Announcement: Going slow

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At present I have to be spending more time with my professional duties as a lawyer and therefore my postings will be less frequent for the moment. But rest assured I am around and will continue with "Singapore Dissident". My greetings to all my readers, those who said nice things and even to those who didn't.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538,
USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

A Plea to the Government of Singapore.

To,

The Government of Singapore,

I have seen the videos on the Internet of the suicides who have taken their lives by jumping on to on-coming trains. It was terrible to watch. I was extremely saddened to see that. Please note this. The number of suicides in Singapore is perhaps the highest in the world. What a terrible loss of life. This can be avoided.

Those who take their lives do so because of misery and hopelessness because they feel no one can help them out of their misery. It is a shame on your government if you do nothing about this.

Please arrange for some kind of counselling and help centers at your community centers telling the people that they can always turn to you for help. Send out notices to residents telling them there is no need to despair. There will be help. Announce this on your TV and radio.

Please do something to stop this needless loss of life. It is possible to help the situation. The responsibility is on your shoulders. In the name of God, please do something.

I will not watch that anymore. It is too distressing. I hold you responsible for this.

Thank you.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore and Indonesia. Will Indonesia use unconventional methods to get their men?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The disagreement between Indonesia and Singapore due to Singapore's refusal to sign an extradition treaty with the other is making the news everyday. The disappointment for Indonesia in Singapore's refusal to enter into a treaty is understandable. It is well known that Indonesian criminals, crooks and embezzlers have transferred millions into Singapore banks and Indonesia understandably wants them back to stand trial in Indonesia and have the money returned to Indonesia. Surely their cause is just. And surely Singapore's refusal to submit to internationally accepted norms of due process of returning criminals from one country to the other is wrong in law and is downright unneighbourly.

Therefore since Indonesia is upset on Singapore's stand not to return their wanted criminals, every lawyer in Singapore, in the best interests of their clients should advice them that Indonesia is the best country to run to, if they are charged with a crime, since we are sure now that Indonesia will not return Singaporean criminals in Indonesian soil. This is called tit for tat. And in the game of tit for tat, no one is the winner.

Will Indonesia resort to kidnapping their wanted men, as has been done by various countries under difficult circumstances, like the situation with Singapore? The best example is that of Adolf Eichmann, the German Nazi criminal. In 1960, the Israeli Secret Service Mossad had discovered that Eichmann, the wanted German Nazi criminal was living with his family in Buenos Aires Argentina. Mossad kept surveillance on him for 6 months studying his exact movements and routine. With an Hercules aircraft transport waiting with engines running on the tarmac of Buenos Aires Airport, in a perfectly well timed operation, duping the Argentine government into believing that the Israeli military aircraft was there to bring Israeli dignitaries for a celebration at the local Israeli embassy, they accosted him at the bus stop where he alighted after work, bundled him into a car, drove to the airport, bundled him into the Israeli aircraft, and at 30,000 feet over the Atlantic, en route to Tel Aviv, informed him that he was under arrest for the murder of Jews at Auschwitz. They did this because, like Singapore, the Argentine government refused to extradite him to Israel and there was no extradition treaty because, like Singapore, the Argentines refused to enter into one.

International laws and customs does not require an extradition treaty for the return of wanted fugitives. If they consent, a country can voluntarily send the wanted man to the other country as a gesture of friendly relations between nations. In this issue Singapore's refusal to return these wanted criminals to Indonesia is clearly not only unjustified, it is also being outright unneighbourly.

Singapore can insist, for instance that these fugitives, if returned will be given a fair trial under due process of law. Indonesia has already clearly articulated with facts certain individuals, former businessmen, who have absconded with ill gotten money, which belongs to Indonesia. They also have clear proof that this money is deposited in Singapore banks with these criminals enjoying luxurious lives in Singapore with impunity beyond the reach of the law. Surely there cannot be a better case than this where the evidence is clearly on the table for the return of these men. And for the need for Singapore to sign that treaty.

One can only assume the obvious. Singapore profits from the ill gotten gains of these Indonesians in Singapore and therefore it is not in their financial interest either to return them, or sign the treaty. It was the same case with South American countries like Argentina and Brazil which sheltered Nazi war criminals because they stood to gain financially with the enormous sums of money these Nazis brought to South America. Sao Paulo, Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside Japan. Perhaps war criminals beyond the reach of the law?

What happens in this scenario, then? Alright, Singapore will not return them. But the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore can be used for surveillance, on the movements of these wanted men. Surely they, with the huge sums of money they have, may wish to travel outside Singapore. Assuming they travel to Malaysia, to Bangkok, to Paris for a holiday. When in Malaysia, Thailand or France, the Indonesians can then immediately file papers though Interpol and request the governments in those countries to return these men. Unlike Singapore, those third countries will have no interest in keeping them there and Indonesia may get their men back.

You will recall General Pincohet. Chile refused to hand him over to Spain to stand trial. When he went to London for medical treatment, the Spanish government immediately applied for extradition of Pinochet from UK to Spain. You will recall that Margret Thatcher, then Prime Minister was obliged to return the favor of Pinochet of Chile who had helped the UK greatly in permitting Chilean airbases to be used by the RAF in the Falklands War. The UK conveniently refused extradition to Spain and returned him to Chile.

We do not know whether the Indonesian government will resort to such unconventional means to get their men, but it is possible and it has been done in the past, even by the United States. And if any rich fugitive Indonesian businessman in Singapore reads this article, let it be a warning that travel abroad might be dangerous.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538,
USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore's dilemna. What to do with Dr. Chee's appeal against conviction and sentence?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Yesterday in Singapore, Dr. Chee was convicted and sentenced to $4,000.00 fine or 3 weeks jail in default of payment, for trying to leave Singapore without permission since he is a bankrupt, and in Singapore bankrupts need government permission to travel. Needless to say, a very unjust politically motivated law to punish Lee's opponents and a very unjust verdict as well.

We all know and Dr. Chee has stated he will not pay the fine. He is now appealing the conviction and sentence. Since he will not pay the fine, if he loses the appeal, he will have to go to jail.

The question is whether Lee's corrupt courts which he uses to silence dissent against him is going to allow the appeal. This is the quandary that Lee now faces. On the one hand, if he denies the appeal, Dr. Chee, by going to jail, once again becomes a martyr, standing up alone against these unjust laws. The cause of freedom and democracy is furthered by his going to jail. People the world over who are watching Singapore, will say, once again, that Singapore is denying the basic human rights of it's citizens and it's reputation, which has steadily been tarnished through Lee's systematic use of the courts to punish opponents, would be tarnished even more. If he denies Dr. Chee's appeal, Dr. Chee wins in every way, in reputation and stature as a true fighter for freedom. Lee loses in every way. He is seen even more as a ruthless tyrant who denies his people their fundamental human rights. On the scoreboard, Dr. Chee 10, Lee Kuan Yew 0.

On the other hand, Lee cannot allow Dr. Chee's appeal to succeed either. After all he is a Machiavellian. According to Lee's understanding of politics, one cannot been seen to be weak. If he seen to be weak by giving in to Dr. Chee, then he reckons, others would be emboldened, seeing his granting the appeal as weakness on his part. Lee would therefore not want to be seen to be weak by giving in. He has to continue with his iron grip on power. He must always be seen to be right. This is the way, Lee's warped mindset thinks without exception. Although the people world over will appreciate his gesture if he allows the appeal, Lee is not so much afraid of what the world community will or will not think of him. He is more afraid of his own people. That is why he has the Gurkha police contingent at hand, to quell any rebellion within Singapore.

So on balance, I think the odds are against Dr. Chee winning the appeal. He will lose it and go to jail yet again. And in that process, the international opinion of Singapore will plunge a few more rungs on the way down to hitting rock bottom, next to Liberia and Senegal.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Examples of Lee Kuan Yew's first world country. Tiresome ignorant clerks and policemen.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Shall I give you some examples of how tiresome one can get from the absolute ignorance of of these clerical officers and policemen in Lee Kuan Yew's first world country of Singapore that he claims it is.

Last year in May, I was in Singapore. Went to Court 26 (or whichever that number now is) at the basement of the Sub courts. Just for a visit. I wasn't in trouble. Court didn't start yet. I had the newspaper. I read it. Then came this Malay policemen. He said no reading of the paper in court. It didn't make sense why not. It was the Straits times for Heavens sake, not Mao Tze Tung's Red Book on guerrilla warfare or how to bomb the Sub Court! In any case, what logical reason is there to stop someone from reading a newspaper? None! I asked my self if there was any point to reason with him. I decided against it. He is an example of Lee Kuan Yew's first world country's policeman. Put it another way, he is an ignorant idiot. I left it.

Recently I had telephoned the Supreme Court of Singapore for info on a case that was filed there. Such information is public. A court filing and info therein, unless relating to minors or expressly ordered to be secret for national security, should be public info. This was about someone in Singapore who had sued the Mariamman Temple in South Bridge Road claiming that untouchable low cast Indians should be able to officiate in Temple ceremony because the Singapore constitution requires equality between the sexes. Needless to say, a case totally without any merit.

Probably a Malay clerk, was the one I spoke to. Her first question to me was "Where are you calling from"? Why should it make any difference if indeed I was calling from Mars. An idiotic question from a first world idiot. To save time, I said I was calling from California. She then asked why I needed that information. For Heavens sake why should it matter? It is public information. Whether I wanted to write a book on it, or give a speech on the peculiarities of that case, or just expand my wisdom on it, should make no difference at all. She then said that I can come to court and file a request and if the Registrar so decides, he will let me look at the file. I then told her that I cannot come in. I live in California and Singapore is too far away. In any case why should I get the consent of this first world registrar, if this case is not considered confidential, since some idiot is suing the temple, and it is not private by any means. I gave up. Pulling teeth might have been less painful.

While all this was going on, my phone bill was running up having to deal with this first world clerical idiot.

What you have in Singapore are clerks and policemen with so little understanding of anything, except that they know they should blindly obey orders. That is all. This is not first world, my dear Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. You have idiots slavishly complying with orders not knowing or not wanting to know anything.

The clerk in the Supreme Court should be told that info on court cases unless declared confidential should be provided to the public like in any other first world country. Second, that idiot first world policeman should be told that reading the Straits Times in court is perfectly normal just as anywhere else.

But what is the point of resisting. I was only there for a few days. My holiday in Lee's first world country was about to end.

I think the correct word for these first world clerks is "automatons".

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: mailto:gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Bloggers. Identify yourselves now.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I do not know, but there may be thousands of bloggers, even millions, blogging on Singapore issues. Many of them, as you can see, do it incognito, under a facade of nicknames and false pretenses. The purpose is to hide their identity. The reason being, in most cases, fear of retribution from Lee if he is displeased by what you say.

I identify myself in this blog. I say where I am. I say it openly and publicly. It is true, I live near San Francisco. Perhaps I am a little safer than had I been in Singapore now. But you see, ever since I was in politics, I have done it openly. I joined the Workers Party in 1984 openly. I contested the elections openly. I said what I wanted to said openly, in Singapore. I was charged a number of times by Lee Kuan Yew and his minions. Not once did I plead guilty and fought every case to the bitter end. I lost all of them of course. In 1991 December, I made the reasoned decision to leave Singapore and practice law in California. That I am doing. But that does not prevent me from agitating from here for the betterment of Singapore, which I do. And I want Lee Kuan Yew to be aware that I am doing it, everyday from Northern California, publicly.

I come to Singapore regularly. I come almost twice even three times each year. Last year I was there in May for the elections and in July. I have no fear of this old coot Lee Kuan Yew, who is making a fool himself and is progressively losing his self respect. Lee Kuan Yew can do anything he wants in his little island. He owns it for now. If I return for a holiday, he may wish to arrest me and do all kinds of things to me. He is welcome to do anything he wants. You see, I could care less. The man has turned himself into a clown. His speeches now only have entertainment value.

I am not returning for the moment until I complete my Private Pilots Licence which I expect to complete soon. I am not returning for the moment but will soon.

I have received various letters of criticism in the Internet alleging that all my bravado in wiring these things is because of my presence, outside Singapore, in California, which would be different had I been in Singapore. Those who say this would probably be those disguised PAP writers whom the PAP have deployed to lurk in cyberspace to counter criticism against them. Both Dr. Chee and I have challenged these PAP cyberspance agents to identify themselves but they have no courage to do so. I have no time for this and neither will I respond to such nonsense. Say what you wish to say, to me, Gopalan Nair, and identify yourself. If you are even afraid to say who you are, why do wish to have a debate with me, while you hide under false pretenses? I consider that shameful.

I ask that the bloggers who, like myself, are working against the injustices in Singapore, to do it openly, if possible. It is when you identify yourself that Lee's position becomes even more weakened. Lee is working on your fear, to stay in government. The longer you hide yourself, the more he knows that you are afraid and within his control. It is when you show him that you do not fear, is when he begins to fear you. Furthermore the Singapore public and those abroad will give your writing more worth when it is openly stated, instead of under disguises. I perfectly understand that within Singapore, there is the fear that Lee's vindictiveness may cause you harm, if you live in Singapore. But even in Singapore, if you are able to identify yourselves, your messages will have much greater effect both at home and abroad.

As for those who live in Australia and elsewhere, there is very little Lee can do to you, wherever you are. By now, the Lee Administration has lost so much credibility that I can assure you that regardless of how meritorious his case may be, he will lose in any action against you in Australia or any other democratic nation. I have, as you know, called him a liar repeatedly. To date, he has not sued me in California. I am sure you are not surprised, he has not done that.

Recently, you have heard that an Egyptian blogger had been jailed for criticizing the president of that country. As for Lee Kuan Yew, perhaps he can get a hit man and kill me in Paseo Padre Parkway in Fremont, California. But man dies only once. There is no need to fear.

We have Mr. Yap, Dr. Chee, Robert Ho, Martyn See, Gandhi Ambalam, Monika (I forget her name), Charles Tan, Siok Chin and of course many others. If I did not mention your name I apologize. These men and women have openly stated who they are and openly dare to challenge the Lee family by open criticism. I have great admiration for them. God give them strength. I ask more of you to come forward and state what you say openly if possible.This will strengthen your cause, which is just.

Next time I return to Singapore and find myself within the walls of Queenstown Prison, please make it a point to visit me. I have heard from reliable sources, that conditions in Queenstown Prison are not really so bad at all. You get three meals a day, and if Indian like me, you get curry everyday. It may even be better than California for me since I have to go out of my way to get curry here. I am getting fed up with hamburgers. Within Queenstown you get to exercise and make very good friends inside. I also heard Dr. Chee read 35 books during his stay in Queenstown. With the ability to read books inside, a prison sentence also leaves you with more wisdom than before you went in, having read all those books within Queenstown Prison. You will come out of prison all the more wiser. The good news is torture is at present not part of the regimen. On all accounts, not so bad at all. Uncle Yap told me he enjoyed it. Just consider it a sabbatical from your regular work.

Of course if Lee kills you, it is a different matter. But as I say, man only dies once.

Very Best To You All. Kong Hee Fatt Choy.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538,
USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Is Singapore truly first world as claimed by Lee Kuan Yew.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Lee Kuan Yew has said, like he has said so many other things, both true and untrue, credible and incredulous, that Singapore is now on the lower portion of the list first world countries and in 10 years will move to the upper portion of that list. Whatever all that means. He said this at the Chinese New Year gathering at Tanjong Pagar.

He can say whatever he wants, and whatever he says will be promptly seconded, by his various minions ordered to do it and the motion carried without any further delay, and published immediately thereafter at his orders, in his State controlled newspaper. We are bored to death.

As far as I can see, I do not see any first world country in Singapore. What happens in Singapore on a daily basis is people jumping off tall buildings to their death. Unless they are indulging in the some newly discovered sport of jumping off tall buildings without parachutes, they are actually committing suicide, at least one a day, giving Singapore one of the highest suicide rates in the world, because they are unable to withstand any more poverty, misery and hopelessness, in his so-called "first world country". Let me tell you Mr. Lee, this is not a sign of a first world country, regardless of bottom, top or any other rung of any one's list of first world countries, that I am sure of.

As of late, those wanting to take their lives have found a new method, that of jumping onto oncoming trains at MRT Stations. In fact one such incident has even been posted on the Internet.

I think Lee Kuan Yew should understand by now that the people are tired of listening to his exaggerations and shenanigans and for once he should try to behave with more respect rather than the comedy and entertainment that he now provides by his nonsensical talk.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538,
USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Gurkha Brigade, British Army and Gurkha Contigent, Singapore Police Force.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Gurkhas, men from Nepal have been an integral part of the British Army since the early 18th Century, forming The Brigade of Gurkhas. They have served with distinction in various theaters of war, firstly against the Afghans in the North West Frontier, then the First World War in Gallipoli, Palestine and France and in Burma, Malaya, North Africa, Italy and France in the 2nd War. The Gurkhas unlike regular British troops in battle, charge at the enemy at close quarters, with drawn kukris (Gurkha swords) instead of fixed bayonets and with their customary shrill piercing cry "Aayaaoo Gurkhali" translated as "The Gurkhas are coming" in Hindi and Gurkhali, a cry so piercing and terrifying that hearing the cry alone can cause the enemy to flee in terror.

With the defeat of Edward Heath of the Conservative Party to Harold Wilson of Labor in the 1968 British elections, Wilson as earlier promised, pulled out all British installations East of Suez, leaving RAF Akrotiri and British Army base in Cyprus as the most eastward British military post. Further west of Cyprus, Gibraltar and the British Army in Germany remain.

The British base in Singapore dismantled with all the rest beginning 1968. There was at least 3 Battalions of the Gurkha Brigade in Singapore which all left. Some were transferred to Hong Kong which at that time was still British and with the Chinese takeover 2o years later, that too was disbanded. There always was a Gurkha contingent in England which according to roster with other British Units, mount guard at Buckingham Palace, which today numbers about 3000 officers and men.

They have a unique way of carrying their weapon the 0.762mm, SLR rifle, based on the FN Belgium design, which they carry horizontally while marching, carried by the handle grip, whereas all other soldiers carry it by the pistol grip, which makes the rifle vertical during marching.

It has been said that during the Falklands War, 400 miles east of Terra Del Fuego, or Cape Horn, South America in the Atlantic, after the Gurkhas landed, it was sufficient for the RAF to drop leaflets over enemy Argentine positions, merely saying that the Gurkhas have landed and are sharpening their Kukris, for the conscript Argentine army to flee for their lives. True or fiction, I cannot tell.

Anyhow, let me come to the point. The British fought almost a 30 year war against the separatist Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland. Various British Army units were dispatched to Northern Ireland for this war. But not once, did the British Army deploy the Gurkhas. The reason was that the British felt that although it was a war, the enemy was also British, since Northern Ireland was part of Great Britain and therefore it was morally wrong, repugnant, to deploy Gurkhas who were in essence foreign mercenaries against their own people, the Irish. This was a moral decision from which they did not waiver as it was unacceptable in the minds of the British for foreigners to fight against their own. Whatever one could say about British injustices, one cannot possibly begrudge them of having honor integrity and moral principle in this, their stand.

But Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, does not appear to have the same moral compunction that the British have on this point. Just the opposite. On the contrary, the Singapore Army does not have any Gurkha units. Strange, since one would have thought that if you are going to have Gurkhas, where else to employ them other than the Army to fight foreign enemies in the event of external aggression. Lee Kuan Yew does not appear to worry too much about foreign enemies, and he is quite satisfied that Singapore's conscript army can very well deal with external aggression.

In Singapore, on the other hand, the Singapore Police Force has a Gurkha Contigent, which appears to have grown in strength from numbering about 200 in it's first days to over 2000 strong today. The police force's duty being the enforcement of law and order within Singapore, it would appear that Lee Kuan Yew, in deploying Gurkhas in the Police Force appears more afraid of what Singaporeans would do to him, rather than what foreign enemies would do to Singapore! From this, one could guess perhaps, that Lee Kuan Yew knows that large numbers of Singaporeans hate him and hate his family so much, that they may, at the slightest provocation rise up in arms and revolt, which would mean the end of the Lee family's iron rule over Singapore, and if this happens, he will be able to rely on the power of the Gurkhas to quell such a rebellion. Otherwise why the need for Gurkhas in the Singapore Police Force? Why does he not trust his own Singaporean police to do the job? And why are there not Gurkhas in the Singapore Army where they belong?

This is a case of fear. Fear both ways. Lee fears his people, so he deploys the Gurkhas. The people fear him and what the Gurkhas might do to them if they rebel. A country that carries on in a state of fear. One can only be sorry both for Lee Kuan Yew and the people of Singapore.

Surely there can be a better way to live.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538,
USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Benito Mussolini and Lee Kuan Yew

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Benito Mussolini and Lee Kuan Yew have many similarities. Both were dictators, and Lee still is. By propaganda through their state controlled press, they both successfully created an illusion that their countries were succeeding. Benito Mussolini fell principally because of his country’s imminent defeat in the Second World War. Lee Kuan Yew still remains the dictator over his island republic but not for very long. He will fall because he no longer can hide behind propaganda due to the advent of the Internet. People are beginning to see progressively that what he says is not necessarily what he does. The cat is repeatedly escaping from the bag. It is only a matter of time.

Mussolini in 1922 first started off as a socialist, claiming to want to improve the condition of the working class. So did Lee Kuan Yew in 1955 with the PAP claiming to champion the cause of the working poor in Singapore. Soon thereafter, just like Mussolini, after coming to power, both abandoned their earlier cause of fighting for the poor and aligned themselves with the rich, the banks and big business.

In return for the support of the merchant class, Benito Mussolini abandoned his crusade on behalf of the poor, outlawed strikes and abandoned the revolutionary movement altogether. So too in the case of Lee Kuan Yew. His days of being a socialist effectively came to an end on assuming power.

In Mussolini's Italy of the 1920s, the advent of Fascism was the product of the failure of free market economy, the fear of Bolshevism and the general feeling of anxiety among the business classes in the immediate aftermath of the First World War. The rich and the business classes in Italy wanted security, stability and peace and a strong central leadership of an all powerful leader like Mussolini appeared to provide the stability they were looking for. Lee's actions were no different. His mantra was the fear of instability if democracy was permitted. He argued that if the people were given their fundamental rights such as free speech and expression as generally found in Western countries, there will be chaos, resulting in the drain of foreign investment and the stemming of any future foreign investment into the country. Lee's argument is that as Singapore is devoid of any natural resources, any disruption of stability will invariably result in irreversible harm to Singapore’s very survival. Therefore the need for him and his son and the PAP to continue ruling Singapore as dictators.

Both Mussolini's Italy and Lee’s Singapore did not have a history of democratic traditions; Singapore made up of peasant immigrants from China and India and the local Malays, all of whom were mainly uneducated without any knowledge or understanding of political rights. Lee Kuan Yew made sure that such values never took root in Singapore, by not allowing any human rights and systematically and carefully making sure that schools did not teach anything about it, with no publicity given to it. Today in Singapore, effectively, almost every child, although educated is selectively so. He may know a lot about civil engineering but nothing about the constitution of Singapore or his rights under it.

Mussolini effectively silenced all political dissent with the murder of Matteotti, the socialist member of Parliament. Those who opposed lost their jobs and in more serious cases sent to prison. A blanket of fear spread out over Italy, silencing all political dissent. Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore is different only in manner. He does not murder people but he punishes them with long prison sentences under solitary confinement and torture. One is left to wonder which is worse, immediate death or slow torture, solitary confinement and destitution? In Singapore Lim Chin Siong and Chia Thye Poh come to mind, both imprisoned and tortured for many years all just for opposing Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee also uses the courts, presently his favorite weapon, to punish any opposition with judges making any rulings he desires against his hapless victims. JB Jeyaretnam and Dr. Chee Soon Juan have been jailed repeatedly sued for defamation and made liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars, disqualified from politics and impoverished. Such punishment against these men send a strong signal to the rest of the public not to criticize Lee Kuan Yew, thus stubbing out any dissent whatsoever.

Mussolini made it comfortable for the rich, thus favoring more investment and the retention of capital within Italy. He did this by tax breaks for the rich and stemming any plea of the working class for better conditions. Lee does exactly that in Singapore. Lee does not permit free and fair bargaining by the workers and instead wages are decided by the government, again under the same old excuse that higher wages will chase all businessmen out of the country and therefore will seriously de-stabilize the country financially.

From 1925 to Mussolini’s fall in 1942, his Fascist party did not face any political opposition to speak of. Neither did Lee Kuan Yew from 1960s to the present day. Successfully instilling fear among their people accomplished the goals of both the dictators Mussolini and Lee Kuan Yew. They both managed complete and universal control over their entire citizenry. They both managed to divest all power from parliament and instead transfer to themselves absolute control. All elected representatives of the Fascist Party were no more than rubber stamps, appointed by Mussolini to mechanically carry out each and every wish of Mussolini. Lee Kuan Yew's Members of Parliament are no better. They will sing dance, do the flop at the flick of Lee's finger. In Singapore the word “parliament” is a misnomer.

Mussolini just like Lee Kuan Yew, created a police state. Mussolini ordered that all journalists, teachers, government workers, everyone should be a member of the Italian Fascist Party. It was clearly beneficial to be a member of that party anyway. Beneficial because you had job security, you were promoted in your positions and your loyalty to Mussolini was appreciated. You could become rich with the right qualifications. On the other hand, refusal to join the Fascist Party may mean certain hardships, such as loss of income and neglect by the authorities. You see the same in Singapore. Those card carrying members of the PAP live comfortable lives in return for their loyalty. Others who refuse on conviction, live mediocre lives. Those who openly dare to resist within the country are arrested and dealt with through Lee's judges in his courts.

The principle tool of Mussolini to attain complete control over his people was propaganda. He carefully managed to ensure that all forms of media, such as the radio, films and the press only stated his side of the story. The entire media were daily reporting that all was fine, and getting better by the minute. It was as if the entire country was in a constant state of euphoria over the perceived successes of the Italian republic. The Italians could not have known anything else.

Mussolini made sure that no foreign news media were permitted making it absolutely sure that Italians will know what he states and nothing more. Mussolini personally chose his editors and journalists. He effectively abolished the Parliamentary system, although the forms were preserved to hoodwink the people into believing it existed. Laws were re-written. All teachers were warned only to teach the government line.

The fact that journalists, teachers, civil servants and all officials in Italy at that time were required to swear allegiance to Mussolini was kept a secret from the public and these officials were ordered under pain of severe punishment not to reveal this fact. All trade unions under Mussolini lost all independence and were instead ordered to "co-operate" with their employers under laws that effectively removed any bargaining power for the worker.

Lee Kuan Yew today does all that Mussolini did. He appoints newspaper editors. The state controlled Straits Times's editor is Chua Mooi Hong, an Internal Security Department, Intelligence Officer, and a sworn card carrying member of the PAP. She effectively decides what is fit to be published in Singapore and what is not.

Lee's teacher's have lost all independence to teach what should be taught. Instead children graduate from schools effectively shielded from any understanding of their rights under the constitution. Almost all of them do not even know such a thing exists.

Although the similarities are many and striking, there is one new factor in the equation now, which Lee Kuan Yew never imagined, and which almost certainly will be his downfall in the very near future. And this failure to realize an important factor such as this, is always because dictators always think they know best. And it is this arrogance on the part of dictators that always results in their fall. And this new factor which is already beginning to chip at the foundations of Lee's citadel, is the Internet.

Mussolini in 1925 to 1942 did not have to deal with the Internet because it did not exist. If Mussolini controlled the media within Italy and prevented any news from outside, he could absolutely control the minds of his people and work on their fears to his advantage. This luxury no longer exists for Lee Kuan Yew, because of the godsend to all those who love liberty and the nemesis of dictators, which is the Internet.

News travels throughout the globe and into Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew is powerless to control it. And it is this Internet that is daily telling not only Singaporeans but the world that things in Singapore is not exactly what Lee makes them to be. And this constant barrage of contrary opinion from the world is slowly beginning to cast doubts on the veracity of Lee's proclamations. And with these doubts, Lee can no longer control the minds of his people that Mussolini could. And before long, we expect to see the demise of Lee Kuan Yew, not only physically but also his Party and his ideas.

You see, the powerful effect of the Internet is one factor that Lee Kuan Yew could not have seen in 1959.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538,
USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. A depressing prospect.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The prospect is indeed depressing. We have 2 elected opposition members in Parliament who have clearly shown by their actions during their entire tenure in Parliament, last 20 years or so, that all they will do is to give moderated speeches on moderated subjects acceptable to the PAP and nothing else. They do not instill much confidence, full stop.

Dr. Chee of the SDP appeared our only hope. But since the last protest before the CPF Building and the recent freedom walk and the Hong Lim protest walk, we have not had any more real action. I believe from reliable sources that this inaction is due to his fear that Singaporeans might be put off from supporting his party, by such things as public civil disobedience, due to their fear that public disorder will cause the country to become unstable resulting in the possible departure of foreign investment, upon which the country relies.

What we do have is a great deal of criticism on the web on the repressive actions of the PAP government against their people. With so much writing and nothing more, I am beginning to question whether the Singapore opposition is only alternative journalism and nothing more than that. If that it is all it is going to be, and nothing more, they will not be able to bring about any change for the better anytime soon or perhaps not at all.

Of course we are grateful for this information. Their writing these things is absolutely essential as an alternative to the government controlled media. But surely, an opposition party should do more than just being an information agency. I am sure that Dr. Chee does not believe that with such constant criticism the people will themselves one day, finally decide that enough is enough, take to the streets and bring down Lee and Company. Second, I am sure he knows that even if the people one day decide to vote for the opposition in massive numbers, the opposition will still not form the government, because Lee or his son will not permit it. Since Dr. Chee knows all this, should he not be doing something more than just informing us about the terrible state of politics in Singapore.

History has taught us a few lessons. One, neither Gandhi or any other freedom fighter managed to move things on his own. He got the people to perform those actions necessary to move the country. He managed and persuaded others to act in ways that is necessary to bring about change. Two, anyone who has taken on the burden to bring about change, must also accept that there is some pain associated with it. Pain for oneself and for others. If Cuba today suddenly decided to embrace capitalism, we all know that there will be even more suffering temporarily than what exists now, until the country stabilizes into the capitalism mode. Russia with the sudden onset of capitalism suffered greatly for a little, much more than they suffered under communism. The country finally became stable and today it is doing exceptionally well.

Dr. Chee therefore has to accept this. It is very likely, that an attempt to take on the PAP by unconventional but peaceful means will cause many to misunderstand him, even dislike him, through their ignorance of his actions. Singapore might even become unstable both economically and politically. But such hardship is worth taking, since it is a step in the right direction towards change for the better, empowering the people and strengthening the pillars of civil society, making the people political persons. All this is good. It is bitter medicine which has to be taken.

Otherwise each morning, I will read the SDP web page, I will know that the Thais are upset with us, that the Indonesians are upset with us, that Singapore was declared one of the least democratic of countries in the world by some respected organization in Finland and so on and so forth. It is a great source of valuable information. But beyond that, to the question, what is the Singapore opposition doing for change, I will have to say nothing. Since what they have done so far has been shown to be insufficient.

I was born in Singapore. I have done my national service. I am as much Singaporean as any other. Of course I would like to see Singapore as a democracy which I can be proud of. I have a responsibility to that country. It therefore pains me, with disappointment and hopelessness when I see nothing happening there which will give the slightest indication of any hope. And in this, I blame the opposition politicians more than anyone else. It is they who have accepted their positions as leaders of the opposition. The burden is on their shoulders. It is they who should discharge it. It is they who must act. And act now.

What I see is, sadly, inaction. Indecision. Unwillingness either to take the country either upwards or downwards. Unwillingness to do anything, and instead they freeze, and do nothing, contemplating that either this or that action might not go well with the people.

Of course I have great admiration for Dr. Chee who has courageously stood up fearlessly against the government's onslaught and suffered terribly as a result. He is also doing a great service by letting the public know the evil that goes on with the PAP administration. Many in Singapore and abroad admire and respect him. I support him in what he does. But I would like him to take the next step that is necessary for the country, because without that next step, it does not appear that Singapore will be any different tomorrow or the day after.

I think that opposition should act on what is right. Not necessarily on whether the action proposed will likely result in the immediate future of adverse consequences or positive advantage. It is the long term goal that matters. Not whether civil disobedience today will tend to alienate some voters.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. What do we have now?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today in Singapore, we have a great deal of distaste of the Lee Administration on the Internet. We have hundreds and thousands of bloggers, both identified and incognito, criticising the Lee Administration on a daily basis as to how bad they are. We have Dr. Chee and his website the Singapore Democrat giving us the latest locally and worldwide on the extent of feeling against the Singapore government and how much they are hated. We have individuals locally and abroad who privately tell each other how very bad and repressive Singapore's Lee Administration is.

And while all this is happening, on the other hand, we have the Straits Times, the state controlled paper which totally ignores whatever these dissenters say. The government carries on as if no criticism against them ever existed. The courts continue to punish Singaporeans on unjust laws such as the prohibition against free speech without a licence. The courts send Dr. Chee repeatedly to jail on these illegal laws.

The government carries on as if nothing is wrong. The Straits Times continues to publish their papers and the public continues to buy them. The television continues to say whatever they want to say, true or false, and the people happily listen to them.

Dignitaries from other countries visit Singapore. Singapore dignitaries visit other countries. They compliment each other as great and free nations. George Bush comes to Singapore and praises it sky high as a model for aspiring nations.

Tomorrow, Dr. Chee will write some more articles critical of the Lee Administration. I will write some more on how bad it all is. Next week Dr. Chee will perhaps go to jail once more on trumped up charges based on laws that are all illegal. Both before he goes to jail and after he gets out, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch will write how repressive it all is and what an evil regime Singapore is.

And after that Dr. Chee will go to jail once more. And people will privately curse the Singapore Administration for being cruel brutes and bullies. And after saying it, they will promptly go on with their lives. They will go to the market, to their jobs and play with their children and life will go on. And Lee will remain comfortably ensconced in the Istana, collecting his million dollar salary. And once in a while, President SR Nathan with his charming wife beside him, will come out for a walk in his palatial lawns, to thank his people for being such nice and loyal citizens.

And Dr. Chee will write some more brilliant articles. He will quote Mahatma Gandhi on the virtues of civil disobedience. He will remind his readers of what Lee had said in 1959 and how now, how shamelessly does Lee betray his people's trust by doing just the opposite. And after that, he will go to jail once more. And the same old cycle will repeat itself.

And it will go on till we drop dead.

I am impatient. My impatience is not unreasonable. We have waited long enough. Dr. Chee has to do something else. Not good enough to write these letters critical of the government and nothing more. Not good enough for the WP and the SDA to carry on the same old way. Things must change. This is getting tiresome. If all that the SDP, the WP and the SDA will do is for Dr. Chee to engage in activism and go to jail and write articles, if the WP will hold seminars on the Singapore Penal Code and talk intelligently, and if the SDA, only makes speeches in Parliament once in a while, then the political opposition should say so. They should say that we are not prepared to do anything else in Singapore. If all that the Opposition will do is to hold seminars on the Singapore Penal Code, write criticism on the Internet, make speeches in Parliament and wait another 4 years for the next elections, they may as well stop now. They will never be able to bring about any change in Singapore. They might as well confess to that much.

Let me tell you that while Dr. Chee and the other opposition people are going through the same motions that they have gone through the last 20 years, people are emigrating in droves, in disgust, children are not being born and the country is being flooded by foreigners. Singapore is being thoroughly damaged, its very foundations of civil society destroyed, until in a little while there is no viable Signapore to speak of.

Dr. Chee, the WP and the SDA should act now. Not just the same old routine. They have a responsibility, as the opposition to protect Singapore from damage being caused to it daily by the Lee Administration. Damage to the foundations of civil society. They can see it before their very eyes. It is not sufficient for them to say that Singaporeans are different, therefore nothing more should be done, because otherwise the stability of the nation will be affected. I am afraid this is no longer the time for inaction. Doing nothing more than writing critical articles will produce nothing.

So please, and I say please, do something for a change. Going on in the same old style is not producing any results. And it never will.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Why the present ways lead nowhere.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This letter is to show the need for a change in approach in challenging the PAP. I have said before that opposition parties merely making speeches periodically on the Penal Laws and other legal matters, in hotel conference rooms and contesting elections every 4 years will not bring about any change in government. The public must insist by civil disobedience against unjust laws that things must change. Only in this way will Singapore ever be a democracy.

I understand that the main opposition parties are reluctant to openly confront the government by pubic protests as they feel the Singapore public would fear that such protests will adversely affect Singapore's stability and therefore would alienate them against opposition parties at national elections, thereby causing them to lose votes.

I think the opposition parties are wrong in their assumption of what the public want. In any case, the decision whether to confront the government against unjust laws should not be dependant on whether or not such action will alienate the public from them. The decision should be based simply on whether such action is right and secondly, whether in the long run, such action would be beneficial to Singapore's interests. On both these counts, directly confronting the government on these unjust laws is clearly necessary.

First, because there are educated and discerning people in Singapore who must be able to see that direct confrontation against the government is the morally correct action to take. Second, the politicizing of the population, by these protests, is beneficial to the country as a whole in the long run. By this, civil institutions become stronger with more public participation, thus ensuring the continued viability of the country, with or without any dictator, with or without Lee Kuan Yew. By the opposition parties not taking any real measures for change, when knowing that the Lee Administration will never permit a peaceful and lawful transition or change of government, the inaction by the opposition parties to force change, will result in the end of a prolonged and continued de-politicized politically indifferent population, which will not be able to manage themselves with the demise of the strongman, since the public, over long years of subjugation, have no idea of what or when to do anything for themselves.

I say this in earnest. Breaking unjust laws is a good thing by itself. That alone is ample justification for civil disobedience. The opposition parties make a mistake when they constantly tailor their actions by second guessing what the people may or may not want. And the Lee Administration successfully spread these fears among the people, which the opposition parties are prepared to accept, thereby perpetrating the continued repression by the Lee Administration of it's people. The opposition should think independently. They should ask what is good for the country in the long run. And they should act according to it.

Otherwise you will continue with the motions of elections every 4 years and receive the expected result of the opposition winning Hougang and Potong Pasir with the Lee administration winning everything else, with the PAP again securing 66% of the votes cast.

It is becoming boring. Will Syvia Lim of the Workers Party please give another erudite speech soonest possible at the Asia Hotel near Orchard Road and make us all a little wiser.

Dr. Chee has gone to prison repeatedly for breaking unjust laws. He is highly respected for his actions. But just suffering alone will not bring about any measurable change. He must take the others with him. Only then will he see any real benefit for his admirable and courageous work up to date.

Alas, if we are not going to be a democracy, at least we can be a little wiser with our cerebral capacities having increased a little at least, with a little more wisdom of Singapore's penal laws in it, having listened attentively and assiduously to Sylvia Lim's brilliant lectures.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: mailto:gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Response to Johnny B Good's request for an account of the persecution I suffered. See my post " The Worker's party's ..." Feb 04, 2007.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mr. Johnny B Good had written a comment on my blog "Singapore. The Worker's party's recent seminar on laws" of Feb 04, 2007 requesting that I provide an account of how the Lee Administration persecuted me as a result of my joining the Workers Party and standing as an election candidate against the Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party in 1988 and 1991. This is a brief account of the events.

I returned from England in 1979, after living there for 7 years, with a law degree and admission to the English Bar. I was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1980. It was a time of JB Jeyaretnam and the WP being in the news everyday, with his challenges against Lee and Lee's defamation suits against him. It was an exciting time. I was attracted to his cause. Justice was on his side. After considering the matter of joining the WP for some years, in 1984 or so, I finally decided to join the party.

And very soon became a council and cadre member in the WP. At the time, I did not realize the real political situation in Singapore. I was naive. I thought in politics, you persuade the public to your cause, and you win elections. I was not aware that Lee Kuan Yew had other plans. I did not know that he was a dictator. Now I do, of course.

The dates that I will be referring to may not be very accurate. I have the papers at home, but there is no need here to be exact. I am writing from the office.

Here are the direct instances of persecution. In my case, it was a series of instances where the law is abused with political judges and political lawyers bending and breaking the law to punish me.

In 1988, I had a client named Patrick DeSouza, a Eurasian, an unemployed indigent. He lived in a HDB flat which he inherited from his parents. The payments on the flat were still outstanding. He had no money, so he could not keep up with the HDB payments. My office then was at 03-04 Golden Mile Complex. I was a sole proprietor. My friend Bala who lives at Tekka introduced him to me as a client. Bala knew him from the Rochor Canal Road "thieves market" where DeSouza sold used items spread out on the street. He was a second hand dealer. The HDB threatened eviction proceedings. I asked for more time to pay. They granted me more time. However although he kept up some payments, at one point he could not pay. I again asked for more time. The HDB said no. They insisted on eviction.

However before the actual eviction proceedings, DeSouza somehow managed to find not only the money, but also the outstanding interest. I immediately informed the HDB that since they have not yet executed on the eviction, and since my client had the money plus interest, it was surely in the interests of justice to accept the money and discontinue the eviction proceedings. Now listen to this. The HDB replied that it didn't matter that DeSouza had the money or that the eviction was yet premature. Since they had commenced the proceedings, it was too late to stop it. They must throw DeSouza and his belongings bodily on to the street!

I was enraged. I was fuming mad (I use the word mad in it’s American meaning, for the avoidance of doubt!). I think it was Goh Chock Tong who was the PM. He had a phrase which went something like this "Singapore has the best 4 Ps. The best party (PAP), the best outdoor party (I think he organized a large music and dance party near Orchard Road), the best Airport and the best sea port." I wrote to the HDB in protest. I said is this what they meant by the best party etc, when people dance but yet have no concern at all for the poor, when they throw them out of public housing.

By the way, DeSouza by this time was evicted. I heard the police came to his flat and threw the few belongings he had on to the street and threw him out as well and changed the lock. Coming back to my letter to the HDB, I copied it to all Embassies, High Commissions and all foreign diplomatic posts is Singapore. Lee Administration was upset. The Law Society began disciplinary proceedings. Their charge was that in my distributing my letter to the HDB to foreign embassies and consulates, I went beyond my duty as a lawyer representing a client, and therefore I should be punished.

Let me tell you one thing. Whenever I was faced with any of these trumped up charges, I have never given in. I always fought these cooked up charges. I fought this one too.

At the Law Society, with JB Jeyaretnam as my lawyer, I attended a hearing. I asked for the exact details as to where in my letter did I go beyond my ethical duties. For some reason the Law Society did not provide any information. And mysteriously, the Law Society did not proceed with it. They never told me whether they were dropping it. I just did not hear any more about this case.

Second case. 1988. JB Jeyaretnam returns from England after the Privy Council restoring him to the Rolls. However his criminal conviction cannot be overturned because there was no appeal to Privy Council on the criminal convictions. You will recall that the Privy Council Judges had suggested that since they found Jeyaretnam completely innocent of any crime, as the only course available to him, JB Jeyaretnam should request a pardon from the President of Singapore.

Yes, JB Jeyaretnam duly filed a request for a pardon. Mr. Tan Boon Teck was the Attorney General. On behalf of the President Mr. Tan in his refusal to grant a pardon, stated that since "Mr. JB Jeyaretnam did not show remorse repentance or contrition for the crimes he committed" he is not deserving of a pardon. He further said that as he, the Attorney General, was not given an "opportunity to be heard before the Privy Council,” the Privy Council's judgment is tainted and therefore not binding. This reply from Mr. Tan appeared in the Straits Times.

Now tell me this. How can a man show "remorse, repentance and contrition" for a crime he never committed! The Privy Council had stated as plain as daylight that Jeya did not commit any crime. Therefore there clearly was no need to show remorse, repentence and contrition. Surely.

Second, the facts are clear. The parties before the Privy Council were the Law Society of Singapore and the JB Jeyaretnam. Since the question of JB Jeyaretnam's disbarment was dependant on whether he committed any criminal offense, the Privy Council had to look into his criminal record. The party responsible for the criminal record was the Singapore Attorney General. To be fair, not wanting to decide on the criminal cases behind the Singapore AG's back, I was told that the Lord Bridge, one of the Justices had expressly asked the Law Society Counsel 2 questions. One, whether the Attorney General was aware of the proceedings before their Lordships. Second, did the Attorney General wish to be heard? To both these questions the answer of the Law Society counsel was in the negative, that the Singapore AG was aware, and he did not wish to be heard.

Only after this assurance, did their Lordships hear the case giving JB Jeyaretnam a resounding victory on all counts. My question in my mind, as it was in the minds of many others was this. How could the AG say that "he was not given an opportunity to be heard" when the Privy Council Justices went out of their way to give the Singapore AG full opportunity to be heard, had he so wished. He did not wish to be heard. Therefore for him to say that he was not given an opportunity was completely untrue, and he knew it. I was naturally upset. I was a lawyer. How could this man, the Attorney General of Singapore be permitted to tell such a lie, and get away with it? I refused to let this pass.

I wrote to the Attorney General. I asked him if what I had said actually transpired. And if so how could he say he was not given an opportunity to be heard. The Attorney General first sent me a short reply. In it he said he was not a party to the JB Jeya case, and that if I needed answers, I should ask Mr. Jeyaretnam. I was not prepared to accept this. I replied to him saying that I am not prepared to take that answer from him and if he did not give me a satisfactory reply within 14 days, I will distribute the correspondence publicly. His reply to that letter was that he was going to report me to the Law Society for unethical conduct.

True to my threat, at the expiry of the 14 days, I faxed the correspondence between us to all Singapore lawyers. Many lawyers there still have my correspondence with them.

The matter came before the Law Society. They decided that there was no basis to proceed against me. However, there was a provision in the law to permit the Attorney General to override the decision of the Law Society and insist on prosecution. This is what he did. Anyhow, the matter came before the Disciplinary court. It was a court room in one of the higher floors of the old Supreme Court building. Choor Singh presiding. I fought the case.

It took many days. Choor Singh wanted me to answer in short form with a yes or no answer. I refused. I said I will answer the way I want or none at all. Rather than hold me in contempt and not hearing any testimony, he gave in. It wasn't exactly Mandela's "I am preapred to die" speech at the Rivonia trial, but at least I was able to say my piece. I used the opportunity to explain why the Singapore justice system was all wrong and why the case against me was politically motivated.

My writing to the Attorney General was not wrong and neither was the distribution of the correspondence. The charges were that I intentionally accused the Attorney General of making false statements and that I threatened the Attorney General by distributing the correspondence between them. Even if you try, you will not able to see how I could have possibly committed any ethical violation.

After about 14 days of hearing Choor Singh delivered the expected verdict. I was found guilty. The next stage was the 3 Judge Court delivering the sentence. The time now was about 1991. I was getting disillusioned. I finally realized that there was no justice in Singapore. It was no more than a Kangaroo Court. It was Alice in Wonderland.

Third incident. 1991 Elections Bukit Merah. I was Workers Party Candidate. Ch'ng Jit Koon, PAP. Single seat. JB Jeyaretnam was at this time a bankrupt. He could not stand for elections. I stood in his place. I spoke at an election rally. There was a huge crowd. In this rally, I said that if the WP came to power, we will change the system of appointment of Judges in the Subordinate Court. Then as now, the Sub Court Judges are appointed by the Legal Service Commission. As the Attorney general, a member of the Executive has the overriding authority over career decisions over judges; it did not seem impartial, since justice must be seen to be done. I said that if the WP came to power, we will change the system of the Subordinate Court legal appointments to be more in line with the present day High Court.

The police tape recorded my speech. About a week later, I was surprised to receive a call from a New South Wales paper asking me about what I thought about the case against me for contempt of court, which up till that time, I knew nothing about. True enough, the next day, the court process server appeared. I was being charged for contempt. The charge was that by my saying that the public will have more confidence in the impartiality of the Sub Court judiciary if the system was changed, I had implied that all the Sub court judges were corrupt and beholden to Lee Kuan Yew.

On hindsight, it may have been a laughing matter, but the reality was I was being charged for contempt. The Judge was Sinnaturay. My lawyer was JB Jeyaretnam. I fought the case. As expected I was found guilty. $8,000.00 fine plus costs, otherwise 2 months jail. Then I was not as strong as now. I did not want to go to jail. I paid $8.000.00. Also now, Choor Singh had found me guilty. I would probably be disbarred, suspended or whatever.

I arrived in San Francisco in December 1991. 2 years later, in 1993, my case ( the complaint by Mr. Tan Boon Teck) finally came before the 3 Judge court in Singapore. The presiding judge was Judge Yong Pong Howe. I was in Oakland, California then. I read in the Straits Times, a copy which was sent to me from Singapore, that I was suspended from law practice for 2 years for unethical conduct.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Why Singaporeans must rely on themselves for change.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singaporeans must rely on themselves for political change and not on foreign countries to do it for them. Although one is happy to hear that the EU, the European Parliament, Sweden and other countries who cherish freedom, criticizing Singapore for the lack of it, ultimately if change is to come, it has to be brought about by the Singaporeans and Singaporeans alone.

There are many worse places than Singapore. There is Burma. There are the various dictatorships around the world. There is Zimbabwe where Mugabe illegally confiscates white farmer's land to give it to blacks. But none of these countries, despite the displeasure of America and Europe, have really suffered for their bad behaviour. The principle that appears to be followed is non interference in sovereign affairs and the self-interest rule that when there is business, never mind human rights.

The only countries that has seen the real effect of US displeasure are countries such as North Korea, Cuba and Iran. But any disadvantage in international commerce and trade that these countries have suffered is not because of human rights violations, but because they pose a military threat either to the US or it's allies or because they threaten US and European business interests. Had these countries not posed any military or business threat to the US or it's friends, the US would not have taken any steps against them whatsoever.

Coming to Singapore, it is most unlikely that what the Lee Administration does to its people by way of repression will cause either Europe or the US to provide any real support for the cause of freedom in Singapore. It will be the same old story all over again, that they will not interfere in internal affairs of sovereign countries, and, although they will not say so, they will not want their trade with Singapore to suffer. So it will be business as usual with some interspersed rhetoric on the importance of upholding human rights.

Therefor the responsibility for any change within Singapore must come from you or none at all. Keeping in mind that Lee Administration will never voluntarily hand over power under the law, any change has to come from protests of Singaporeans and civil disobedience of Singaporeans that compels the government, at some point, to submit to justice.

If there are any protests, it is likely to be from intellectuals on human rights and not from the poor clamouring for bread as can be expected of impoverished countries, of which Singapore is not. Among the over 4 million people there, there has to be educated and intelligent people, who love their country and hate where Lee Administration is taking it, a total dictatorship. It is these intelligentsia who will feel the need within them to do something for their country. They would come to a point where keeping quiet and doing nothing and permitting Lee and Company to rule at will as they do now, is no longer an option. And it will be these intelligentsia that will be the catalyst for others to join, and before long, there will be a nationwide movement for change. When this happens, Singapore will turn into a democracy.

I think it is the responsibility of the opposition political parties to arrange these protests and begin politicising the population. If they provide the initial support, the idea of protests will take root and spread. And in doing this, they will be morally correct, as their actions are necessary for the ultimate salvation of the country.

I have read that the British Parliament has taken up the issue of human rights violations in Singapore with the Commonwealth Secretary in the British House of Commons and Prime Ministers of Europe have handed protest notes against human rights violations at various Singapore consulates across Europe. All very good. Thank you. But on the ground in Singapore, it will not do much good.

Ultimately, only one thing is true. Only Singaporeans can bring about change in Singapore. No one else.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore's biomed policy

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singapore, as we know is trying to become a center of learning and research in the region and the world. One direction of their plan concentrates on going into the development and research into bio medicines. To create this center of learning, Singapore claims they are getting top rate scientists to work in Singapore.

This is a pipe dream and will never materialize. As long as Singapore is seen by the world as a repressive society, which they are at present, with the highest rate of executions in the world even for petty drug mules, with a compliant and corrupt judiciary that destroys Lee's opponents by abusing the law, with a muzzled press and seen as a country run by Lee's decree and not law; highly educated foreigners would not be prepared to help a totalitarian country such as this to become a center of anything, let alone research, with their help. Top rate professors and researchers will refuse to be collaborators.

The Internet allows the highly talented academia the world over to know what a repressive country Singapore is before they even step foot on Singapore soil. The government cannot successfully hide the control that goes on within the island however much they tried. Academic researchers are among the people who are most concerned about cruel dictatorships around the world, being the ones most constrained by their conscience not to do wrong. Many of these great researchers will feel compelled to withdraw any support for Singapore when they know that the country is nothing more than a dictatorship that denies the basic rights of their own people.

If you did get some researchers to work in Singapore, these will be the second rate ones, willing to work for anyone however evil, as long as the money is right. But Singapore will not get the very best of the world's talent.

I cannot imagine the world's great talent helping the Burmese government to become a center for biotechnology. Neither can I imagine the world's greatest thinkers and scientists to help a dictatorship such as Singapore.

My advice to the Singapore leadership is this. You have a bad name throughout the world. You hang petty drug mules. You do not allow a free press. You bend the law to destroy your opponents. You are seen perhaps only one rung better than the cruel Burmese dictatorship. Begin to improve the bad image by allowing democracy now. If you do not do this, it will never be a center for learning and research because a repressive dictatorship cannot hope to be a great center for learning. Learning requires freedom.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. On the threshold of change.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singapore today is on the threshold of change towards more democracy as all the signs appear promising. It should not be long before the Lee government is forced to accept the reality that democracy must come, whether they like it or not.

In the early history, Singapore was populated by an uneducated immigrant and local community who were grateful for the jobs and livelihood that the PAP provided with foreign investment attracted to Singapore with low wages. The early migrants having come from harsh and impoverished countries did not need any democracy and in any case they did not know what it meant. Only few had university education, one of whom was Lee, who therefore managed to have his way, over the humble immigrants, grateful for jobs and a living.

With time, people became more educated with country wide education. It was no longer a country of low paying jobs. With more education, for the first time, people were beginning to demand more freedom. As this change towards more sophistication was happening on the ground, Lee's continued ability to retain power was becoming more and more uncertain.

Therefore in order to continue retaining power in his and his family's hands, it has become increasing necessary for Lee to progressively deny more and more of the public's freedoms. He retains the Internal Security Act, which permits internment without trial. He enacts the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act to ensure that the media is only allowed to publish what he likes. He controls the Trade Unions making sure that wages are decided by him, not the unions. He increases to heightened levels punishments that involve public assembly and free speech to instill a fear in the public not to contradict him. He politicizes the judiciary with defamation lawsuits to destroy political opponents.

In other words he fears the people's power, so he tightens the screws.

At the same time, the people have been moving in the opposite direction. The entire population is literate. The majority have at least a high school or tertiary education. They are more and more well read. The majority are computer literate. They browse the Intenet. They read all sorts of articles on freedom and liberty. And such people, young, mobile and educated are beginning to say more and more that they will not take no for an answer, that they must have their rights, that they are not preapred to be treated like children anymore. They will demand their freedom. And while this population who are getting more and more educated, more and more traveled and more and more sophisticated; the Lee government, if they wish to remain in absolute control have no choice but to become more and more repressive, and take away more and more of the people's liberties.

The situation now is that the government and the people are becoming more and more polarized, working at cross purposes and each pulling in the opposite direction. At present I would daresay that almost the entire educated honest decent people of Singapore are against the rule of Lee and his family. I would even go the extent of saying that Lee is hated by a sizeable section of his people. The latest election results are suspect. In a small island like this, the PAP winning 82 seats and the Opposition winning the same 2 seats like clockwork for the last 15 years must arouse suspicion in any one's mind.

Today, with the government's own admission recently in the Straits Times, the vast majority of young Singaporeans do not rely on the state controlled press for the news, relying entirely on the Internet and blogs. Nearly all political web sites and blogs are anti government. And what is most important of all, the government is powerless to control what is being said on the Internet making their control of the local state controlled press ineffective to influence the thinking of the people. The government has to rely on dishonest opportunists to run their government, people who work for them only for personal monetary gain, without any concern for the rights of their fellow citizens. And it is getting more and more difficult for Lee to get more of these dishonest people to work for them, since with education, they are able to earn an honest living without serving the dictatorship of Lee.

So at present, there is a clear divide between the people and the Lee government. The Lee government now no longer has the support of the people. They now govern with instilling fear among the population, fear of persecution if they dared to challenge the government. I do not believe that any government in a country such as Singapore can last very long just by brute force and instilling fear.

Singapore is different from other countries in many ways. Singaporeans have an English education. Their skills are valuable worldwide. They are much more mobile than other people from non English speaking English educated countries. They know that if push came to shove, they will not perish. They could always leave. This emboldens the people. This gives them courage to demand more and more freedoms and rights. And when this happens, the Lee family in power finds it's position more and more precarious.

One thing that should be kept in mind. History has shown us that Lee Kuan Yew and his family will not ever concede power to anyone. They will hang on to it no matter what. The only way you can achieve any freedom is by unconventional means. I do not mean violence. I am against it. I mean public protests to demand change. When this happens, which is in fact already happening, the Lee family will have to justify their unjust laws, which morally they cannot. Not being able to justify their unjust actions, they must fail. This is certain.

I see, change in the immediate horizon. I see young people emboldened, distributing leaflets in street corners asking their fellow citizens to join them in the resistance, I see people sticking posters to walls demanding democracy, I see people publicly speaking to others telling them to join the resistance, I see the police trying to arrest these young men and women, I see the people fighting their cases in court and finally I see the government powerless to deny the people their just demands.

And I see, the triumph of democracy.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Announcement.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since my last letter to you, I have received a number of Emails from Singaporeans wanting to engage in peaceful protest asking me if they could use my postings on this blog as fliers for distribution to pedestrian passers-by and if they could edit them to their needs.

You have my full consent to use my postings any way you want. You may want to add the name of the SDP with their address for the public to contact for more information on public protests, but as to how exactly you wish to do it is up to you.

You have my full consent.

Thank you.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com

Singapore. Civil Disobedience

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you know, I have in my last few posts advised of the vital need for civil disobedience now, as the only way for democracy, as the PAP will hang on to their hold on you no matter what. Second, although I am not recommending emigration, in the last resort of you having to resort to it, there are ways. So no need to be intimidated into a crippling obedience to the PAP. You will never be competely lost.

Since this message, I have received 83 Emails from Singaporeans indicating that they want to engage in civil disobedience and asking me for further information. I have replied to most as best I can. Also many among them have asked about the possibilities and ways to emigrate in the event Lee makes life for them intolerable. I again repeat that I am not suggesting that you emigrate, and I will be proud of you if you remain behind and fight all the way for Singapore. You should keep the possibility of emigration in mind only as a last resort, if you feel necessary. That way, you will have more courage to stand up to the dictatorship, because you will feel emboldened with the knowledge that not all will be lost.

If I have missed out answering to anyone, please note the following. For civil disobedience, please contact Dr. Chee of the SDP who will arrange for all the details, with advice as to how to go about it. In any case, I am not in Singapore, and I am not as knowledgeable as Dr. Chee on civil disobedience upon which he has read very widely.

Second, as regards emigration, in the event that you have to resort to this, which I do not recommend, the first bet is employment based emigration. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have a point based system which looks at your skills, your age, your English ability, your highest education etc. The younger you are the better. Any skills, such as motor mechanic or whatever will help. A bachelor's degree or higher will help. Not a single item alone makes all the difference, but all the items taken together and added up. You may be weak in one item, but better in another.

Not only English speaking but non English speaking countries also need migrants. Finland, Scandinavian countries and even Japan has work opportunities. So when the Singapore government turn the screws on you, it is not like it is the end of the world.

The USA has a different system. Through marriage, family ties, employment based where you have a US employer and so on.

Then there is of course student visas. You must know that many European countries and even US have many scholarships available. Also many European countries do not charge fees for education, and you can always work and study through your university.

Last alternative is asylum. All European countries and the USA and Canada admit refugees. The law is the same all over. You have to prove that you were persecuted by your government by reason of your political beliefs, religion, gender, membership of a certain group etc. To give you an example, Dr. Chee, if he wanted asylum elsewhere, will be able to get it hands down, since he has been repeatedly persecuted by reason of his political beliefs. Of course Dr. Chee is not interested in asylum elsewhere and he will courageously remain in Singapore and stand and fight Lee. I used him only as an example.

I am very pleased to see such overwhelming response to my call for civil disobedience. Really, I think this is the only way for democracy in Singapore.

Again, well done my friends. I will be writing again.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
EMail: mailto:gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com