Ladies and Gentlemen,
In my last post "My Dear Singaporeans" of March 21, 2010, I had in fact said goodbye to writing here. On second thoughts, perhaps I should not.
As for my reasons, firstly blogging is addictive, and I mean it positively. Once you start writing, it is difficult to stop. There becomes an urge for you to tell your story, and there is the need of those who demand to read it.
Second I had wittingly or otherwise thrust myself into the public eye, particularly the Singaporean one, by my bold style, by getting arrested in Singapore for criticism of the Singapore judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean for shamelessly prostituting her office as judge to please her master Lee Kuan Yew, and so on.
She still today sits as a judge in Singapore without any shame whatsoever for her actions, protected by Lee Kuan Yew's police, safe in her knowledge that as long as her master is alive, she is free to abuse the law at will.
Had I not invited the wrath of Lee Kuan Yew and his men to the extent of they arresting me, with my picture flashed across their state controlled press on a daily basis between May and September 2008, and recently being
called "malicious", "evil", and a "person of bad character" by Lee's Minister of Information Liu Tuck Yew, for my suggesting that his master had a heart attack, thereby increasing my popularity or notoriety, depending on which way you look at it, a thousand fold; had I not done any of this, I think I could have just faded away and no one would have bat an eyelid.
By the force of events, overtaking Gopalan Nair, thanks to Lee Kuan Yew and his government, Singaporeans have over time, become accustomed to the Singapore Dissident and have begun to expect my writing.
In fact even if there was a single human being out there who was looking forward to what I had to say, it would be unfair on my part to just disappear.
Adding to all this, at a time when the ground in Singapore appears slipping from the dictator's grip, as I had been clearly advised by a commenter, any effort spent in precipitating it, however small must and should be an unshirkable duty.
On all accounts, it would appear that I must continue. I am therefore withdrawing my threat to disappear.
Singapore Dissident will therefore continue. My writings may not be that frequent, but it will continue to exist.
Unlike Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore Dissident refuses to die simply because it should not.
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
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20 comments:
Dear GP,
Don't go away now. You've made a name for yourself opposing LKY and PAP. While some may criticize you for doing this while being safely based in the US, many in S'pore can't opening question Sing gov policies without the gov and media coming down hard on them.
Have faith, LKY can't live forever. I actually am beginning to pity the 87 yr old, still having to travel to UK recently to meet with statesmen half his age. Is this another indication the "Dear Leader" doesn't trust even his own son and highly-paid ministers to run the country? Sad. Flying at this advanced age increases veinal thrombosis, which can cause a heart attack in people who fly frequently. Maybe your forecast of his pre-mature passing may come true soon.
Well to us the general public your blog has also become quite "addictive" . We need our daily dose too.
Now that's the spirit my dear Gopalan! There would certainly be a gaping vacuum in the Singapore blogosphere should Singapore Dissident fall silent at the very time when things are beginning to get really interesting.
Firstly, the hatred at ground level for the incumbent has reached levels never before seen. They can thank their couldn't-care-less determination to flood red dot with more than one million foreigners in a mere 10 years for forcing the fearful worm to finally turn. What makes this policy boo-boo particularly insidious is its in-your-face character. Step out of your pigeonhole anywhere, anytime, and you cannot possibly avoid it: 1 in every 3 people you encounter will be an alien. I'm hoping that like the Titanic it will be impossible to undo the damage and reverse course in time to avoid the disaster.
Secondly, the election has to be called before February 12, 2012 and the clock is ticking. With every tick so too do the sands of time continue to unravel for a certain octogenarian éminence grise and the generation that keeps him in power. That is the perfect phrase to describe him: a person who exercises power or influence in certain areas without holding an official position. For what is his absurd portfolio of Minister Mentor but a transparent ruse to keep his hand locked to the tiller till senility/death do us part? Truly, dead men's shoes describes this government well. In that event, whether before or soon after 2012, there will be no holding back the eventual bursting of the dam of long-repressed anger.
Thirdly, I would say the SDP goes from strength to strength as a more IT-savvy generation logs on and catches the inspirational message of Dr. Chee. Not a one of the PAP department store dummies is his match thanks to the dictator fearing challenge from within, which is why they fear and loathe him. Barring the unforeseen, I would expect him in his rightful place at the helm of the nation within the next two elections at worst. Sooner if the global economy tanks again. It's a kind of delicious poetic justice that LKY himself sowed the seeds of his own party's downfall with his vindictive pursuit of a man who, like JBJ, refuses to bend the knee. That's what too much stick, not enough mercy buys you.
So much to look forward to in the next year or so, Gopalan. Be there with us too.
Glad to hear from you again. It will be a pity if you stop now. Your ranking from Alexa has risen tremendously from 10,000+ to 2096 as of today. Even surpass yoursdp.org.
Don't stop, man!
Welcome back Gopalan,
Good to have you back.
Are you sure your last post about your last post is not a hoax to the PAP who will love to see you go.
Anyway, we are Singapore-born, even if we have renounced our citizenship.
But no one, not even PAP govt or Singaporeans can call us traitors or quitters or disloyal or whatever BS they can think of.
Because to do so will only reflect on the pettiness of Singaporeans and it will make Singaporeans just about the only people in this world to turn its back on their own emigrated people. (OK, Malaysia celebrate the emigrated Malaysian Chinese with "Getting rid of trouble" party - Look at their country now, their 2020 vision look more sad than 1990)
Yes, that should be the way! Endure a little longer. :) At least not until you see these 2 events: i) The next GE ii) LKY's "That is it." Believe me, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I'm glad you are back even though you are not obliged to work for the benefit of Singaporeans anymore.
You can be quite funny sometimes.
Mohandas Karamchand Ghandhi, the scrawny Indian, took on the Colonial British, and excised them from India through non-violent means.
But, he had to go to South Africa first, before returning to India to fight the colonisers.
Pallichadath Gopalan Nair, this may be your destiny as well.
Through the Internet, based in California, USA, you can express your ideas and get people of Singapore out of the political stupor.
One day, when a democratic government comes to power in Singapore, they might let you return, and perhaps, regain your citizenship.
(Before all you apologists for the CCP start writing about the failure of India, remember today's China is built upon the blood of over 70 million people killed by Chairman Mao.)
Keep tormenting the dictator LKY, his effiminate son, and their cadre of department store dummies, aka scholars.
To Anonymous Mar 24, 1223,
Thank you but comparing me to the Mahatma is an honor for which I am unworthy. Also you got my name wrong. It is Gopalan Nair, not anything else.
But I do thank you for your appreciation.
don't stop, Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr.Chee, all singaporean
Don't stop untill PAP die....
Dear Brother G.P
Please go on, don't stop writting.
As you had said, Dr. S C Chee and all singaporean must continue untill PAP die............
Singaporean leaders have a history of taking the offensive against news organizations for language that would be legally protected — or even considered relatively innocuous — in the United States, threatening legal action or restricting the sales of publications.
“Nobody in most of the world would bat an eye about” such a piece, said Stuart D. Karle, a former general counsel of The Wall Street Journal, who has handled disputes with Singapore’s leadership but was not involved in this case. But in that country, he said, there is often “the presumption that there’s a hidden message” about nepotism or corruption in news coverage, and if that turns into a libel case, a news organization faces “a near-certainty of losing.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/business/media/25times.html?ref=business
Check out this photo
2 kangaroos and you know who.
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2359&Itemid=181
Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong is Lee Kuan Yew's son. In North Korea, Kim Il-sung's son Kim Jong-il commands party, army and country and waiting in the wings is his son Kim Jong-un.
Why we need you? A good example below.
The "144th" LEEported another libel case between the LEES (no surprise) and the media.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_506294.html
------------------------
Mar 25, 2010
IHT apology over article
By Zakir Hussain
THE International Herald Tribune (IHT) has apologised to three Singapore leaders for an article which implied that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong got his job on account of his father, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
The newspaper yesterday published an apology to PM Lee, MM Lee and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who was prime minister from 1990 to 2004. The apology ran online and in its op-ed pages.
The publisher, editor and author of the article have also agreed to pay damages of $60,000 to PM Lee, and $50,000 each to SM Goh and MM Lee, as well as legal costs, said Senior Counsel Davinder Singh of Drew and Napier, who represented the leaders.
The libellous article was published online and in the paper on Feb 15 and Feb 16 this year.
Titled All In The Family, it was written by IHT op-ed page contributor Philip Bowring, a Hong Kong-based journalist and former editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review.
He said that 'dynastic politics thrives across Asia', and that the list of countries with governments headed by the offspring or spouses of former leaders was striking. He cited, among others, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Japan and Singapore, and noted that 'Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong is Lee Kuan Yew's son'.
----------------------------
BUT THE POINT IS :-
the article in question only contains an analysis of dynastic politics in Asia, nowhere does it say or imply that nepotism played a role in the Lee family's – or any other family's -- political prominence in the region.
Also, this case is reminiscent of another in which the Financial Times apologized for a September 2007 article in which there appeared to be no libel. The article merely listed the names of Lee family members in high positions in the island nation.
Source: http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2359&Itemid=181
But under the LEEgime where LEEyers and LEEporters are locked in a unholy Trinity embrace, we know that anyone who get SUED/JAILED/BANKRUPTED are in fact telling the truth about LEE family.
So, we need you around to tell us about FACTS that the LEEgime trying to deny or you have suffered in vain.
IHT has done LEE a great job by admitting that the current PM is not Harry LEE's son. Oh Dear!
Gopalan Nair,please tell me how to migrate from Singapore to Malaysia and how to take the proceeds from selling the HDB flat.
And they thought this story would go away:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/25/new-york-times-pays-singa_n_512761.html
Interesting comment by opprobrious
"Seems like the dynasty has mastered the art of the shakedown."
wat a relief!! not only is blogging additive for the blogger, its addictive to bloggees (pple who read blogs) like myself
welcome back and keep the fire burning!!
A thoughtful comment by someone who grew up in Singapore:
I grew up there and it totally is a dynasty. Lee Hsien Loong is not a natural statesman, he just doesn't have the temperament for it. It's obvious when he gives a speech. He has none of his father's will to power. Without the name and connections and Dad's insistence this guy would never have gone into politics. HIs father still calls all the shots. He just isn't a very convincing leader and as soon as the old man dies I bet he will retire or lose an election or both. At any rate, he has always come across as a very sad and resigned individual. I feel sorry for him.
Just because they shook down the NYT doesn't make what times reported untrue.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/25/new-york-times-pays-singa_n_512761.html
Dear Gopalan,
As a continuation of my comments about LEE in "LEE GOT NO SON", Any Tom, Dick and Mary (except Harry LEE) can see how super sensitive the LEEs are, to the media coverage of them.
IHT,by admitting guilt to the article, simply reinforce the case of LEE not admitting that PINKY (a nick for his son) is not this son. Because IHT did not mention about any improper ascend of PINKY as the LEEgime's strongman-in-waiting. Conclusion:Senile LEE is getting stupid with all the suing.
Gopalan, your blog must have infuriated the hypersensitive LEEs so much that you ended up in jail.
SO ... DON'T GIVE UP YOUR BLOG. Americans love freedom fighters, America should be proud to have fostered you as their son. Singaporeans will thank you for your attempts in keeping the bastards honest. (to the extend that the bastards are taking legal actions against you)
REMEMBER, Singaporeans want to know more hidden skeletons in LEE mansion. If LEE himself cannot keep his mouth shut. Why should you? LEE is now a clown, you are still s lawyer.
MAY THIS BLOG RUN STRONG EVEN AFTER LEE KUAN YEW's DEATH. HIS SENTENCE FOR DESTROYING DEMOCRACTIC INSTITUTIONS IN SINGAPORE IS THAT HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REST IN PEACE BECAUSE OF BLOGS LIKE YOURS. IT IS HIS FAULT NOT YOURS.
Open letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
by
Secretary-General
Reporters Without Boders (RSF)
Paris
http://www.rsf.org/Open-letter-to-Prime-Minister-Lee
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