal experience to be able to defend oneself in court in even a rudimentary fashion!
If I am hearing this nonsense correctly, is this report saying that since these poor litigants are unable to defend themselves in their criminal cases, this body to be set up in the Subordinate Court is going to provide sufficient instruction and training for them to defend themselves before a trained judge and a trained prosecutor? And how long is this training going to take? A few hours?
You can see the dishonesty of this government clearly. First it is the government's responsibility to provide trained lawyers at government expense to defend indigent accused citizens. This they refuse to do, when every other self respecting democracy accepts it's obligation to these people as a duty under the tenets of the rule of law. Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, USA, Finland, Spain and every other self respecting country do so.
Singapore on the other hand goes out with a great deal of hot air in their state controlled newspapers claiming to have the best legal system in the world and even more hogwash. Yet they refuse criminal representation to their needy citizens, a duty that goes to the root of any democracy based on the rule of law.
The Chief Justice is not fooling anyone by this stupidity. If you are serious provide assisted legal representation to the indigent. If not, just shut up.
The truth is, there is great injustice going on in Lee Kuan Yew's courts. It is one law for the rich who hire government connected lawyers and get away with driving a car and killing a motorcyclist while speaking on the cell phone like the Chinese woman editor of a state controlled Chinese newspaper who manages to walk away with just a fine. I mentioned this case in this blog.
It is quite another law for the masses who are uneducated and indigent who cannot speak English let alone understand complicated criminal procedure who have to defend themselves against a trained Singaporean prosecutor. Or go to jail.
Mr. Chief Justice, who are you kidding? You are making a fool of yourself! Stop it! Stop it now!
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Singapore's state controlled newspaper the Straits Times online edition of Feb 26, 2010 has an incredible story titled "New Sub Court Initiatives".
It talks of yet another of Singapore's "brilliant" (or harebrained, depending of which way you look at it) story of it's government compliant chief Justice introducing new initiates in the Subordinate Courts.
It says, since at least a 3rd of criminal litigants represent themselves, because they cannot afford fees for private attorneys, a body has been set up in the courts to provide resources to help them with "basic court procedures and processes".
You can see the hypocrisy of this uncaring government staring at you. If what this means is a set up to teach criminal defendants defend themselves in court, tell me how is this possible in a few minutes to accomplish this, when it takes at least 4 years of tertiary education and several years more of legal experience to be able to defend oneself in court in even a rudimentary fashion!
If I am hearing this nonsense correctly, is this report saying that since these poor litigants are unable to defend themselves in their criminal cases, this body to be set up in the Subordinate Court is going to provide sufficient instruction and training for them to defend themselves before a trained judge and a trained prosecutor? And how long is this training going to take? A few hours?
You can see the dishonesty of this government clearly. First it is the government's responsibility to provide trained lawyers at government expense to defend indigent accused citizens. This they refuse to do, when every other self respecting democracy accepts it's obligation to these people as a duty under the tenets of the rule of law. Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, USA, Finland, Spain and every other self respecting country do so.
Singapore on the other hand goes out with a great deal of hot air in their state controlled newspapers claiming to have the best legal system in the world and even more hogwash. Yet they refuse criminal representation to their needy citizens, a duty that goes to the root of any democracy based on the rule of law.
The Chief Justice is not fooling anyone by this stupidity. If you are serious provide assisted legal representation to the indigent. If not, just shut up.
The truth is, there is great injustice going on in Lee Kuan Yew's courts. It is one law for the rich who hire government connected lawyers and get away with driving a car and killing a motorcyclist while speaking on the cell phone like the Chinese woman editor of a state controlled Chinese newspaper who manages to walk away with just a fine. I mentioned this case in this blog.
It is quite another law for the masses who are uneducated and indigent who cannot speak English let alone understand complicated criminal procedure who have to defend themselves against a trained Singaporean prosecutor. Or go to jail.
Mr. Chief Justice, who are you kidding? You are making a fool of yourself! Stop it! Stop it now!
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Silviu Ionescu and Romania appear to have had the last laugh after all.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew's state controlled newspaper’s online edition of Feb 26, 2010 has this story, "Inonescu not likely to return". And I have to say of course, that I told you so.
It seems after all that Romania and Silviu Ionescu, one of their diplomats, formerly in Singapore, accused by Singapore’s government of having killed a pedestrian and injured 2 others in a road accident there seem to have had the last laugh after all!
The Government of Romania, as it appears, has snubbed this tiny tin pot dictatorship that Lee Kuan Yew struts around in, and in so many words, has simply told him and his totalitarian regime to go to Hell.
A short background that you already know. Silviu Ionescu, a Class A diplomat, fully covered by diplomatic immunity, attached to the Romanian Embassy in Singapore had been accused by Singapore police to have allegedly been drunk while there, drove an Audi automobile with a diplomatic license plate, beat red traffic lights, and ploughed into 3 people, resulting in a death and seriously injuring 2 others.
One has to remember that these are allegations made by Singapore police, a government which is well known for it's lack of the rule of law, an island that is in effect run by a strongman Lee Kuan Yew who has been in power since 1959 (longer than Cuba’s Fidel Castro), with a legal system which has systematically used its courts for decades to stifle and silence any dissent and a government that has imprisoned a man in it's jails (Chia Thye Poh) for a period longer than even Nelson Mandela.
To confirm this island being a banana republic with a legal system which is a principle political weapon for Lee Kuan Yew, the International Bar Association in it's 72 page report in 2008, describes it not too differently from that of North Korea and Singapore’s judges as a corrupt lot, beholden to Lee Kuan Yew for bribes, which they call a salary, in return for which they punish their political victims.
On the time honored legal principle that a man is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, we have to assume, at this moment Mr. Ionescu is innocent of these charges coming from Lee Kuan Yew's island city state, which he runs at will.
3 hours after this accident, Mr. Ionescu had reported this car to have been stolen, he has consistently denied any wrong doing and left Lee Kuan Yew's island 3 days later for medical treatment. Mr. Ionescu now lives in his home country Romania.
Singapore had on their part had come up with almost daily reports in the their state controlled newspapers which you can imagine, has mostly propaganda, accusing Mr. Ionescu of this accident even though none of this has been proven in a court of law.
Of course, in a totalitarian country such as this, with its newspapers free to malign and vilify anyone they want at will, Mr. Inonescu is powerless to stop this character assassination against him.
You would have noticed by now that Singapore has already tried Mr. Ionescu in their state controlled media and have already convicted him, so to speak. This is the sort of thing that you see in despotic regimes all over the world. If they don’t like someone, just give him a bad name and crucify him. Simple as that.
And with great fanfare, this tiny island city state, with full publicity given in its state controlled press, had summoned the Romanian ambassador from Tokyo and handed him what are called "diplomatic notes", showing Singapore’s displeasure on what has happened and requesting that they return Ionescu to Singapore to attend a coroners' inquiry.
And it is here that we see both Romania and its Ambassador, metaphorically speaking, giving a tight slap across Lee Kuan Yew's face, politely that is. You could say a slap with an iron fist in a velvet glove!
Very politely, Romania suspends (mind you, not terminate) Mr. Ionescu for the duration of these Singapore proceedings. Since Mr. Ionescu is temporarily no longer a diplomat, very convenient indeed, they lift diplomatic immunity, but this of course does not satisfy Lee's demand that he be made to return. Romania politely says that it is up to Mr. Ionescu whether he wants to return to Singapore or not. However they on their part make no effort to help Singapore get what they want, that is, Ionescu in Singapore.
Briefly you could correctly say that Romania has shown Singapore complete disrespect. In fact they have made it known in so many words, that they are not going to help Singapore get their man, presumably because Singapore’s legal system cannot be trusted, as it stands thoroughly discredited in the international community.
As for Ionescu, somewhere in Bucharest, I suppose he too is having a good laugh at this tiny island city state run by this strongman Lee Kuan Yew and his son.
If you ask me for my opinion, I would have to say that Singapore deserves this sort of treatment from Romania. What else did it expect after brazenly and shamelessly abusing its law for decades. Lee Kuan Yew and his son have benefited from shaming their legal system and its judiciary this way, but the ones who have lost out are in fact innocent Singaporeans. By Lee Kuan Yew abusing the law for his private gain, Singaporeans have been put to shame, their courts have been put to shame and their judiciary has been subject of ridicule and contempt.
In this entire saga, Singaporeans should blame Lee Kuan Yew and what he has done to its legal system more than they blame either Mr. Ionescu or Romania. As the saying goes, you reap the seeds you sow. You get what you deserve.
I can tell you without hesitation that had this happened in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada or the US, Romania would have behaved very differently. This was an accident that would have warranted lifting of immunity and handing over the diplomat to the authorities as they did in the Georgian case some years ago in Washington DC.
But of course, that case dealt with the USA, a country whose legal system is respected in the world. Here we are dealing with a rouge port with Lee Kuan Yew running it. I guess Romania in fairness to their citizen Mr. Ionescu felt that he was unlikely to get a fair trial in Lee Kuan Yew’s island. Can anyone blame them?
Of course I send my condolences to the family of the deceased and the injured. I think they would be more apt in directing their anger at Lee Kuan Yew and his son, rather than the government of Romania or diplomat Mr. Silviu Ionescu.
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew's state controlled newspaper’s online edition of Feb 26, 2010 has this story, "Inonescu not likely to return". And I have to say of course, that I told you so.
It seems after all that Romania and Silviu Ionescu, one of their diplomats, formerly in Singapore, accused by Singapore’s government of having killed a pedestrian and injured 2 others in a road accident there seem to have had the last laugh after all!
The Government of Romania, as it appears, has snubbed this tiny tin pot dictatorship that Lee Kuan Yew struts around in, and in so many words, has simply told him and his totalitarian regime to go to Hell.
A short background that you already know. Silviu Ionescu, a Class A diplomat, fully covered by diplomatic immunity, attached to the Romanian Embassy in Singapore had been accused by Singapore police to have allegedly been drunk while there, drove an Audi automobile with a diplomatic license plate, beat red traffic lights, and ploughed into 3 people, resulting in a death and seriously injuring 2 others.
One has to remember that these are allegations made by Singapore police, a government which is well known for it's lack of the rule of law, an island that is in effect run by a strongman Lee Kuan Yew who has been in power since 1959 (longer than Cuba’s Fidel Castro), with a legal system which has systematically used its courts for decades to stifle and silence any dissent and a government that has imprisoned a man in it's jails (Chia Thye Poh) for a period longer than even Nelson Mandela.
To confirm this island being a banana republic with a legal system which is a principle political weapon for Lee Kuan Yew, the International Bar Association in it's 72 page report in 2008, describes it not too differently from that of North Korea and Singapore’s judges as a corrupt lot, beholden to Lee Kuan Yew for bribes, which they call a salary, in return for which they punish their political victims.
On the time honored legal principle that a man is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, we have to assume, at this moment Mr. Ionescu is innocent of these charges coming from Lee Kuan Yew's island city state, which he runs at will.
3 hours after this accident, Mr. Ionescu had reported this car to have been stolen, he has consistently denied any wrong doing and left Lee Kuan Yew's island 3 days later for medical treatment. Mr. Ionescu now lives in his home country Romania.
Singapore had on their part had come up with almost daily reports in the their state controlled newspapers which you can imagine, has mostly propaganda, accusing Mr. Ionescu of this accident even though none of this has been proven in a court of law.
Of course, in a totalitarian country such as this, with its newspapers free to malign and vilify anyone they want at will, Mr. Inonescu is powerless to stop this character assassination against him.
You would have noticed by now that Singapore has already tried Mr. Ionescu in their state controlled media and have already convicted him, so to speak. This is the sort of thing that you see in despotic regimes all over the world. If they don’t like someone, just give him a bad name and crucify him. Simple as that.
And with great fanfare, this tiny island city state, with full publicity given in its state controlled press, had summoned the Romanian ambassador from Tokyo and handed him what are called "diplomatic notes", showing Singapore’s displeasure on what has happened and requesting that they return Ionescu to Singapore to attend a coroners' inquiry.
And it is here that we see both Romania and its Ambassador, metaphorically speaking, giving a tight slap across Lee Kuan Yew's face, politely that is. You could say a slap with an iron fist in a velvet glove!
Very politely, Romania suspends (mind you, not terminate) Mr. Ionescu for the duration of these Singapore proceedings. Since Mr. Ionescu is temporarily no longer a diplomat, very convenient indeed, they lift diplomatic immunity, but this of course does not satisfy Lee's demand that he be made to return. Romania politely says that it is up to Mr. Ionescu whether he wants to return to Singapore or not. However they on their part make no effort to help Singapore get what they want, that is, Ionescu in Singapore.
Briefly you could correctly say that Romania has shown Singapore complete disrespect. In fact they have made it known in so many words, that they are not going to help Singapore get their man, presumably because Singapore’s legal system cannot be trusted, as it stands thoroughly discredited in the international community.
As for Ionescu, somewhere in Bucharest, I suppose he too is having a good laugh at this tiny island city state run by this strongman Lee Kuan Yew and his son.
If you ask me for my opinion, I would have to say that Singapore deserves this sort of treatment from Romania. What else did it expect after brazenly and shamelessly abusing its law for decades. Lee Kuan Yew and his son have benefited from shaming their legal system and its judiciary this way, but the ones who have lost out are in fact innocent Singaporeans. By Lee Kuan Yew abusing the law for his private gain, Singaporeans have been put to shame, their courts have been put to shame and their judiciary has been subject of ridicule and contempt.
In this entire saga, Singaporeans should blame Lee Kuan Yew and what he has done to its legal system more than they blame either Mr. Ionescu or Romania. As the saying goes, you reap the seeds you sow. You get what you deserve.
I can tell you without hesitation that had this happened in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada or the US, Romania would have behaved very differently. This was an accident that would have warranted lifting of immunity and handing over the diplomat to the authorities as they did in the Georgian case some years ago in Washington DC.
But of course, that case dealt with the USA, a country whose legal system is respected in the world. Here we are dealing with a rouge port with Lee Kuan Yew running it. I guess Romania in fairness to their citizen Mr. Ionescu felt that he was unlikely to get a fair trial in Lee Kuan Yew’s island. Can anyone blame them?
Of course I send my condolences to the family of the deceased and the injured. I think they would be more apt in directing their anger at Lee Kuan Yew and his son, rather than the government of Romania or diplomat Mr. Silviu Ionescu.
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Singapore's "department store dummies".
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It was former President of Singapore Devan Nair, no relation of mine, who coined the phrase "department store dummies" for the vast majority Singaporeans who quietly take the suppression and the repression under Lee Kuan Yew in his island city state of Singapore without protest or complaint; with intelligence not more than what you would expect of the salesgirls working in the island's department stores.
No offence meant to the Singaporean salesgirls or the half starved skinny Singapore Airlines air hostesses who happily go about their lives in bliss, and of course there is nothing wrong with that; frankly the lack of awareness of what is going on in the world by many there should be worrying to the Big Boy.
My observation comes from many who dislike what I write in this blog, for instance they say it is good to live in Singapore because it is safe whereas it is not safe in the US. Anyone who has gone to the US or even had read about the country would know that the US is no more dangerous than Singapore. In any case if that were so, then why the hell am I living here, and why are 9 out of 10 Singaporeans able to leave the island coming here?
Many for instance argue that Singapore is an excellent place because it is peaceful and there are jobs there while abroad there is no peace like in Singapore and neither are there jobs. This again is the height naivety since anyone who knows would agree that this is not the case at all.
Others complain that I should not be criticizing their Dear Leader Lee Kuan Yew because it is he who has made Singapore prosperous, built all the skyscrapers and made what Singapore is today. But they refuse to see that anyone else could have also done it, and in any case whether Singapore is really prosperous depends on who you ask. For 3/4 of the population who have to scrape a living in the overpriced HDB flats, they probably are not having the goof life, but because these people are so unaware of what is happening outside, they actually believe it is paradise.
You have the same sort of situation in North Korea. In spite of all the poverty and misery that many undergo in North Korea, many there actually believe that it is in fact paradise all because of their Dear Leader Kim Jong Il.
The same sort of thing happens in Singapore's "department store dummies". Of course not every Singaporean is one. Those who are aware have already left the island and those remaining are biding their time to leave.
And another thing. These people who don't like me appear unconcerned about the inability to live as free men, none seem to appreciate the concept of democracy and all they care about are their worldly possessions, the more the better. You get the distinct feeling that they don't have much pride in themselves. Living under Dear Leader appears perfectly fine.
But those who hurl abuses and vitriol at me are these sad cases. Someone should tell Lee Kuan Yew that if this is the plaster that Singapore is hoping to build with, it is, shall I say, rather weak.
As for me, when I get these insults to Singapore Dissident, I just delete them. There is no point wasting time with these "department store dummies".
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
It was former President of Singapore Devan Nair, no relation of mine, who coined the phrase "department store dummies" for the vast majority Singaporeans who quietly take the suppression and the repression under Lee Kuan Yew in his island city state of Singapore without protest or complaint; with intelligence not more than what you would expect of the salesgirls working in the island's department stores.
No offence meant to the Singaporean salesgirls or the half starved skinny Singapore Airlines air hostesses who happily go about their lives in bliss, and of course there is nothing wrong with that; frankly the lack of awareness of what is going on in the world by many there should be worrying to the Big Boy.
My observation comes from many who dislike what I write in this blog, for instance they say it is good to live in Singapore because it is safe whereas it is not safe in the US. Anyone who has gone to the US or even had read about the country would know that the US is no more dangerous than Singapore. In any case if that were so, then why the hell am I living here, and why are 9 out of 10 Singaporeans able to leave the island coming here?
Many for instance argue that Singapore is an excellent place because it is peaceful and there are jobs there while abroad there is no peace like in Singapore and neither are there jobs. This again is the height naivety since anyone who knows would agree that this is not the case at all.
Others complain that I should not be criticizing their Dear Leader Lee Kuan Yew because it is he who has made Singapore prosperous, built all the skyscrapers and made what Singapore is today. But they refuse to see that anyone else could have also done it, and in any case whether Singapore is really prosperous depends on who you ask. For 3/4 of the population who have to scrape a living in the overpriced HDB flats, they probably are not having the goof life, but because these people are so unaware of what is happening outside, they actually believe it is paradise.
You have the same sort of situation in North Korea. In spite of all the poverty and misery that many undergo in North Korea, many there actually believe that it is in fact paradise all because of their Dear Leader Kim Jong Il.
The same sort of thing happens in Singapore's "department store dummies". Of course not every Singaporean is one. Those who are aware have already left the island and those remaining are biding their time to leave.
And another thing. These people who don't like me appear unconcerned about the inability to live as free men, none seem to appreciate the concept of democracy and all they care about are their worldly possessions, the more the better. You get the distinct feeling that they don't have much pride in themselves. Living under Dear Leader appears perfectly fine.
But those who hurl abuses and vitriol at me are these sad cases. Someone should tell Lee Kuan Yew that if this is the plaster that Singapore is hoping to build with, it is, shall I say, rather weak.
As for me, when I get these insults to Singapore Dissident, I just delete them. There is no point wasting time with these "department store dummies".
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
An example of Singapore's "rule of law" and "democracy"!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Lee Kuan Yew's order to the Singapore Law Society to commence disciplinary proceedings to have me struck of the rolls of lawyers there has begun of course. They have also fixed the dates for my disciplinary hearing in the Singapore High Court from May 17 to May 21, 2010.
On the assumption that Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore at least tries to pretend to have the "rule of law", which we of course know in reality to be the North Korean variety, one would have assumed that he would at least order his Department of Immigration to let me enter the island to defend myself at my trial, since I am at present barred from entering the island without his permission!
Alas, it appears not so. It appears he is not prepared to even let me defend myself in Singapore at my trial. Despite my having written to his Immigration authority several times since these proceedings started several months ago, the Immigration Department has refused till now to let me enter Singapore to defend myself.
I had also also asked them for safe passage in and out of Singapore without arrest and imprisonment by his footloose police and the Singaporean Attorney General but he has said nothing. I will therefore have to assume that he is refusing any guarantee that I will be safe in Singapore and not in his Singaporean Changi Prison for his amusement; what is worse, he is not even going to let me defend myself in the Singapore court!
And I suppose this is what he and his handpicked Tamil Minister of Law K Shanmugam mean by Rule of Law. I suppose it is rule of law, Singaporean style!
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Lee Kuan Yew's order to the Singapore Law Society to commence disciplinary proceedings to have me struck of the rolls of lawyers there has begun of course. They have also fixed the dates for my disciplinary hearing in the Singapore High Court from May 17 to May 21, 2010.
On the assumption that Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore at least tries to pretend to have the "rule of law", which we of course know in reality to be the North Korean variety, one would have assumed that he would at least order his Department of Immigration to let me enter the island to defend myself at my trial, since I am at present barred from entering the island without his permission!
Alas, it appears not so. It appears he is not prepared to even let me defend myself in Singapore at my trial. Despite my having written to his Immigration authority several times since these proceedings started several months ago, the Immigration Department has refused till now to let me enter Singapore to defend myself.
I had also also asked them for safe passage in and out of Singapore without arrest and imprisonment by his footloose police and the Singaporean Attorney General but he has said nothing. I will therefore have to assume that he is refusing any guarantee that I will be safe in Singapore and not in his Singaporean Changi Prison for his amusement; what is worse, he is not even going to let me defend myself in the Singapore court!
And I suppose this is what he and his handpicked Tamil Minister of Law K Shanmugam mean by Rule of Law. I suppose it is rule of law, Singaporean style!
Gopalan Nair
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/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
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