Saturday, September 19, 2009

Singapore tourism advisory. Advice to visitors.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is hoped that visitors to Singapore read this message.

On arrival at Singapore, you will see skyscrapers on the waterfront, manicured lawns, streets lined with flowers and shrubbery and clean and efficient transportation system and infra structure.

You will also be given various literature on the socio political and governmental system in Singapore, claiming it to be a Constitutional Parliamentary Democracy not dissimilar to a Western Country. This is where you are being fooled.

If you took the trouble to speak to the average citizen of the country you will quickly discover the truth. For instance, any attempt to enquire on fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, taken for granted in other western democracies, will draw a blank. You will find people only interested in going about the daily work with interest in nothing else.

The Government's claim to be a constitutional democracy is completely false. The handful of government critics who dare to speak against the government are repeatedly jailed and bankrupted. The fear of criticizing the government is so real and so rampant that the Singapore individual is almost incapable of questioning authority. The long years of psychological control over the people has made sure of this.

There is no rule of law in the courts. A trip either to the Supreme Court (what a name in a country that denies it's people their basic rights), in High Street or the Subordinate Court in Havelock Road will give you the impression that Singapore has a respected legal system. There are numerous items of free literature distributed, and the walls are draped with long histories of the courts and the great judges and luminaries that graced those buildings. But again, this is another very cleverly thought out gimmick. There is no impartiality in the judgements of the men and women there who claim to be judges. They work at the behest of Singapore's strongman Lee Kuan Yew and his son. They are there to punish criminals and to persecute and silence government critics by imprisoning them and bankrupting them. A reading of the International Bar Association's report on Singapore as well as that of the New York Bar Association and other respected organizations will make this clear.

There are no free and independent newspapers in the island. They are all owned and controlled by the government through a company called Singapore Press Holdings. Similarly the radio and TV is also owned and controlled by the Singapore government.

The government literature would also claim another untruth, that there is racial equality in the island. Today, Malays and Indians are not only discriminated in jobs and housing in Government provided apartment units called the HDB, disproportionately large numbers of people from mainland China who neither speak English, Malay or Tamil are brought in so as to turn it into an even more pronounced Chinese island. This was not the plan of the early founders of Singapore in 1955.

Malays and Indians, the minorities, are denied the right to freedom to live anywhere they chose in the island, in the government owned HDB flats. Muslims are particularly discriminated against due to a fear that they may be sympathetic to Malaysia and Indonesia, both Muslim countries, Singapore's traditional adversaries. Malays who are predominately Muslims suffer most under this discrimination. They are for instance prohibited from being fighter pilots in the Singapore Air Force due to fear that instead of bombing either Malaysia or Indonesia in the event of hostilities, they may instead bomb Singapore's Chinatown or Lee Kuan Yew's residence instead! This might appear facetious on my part but truly, this is a genuine fear that disallows them from flying fighter aircraft. As confirmation, a quick survey by any visitor in Singapore will confirm this.

The government can imprison anyone without trial on the pretext that they are a threat to national security, under Singapore's dreaded Internal Security Act. In fact, over the years, vast majority of those imprisoned under this Act, some for decades, were people who have done nothing worse than criticizing the Singapore government.

Without rule of law, and without fundamental human rights, Singapore is nothing more than a dictatorship. As a result thousands of native born educated Singaporeans leave Singapore to settle in western democracies abroad. This is something the government has been unable to prevent.

A word of warning to intending visitors to Singapore. In your visiting Singapore you would be indirectly helping the government to continue repressing it's citizens. The Singapore government relies heavily on tourism to continue their repressive regime in the island.

Through fear, the citizens are unable to resist. There has been a popular and growing effort among many visitors who are aware of the abuses of other dictatorial regimes in the region, like Burma, to make a deliberate effort to stay away from them, as a sign of their protest against the human rights abuses in these countries.

I would ask readers of this blog as well as travel writers such as Lonely Planet and other publications to take note of the repression that goes on in Singapore and to warn intending visitors of the unintended consequence of their buttressing the Singapore regime.

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.

6 comments:

Migrant said...

F1 will flop, followed by the IRs

Anonymous said...

Not to mention that Singapore builds a habit to abuse the institute of mental health(IMH) to defame anybody they hate and to imprison them there under the lie that they had mental illness.

It's a city where you could be starved in its public hospital and everyone would not care a bit for they fear Singapore bully LKY.

It's a police state which to my belief monitor its resident citizen or foreigner alike. Tapping into you cellphone conversation, spying on your online activities even spying on your own mind with little help from so called remote viewers or men with such capabilities.

Singapore is a fraud. Be aware. Nobody is safe in that island.

Renaldi
First hand victim of Singapore fraud.

Gopalan Nair said...

The following is an EMail I received from David KC Foo which was sent to Nathan PS.

Re: FW: Emailing:

Singapore Dissident Singapore tourism advisory. Advice to visitors..

Monday, September 28, 2009 8:44 PM

From: This sender is DomainKeys verified"David KC Foo" david.fookc@gmail.com

To: "nathan p.s." nathan_ps@hotmail.com

Cc: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com

Of course, Singapore's suppressive govt is internationally famed. But it is not the only regime which suffocates opposing views or promote ethnic cum cultural cleansing and religious persecution.

While I cannot tolerate such abuse of humanity (and I am not calling this a "right"), it is not hard to see why Singaporeans go about their daily lives devoid of political sense. I disagree that it is primarily due to their being cowed by the power wielders and pretentious judiciary. I think Singaporeans are aware that their country has absolutely nothing naturally by itself to sustain economic viability. Yet, it is one of the rare places in the world, if not the only nation, where the rate of extreme poverty is microscopically low. By and large, all dwellers on the island have food, clothing and shelter, and yes, most conveniences of contemporary living. It is sad, but the realities of essential needs and the resultant constant struggle to outperform the burgeoning cost of living are the blindfolds of the population as far as politics is concerned.

One grave mistake of failed politicians is their vehement belief in human and political rights. I stand by you all in precept. However, I must put this necessity secondary to the grips of national economics. Over and over again, political minorities bring up very valid arguments against policies and practices of the government of the day, but how often are these rumblings accompanied by positive "what-should-be" statements? Criticism and condemnation can evoke emotional and intellectual awakening, but cannot sustain will power for wanting change. The US and UK models are excellent examples of what alternative political powers should be; and do.

Back to Singapore - I think the salient suggestion to impose a travel embargo against this police state for their political system (which includes occluding opposition) is premised on a very weak argument. Again, travellers, being humans, are essentially more interested in the tangible economic offerings and realities than a vastly minority group of political alternatives.

However, if the call to give Singapore a skip is premised on their support for and providing save haven for the filth of Myanmar's murdererous regime ... now, that's a totally different ball game. This is a call for the support of an international cause, the cause and well being
(economic AND human rights) of millions of Burmese. Give this a thought - if not for the protection accorded by Singapore, would the Myanmar junta still be alive?

DAVID

Gopalan Nair said...

To David KC Foo (david.fookc@gmail.com)

I am not sure how you came to the conclusion that Singaporeans are by and large well off. Going by what I can see, a large section of Singaporeans live below the poverty line. The mere existence of high rise apartment blocks does not explain the standard of living there. I think the Singapore Democratic Party has many well researched and reasoned articles on this. It may make you think otherwise on how the average Singaporean lives. Your view is what the ruling party and it's leader Lee Kuan Yew wants others to think.

Second. Your view that Singaporeans have reasoned that since they are an island without resources, they have to forgo their human rights and live as slaves. I am not sure how you came to this conclusion. Personally I do not think that the vast majority of Singaporeans have actually sat down, analysed their advantages and disadvantages and deliberatly come to the conclusion that they should willingly accept authoritarian rule!

Are you saying that the average citizen has sat down with pen and paper and jotted down the disadvantages: 1. No resources 2. Samll size 3. Surrounded by Muslim nations who don't eat pork 4. Hot humid boiling weather
Advantages: 1. Educated work force 2. Well positioned country in SE Asia 3. English profiency

Are you saying that after making such a list and after long and careful deliberations, they came to the conclusion that it is best not to question Lee Kuan Yew?

I don't think so. I don't think they have gone to that trouble. I think they are so because either 1) they do not know their rights becasue Lee Kuan Yew has deliberatley kept them ignorant 2) they lack education and 3) those educated people who know have been silenced through real ever present fear 4) and that is why many who know just leave the country, because openly standing up to Lee Kuan Yew amounts to utter ruination.

What is left are those who are either afraid, or ignorant and not forgetting those who collaborate such as Judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean.

I think you seem to doubt the value of freedom for the sake of freedom. Freedom has brought great benefits to many nations around the world including samll ones such as Isreal, Finland, Iceland, Norway and New Zealand. For these countries freedom has always been their passport to success. And they have succeeded way way above the repressive Singapore.

You appear to be dismissive on the wisdom of travellers. Many travellers these days not only think of fun, but also other extraneous consequences of their travel, for example are they propping up a dictator? Other than the uninformed, there are many Europenans, Americans and Australians who are aware of the repression of this dictatorship upon it's people and believe you me, they do stay away. My experiences in California has been the notion that it is one country that administers corporal punishment to anyone who chews gum! They don't want to come.

And as for Burma (I prefer to use the old name) collapsing without Singapore's support, I think that is stretching it a bit. Burma's main supporters are China, Russia and Thailand. I think they will survive even without Singapore.

Finally can I tell you this! Singapore is blessed with excellent natural resources. One it has a good disciplined workforce. Two, it has an excellent central trading location. Three it has an excellent port and airport. And 4, it has English. These resources are way way more important than having some coal or timber or some rice plantations.

And lastly the only way to gaurantee a secure future is to allow citizen participation for all, and that means DEMOCRACY.

Gopalan Nair said...

The following is an Email from David KC Foo I received in response to my posting his Email in this blog

Re: FW: Emailing:

Singapore Dissident Singapore tourism advisory. Advice to visitors

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:17 PM
From: This sender is DomainKeys verified"David KC Foo" david.fookc@gmail.com

Add sender to Contacts
To: "Gopalan Nair" nair.gopalan@yahoo.com

Hi Gopalan

Thank you for your response, and clarification of your being not Devan Nair's son.

I am not going to enter into a debate with you or anybody else. And I will not bother to point out where I think you may have misread my position.

Except that I have to correct your misconception that I find Singaporeans generally well off. Having food, clothing and shelter does not necessarily make one financially endowed. If you have seen the families and extended families who have these essentials living is squalid environments in Malaysia, you would have to agree that the poor in Singapore are a blessed lot, comparitively. For many in Singapore's northern neighbour, tatched roofs of salvaged materials and walls of recycled boards of all description make a dwelling. Never mind that food is plain porridge day in and day out, By the way, it is also not uncommon for these untenantable domiciles to have power and water supply from the respective national grids, and basic household conveniences like a refrigerator, TV, washing machine, etc.

As a parting word, may I express my utter disappointment with your decision to post my contact information in your blog. You welcomed communication, and I responded accordingly by way of private e-mail to you. I would have been more than happy to refrain from sharing my few thoughts if there was any indication at all that my contact information is to be made public. This is not the norm in blogosphere decorum. Nathan is an innocent victim in this instance. I sincerely hope that you would be so kind and professional as to remove our (Nathan's and mine) e-mail addresses from you blog immediately. I may have been happy to communicate with you but I definitely do not wish to communicate with the vast populance who would read your blog.

Kindest regards

David

Gopalan Nair said...

Hello David KC Foo,

I was not aware that you did not want your particulars to be published. I thought I made it clear that any correspondence received may be published. In the future, it may be useful to explain this when writing to me.

As for your comparison with Malaysians who live in kampongs and tin huts, I think those in Malaysia, despite this are far happier than the poor who live in Lee Kuan Yew's HDB flats. At least they are not dragged to court each time they find it hard to pay their utilities bills. And with extended families and kampongs, and farms and chickens and goats, more land and fresh air, they are able to survive, a healthy life, anytime without having to starve in Lee Kuan Yew's concrete jungle.

As for me, if I had a choice, give me the Malaysian tin huts/ and make shift cardboard kampongs anytime to Lee Kuan Yew's concrete prison (I mean HDB flats). At least I can roam around at will and breathe the fresh air and not have to dodge Lee Kuan Yew's policemen on a dialy basis.

You are trying hard to make a point but it does appear that you do not understand Singapore and have been taken in by the high rise glitter.

You have to look at what is inside. Take a tour of the one room flats in Queenstown, if I were you.