Singapore continues to lose the best.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Lee Kuan Yew's attempts in trying to persuade skilled and educated Singaporeans to remain in Singapore, can be best described as trying to fit a square block into a round hole. It simply will not work.

As he continues to imprison innocent Singaporeans for merely peaceful protests, an activity lawful and guaranteed under the Constitution; when he controls the entire media and disallows a free press in violation of the Constitution; when he abuses the courts and the police to go around persecuting innocent Singaporeans; those with skills and the capacity to leave, need not accept such a life.

They find a life without freedom distasteful. This is only natural. They need not live this way. They have a choice, to leave the island for a better life elsewhere. So they do exactly that; leave Singapore in ever growing numbers while Lee Kuan Yew continues in the only way he knows; silencing dissent.

The brain drain is the only logical consequence in a society where the government fails to understand the consequence of repression.

Singapore is not Cuba or North Korea. It does not have closed borders, you can leave anytime you want. By denying the freedoms they can expect elsewhere, Lee fails to appreciate that people capable of leaving will leave if they can.

The ones who are educated with skills and able to emigrate but yet remain within Singapore are within these groups. One, they are those who have no personal self respect, principles or convictions and are quite prepared to live their lives under a dictator for the right price. In other words, they have no shame. In this category, you would find people like Lee's judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean who willingly misuses the law to destroy her master's opponents.

Second, there are those who don't have the skills that would allow them to emigrate. Third, they lack the courage that they would need to uproot themselves from their familiar surroundings for the hardships and challenges naturally expected in settlement abroad.

Four, they only know Mandarin, Malay or Tamil and although they would very much like to go, such a move would be almost impossible.

Every Singaporean who fits into any of these groups and remains in Singapore is surely, not the best. The ones with courage, or skills, personal values and principles would find it intolerable to remain.

Of course there are the handful who stay behind and live admirable lives, standing up to Lee Kuan Yew's bully boys and speaking out against Lee's corruption, tyranny and despotism. Men such as Dr. Chee Soon Juan, the very best among Singaporeans. It is very hard to live such a life, repeatedly being sued, charged, arrested and sent to jail as what Dr. Chee suffers.

But except for these handful of courageous men and women, the vast majority who stay behind are either lacking in skills, afraid or cowards.

In order to hide their inadequacy, some claim to be patriots for merely staying behind, calling those who left "quitters". But in truth, staying behind, doing nothing and willingly living under a repressive regime is not patriotism. It is simply cowardice.

Singapore therefore has today a mediocre workforce, with a mediocre people; fearful, lacking courage, skills, ability, principles and self respect.

It is a second rate citizenry and and a second rate work force; not one that can ever compete with peoples of the free world; of men and women with ability, courage and convictions.

And Singapore's destiny is to continue in its downward decline, with the quality of Singaporeans progressively declining, unless Lee Kuan Yew is prepared to think of his people for once instead of himself, or if Singaporeans are prepared to take the bull by the horns and stand up to the challenge.

An American can speak out against American laws and policies as a free man or woman. So can an Australian, a Canadian or a Finn. A Singaporean in Singapore cannot do any of this, if he does not want to go to prison or be persecuted. That is why, an Australian is a superior human being and worker to a Singaporean. He has qualities that a Singaporean in Singapore simply does not have.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
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Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/

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