Singaporeans have only themseves to blame

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Horatius by Thomas Babington Macaulay:

"Then out spoke brave Horatius, the Captain of the Gate:
To every man upon this earth, death cometh soon or late;
And how can man die better than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his Gods,"

In the 1960s Singapore island had about 3 million or so people. It was a small island and you really cannot fit that many more people; remember it is 26 miles horizontal and 16 miles North to South. Already by then it was almost as crowded as Gaza, the most densely packed place in the world.

But then Singapore has a Lee Kuan Yew, who thinks he knows best and there is no need for consultation. Like a Superman of the comic books, he will don his superman costume and make Singapore into a Disneyland, and if anyone questioned him, throw him in jail, sue him and bankrupt him.

Remember in the 1970s you had a sizeable Indian population and a much larger fast growing Malay population. The rest of course were Chinese. You could say then that the people had a sense of belonging to the island; they had families and they faith in their island and sank roots there.

But Lee Kuan Yew the superman had other plans. Never mind the Constitution; he intended to remain in power forever. To facilitate his objective, he did away with the free press, criminalized speech and expression and civil protest, and began his vendetta against JB Jeyaretnam, and opposition politicians bankrupting them and throwing them in jail. And then he started island wide racial cleansing, denying jobs and career prospects to Malays and Indians in favor of ethnic Chinese. He began to promote bilingualism in the island, but bilingualism meant only English and Chinese Mandarin. Tamil and Malay languages were not within the Singapore definition of bilingualism.

Muslim Malays were asked to lower the volume of Nammaz prayers by the Moissan from the mosque, so that Chinese would not be offended. Muslims were forced to live next to pork eating Chinese in crowded apartment blocks thus having to comprise their religion. Last year an Indian family was ordered not to cook curry in their apartments as a result of complaints by recently arrived Chinese immigrants who did not like the aroma.

Today what we have is a Singapore with no constitutional rights, no minority rights, no race discrimination laws, no labor rights, no minimum wage laws, a fast disappearing Malay population which now stands at a mere 11% when in fact the island was a 100% Malay in earlier times. The reason for their fall in numbers is due to Lee Kuan Yew government openly violating the Constitution which mandated equal rights by bringing in thousands and thousands of Chinese immigrants to boost their numbers; a deliberate policy to decimate minorities. The Indian population is almost disappearing with no more than 7% or so. Very soon there will be none left.

Housing laws have been changed. Malays and Indians are no longer free to live wherever they want but only dispersed among the Chinese, thus dissipating them instead of concentrating them. The Chinese openly speak their Mandarin in front of Malays and Indians who are at loss of understanding. In government offices, Chinese workers speak to each other in Mandarin discussing about a Malay or Indian about his issues.

The island has a corrupt judiciary which willingly bends the law to please Lee Kuan Yew in his plan to destroy the opposition.

True, Lee Kuan Yew government is responsible for the pathetic state of affairs in that tiny island. But are not Singaporeans themselves to blame. Take the Malay leaders in the island. What were they doing all these years when slowly but surely, Lee has turned the island from a Malay one into a Chinese one today. Were they sleeping? What were the Indians doing when they were systematically discriminated and eliminated? Were they sleeping? And what were the responsible Chinese who knew this was wrong and could have done something. Were they sleeping too?

If the blame was to lie with Lee Kuan Yew, the blame lies equally with the Singaporeans who allowed this to happen to their country. It is no good saying that you were afraid and therefore can do nothing.

The Malays could have put up a fight but they did nothing. So did everyone else.

It reminds me of Hitler's rise in Nazi Germany. What did the Germans do when Hitler occupied Austria in 1938, then Czechoslovakia, then Poland? Nothing. And what did they do when he began murdering Jews? Nothing too. And then it was too late.

It is the same again with Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore. Unless and until Singaporeans themselves will stand up and say no more, Lee Kuan Yew and his family will walk over you and transform the tiny island into a terrible monster. Then, like Germany after Hitler, it will be too late too.

Lee Kuan Yew has only yesterday threatened that he is going to increase the population of tiny Singapore to 6.9 million by building even higher apartment blocks to stack his people like on a rack vertically skywards. The people are alarmed of course but not Jufrie, nor any other leader  is going to do anything about it, because they are all afraid.

I hope Malay leaders like Jufrie Mahmood who sits quietly and calmly with Chee Soon Juan biding his time in the SDP heed what I say. It is not enough merely to make occasional noises and sit back for decades. I am sure he realizes it too. He has already lost the Singapore that he and I knew.

Alas, I could even say, it is too late.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore. Just sit back and enjoy Lee Kuan Yew's brave new world

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The ability of tiny Singapore’s island’s Lee Kuan Yew who has run the place for the last half a century to shock, even longer than Fidel Castro, never fails to amaze us.

According to the latest report in their state controlled press, the Straits Times, the tiny island which is a mere 26 miles on the horizontal radial and mere 26 miles on the vertical, an island which can easily be traversed in less than an hour, and which already has 5 million people stacked up one on top of the other in high rise apartments, is going to have, according to the latest government edict another 2 million people by 2030, which will bring the population to 6.9 million!

See: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/5600-hectares-more-land-bigger-population-land-use-plan-20130131

Of course in any democracy, the wisdom of such a headlong rush to turn everyone in the tiny island into picked sardines, would be questioned and probably promptly shelved with the maker of such a ludicrous suggestion sent to the nearest mental asylum to have his head examined.

But not so in Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany nor in Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore. Their decisions are not open to question. They are above you and me. They run a one party state. They control thought with the entire island media in their hands. They control the courts and any criticism may land you in serious trouble. It is like this in Lee’s island; you listen to me or else; I am going to get in another 2.9 million foreigners and you have to take it whether you like it or not. What Lee says to his people is this; I know better than you and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

The fact that Singaporeans have had enough of them is already clearly evident on the ground. No one is having children and the birth rate is the lowest in the world. The brain drain is one of the highest in the world and a large segment of society is old and dying. And only yesterday, the opposition won a by election with a thumping majority.

But in their headlong rush to increase the GDP, they need more and more immigrants to pay taxes and start businesses. Any demographic expert would have said that such a drastic change in the character of the island with a small population can have devastating consequences. With an increasing proportion of the population which is foreign, 40% today, you are seeing all sorts of problems which the island never had. Foreigners bring their lifestyles and culture into the island upsetting that of native born Singaporeans. Today you see increasing levels of violence, burglary and theft which was not there before, caused mainly by foreigners who live in Singapore as if they were living in China or Bangladesh. This lowers societal standards and behavior and reduces it the level of the countries from which they come.

Already with the present population of 5 million in an already tiny island, you are seeing its effects. There is daily reports of trains overcrowding, and at some places like Raffles Place at rush hour, it is almost impossible to walk in the crowd.

I was at the subway station Raffles City in 2008 when I visited Singapore. Believe me, at the main concourse of the station underground between crossing lines, there were so many people; one simply couldn’t walk were you wanted. You could only go where the crowd was moving. I dread to think what would have happened if there was an emergency. I can assure you there will be a stampede with great loss of life.

But Singaporeans are either powerless to do anything to stop this or they are afraid. The island is governed by a select group of people by the Lee Kuan Yew government to run the show. As for the people, all they can do is just sit back and enjoy Lee Kuan Yew's brave new world or if their luck was bad, suffer under it. The average Singaporean is without much education, or independence of thought, which is what their one party state government wants. What they want is for people to do as they are told, while the few at the top will decide how you live.

They will build the skyscrapers, the parks and grounds and the shopping malls. They will decide either to give you privileges or none at all. They will tell you what you can say and what you cannot. They will guarantee that 6.9 million are able to live happily in an island the size of the size of a dot, and as for you, you have no choice but just accept it.

It is after all, Lee Kuan Yew's brave new world.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore politics, by invitation only

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On Saturday, Workers Party's Lee Li Lian, a 34 year old sales trainer won the by election at Punggol East. Dr. Koh Poh Koon of the ruling PAP, Lee Kuan Yew's party lost. There were 2 others who stood Kenneth Jeyaretnam who got just 353 votes and Desmond Lim who just got 153 votes in a constituency of 30,000 and are therefore obviously inconsequential.

But an observer from outside unaccustomed to Singapore’s unique politics would, if they saw these candidates, wonder why are they the only ones available in an island which boasts a first world economy and style.

One would also wonder at the caliber of the candidates as to why, the island only throws up people such as these. Are there no others more qualified leaders out there who care for their country?

And then it would slowly dawn on you that all this is just make believe. It is not really a first world country at all, but a mere tin pot one party dictatorship run by the Lee Kuan Yew family for the last 50 years.

The problem is this. Under the veneer of normalcy, Singapore is actually a one party state where there is an underlying blanket of fear throughout the island of ever challenging the ruling party with the past clearly in the minds of their citizens of defamation actions, criminal charges and victimization of anyone who dares to stand up to the dictatorship.

As for the ruling party, just as in Communist China's one party system, you have a long line of eager aspirants joining the ruling party in the hope of being recognized and given jobs at astronomical salaries and lucrative careers. The problem is not everyone wants to sell their souls this way and as a result the government itself scouts the island for young educated individuals to stand for public office.

For instance no one had ever heard of Dr. Hoh Poh Koon even just a few days ago, when the government suddenly thrust him to the media with notice that he is representing the ruling party at the polls. Since he has lost, perhaps we may never hear of him again. Lee Kuan Yew's politicians are, as you can see by invitation only.

As for Lee Li Lian of the Workers Party, she is just a Sales Trainer. She is not a lawyer, or highly educated professor of any sort, just a Sales Trainer at 34 years of age. Listening to her speaking, it is not impossible to mistake her for the salesgirl at the local supermarket.

So once again, not knowing Singapore, you may think is this all the sort of people that the opposition politics attracts. Is this the sum total of the first world country Singapore’s talent?

Obviously not. Of course there are highly qualified professors, lawyers and intellectuals out there. But they are all afraid to step up because such a step can be very serious to your health, your pocket and even your liberty. Why, because Lee may get you and lock you up or bankrupt you, there is no telling what can happen to you.

As far as Lee Kuan Yew's ruling political party, politics is by invitation only. As for opposition politics, only those who have the supreme courage of putting your head into a tiger's jaws will play.

Many who had in the past been charged, harassed and victimized like I have left the island and live in the West. Some have stayed behind for their personal reasons but still live in fear of what they will do to you. But those who have stayed behind by and large prefer to leave opposition politics alone except a few like this courageous 34 year old Sales Trainer Lee Li Lian.

Of course there is a steady stream of candidates for the government team but many are unsuitable for not having the necessary qualifications being mere opportunists.

This unfortunately is Singapore politics and these are their leaders in Lee Kuan Yew’s island of Singapore.

Although there could possibly one silver lining that comes out of these elections, it is I believe too little too late. It is a small island with 5 million of which half are foreigners. As such the place is a little too tiny and there is obviously insufficient talent. What is worse, out of this small number, Lee Kuan Yew has successfully chased out of his island, many like me who refused to be victimized and persecuted.

The hope is this victory for the Workers Party may embolden others who may come out of their shells and show a little backbone and courage and participate in the island’s future.  

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore Workers Party win at the Punggol East elections. Are they and Singaporeans working at cross purposes

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With the recent win by the opposition Workers Party at yesterday’s by election at Punggol East, this interesting question arises; are they and their voters working at cross purposes.

Watching the following video of their interview after their victory, their chief Low Thia Khaing and chairwoman Sylvia Lim keep repeating their purpose in contesting elections, which is to keep the ruling PAP in check and to enable them (the PAP) to provide a better government.

More than once they have described their purpose with the analogy of a driver and a front seat passenger in a car. If the driver(meaning the ruling party in government) doses off, they (the Workers Party) would knock him on the head to wake him up. More like an observer making sure the government does its job.

Please see the video below

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/87658.html

This role which they have adopted is not what parliamentary democracies around the world are accustomed to. Elsewhere, the opposition contests elections to replace the ruling party and assume leadership themselves. Whereas in Singapore, the Workers Party intend to do no such thing. They on the other hand are content to play a supporting role like a watchdog for the ruling party, hoping that Lee's PAP will continue to rule Singapore, I suppose forever. Therefore the question arises, are they an opposition party or are they working for the ruling government.

The Singapore voters on the other hand, watching the boisterous celebrations after the Workers Party win, I suspect are not content merely for the Workers Party to play a supportive role for the PAP; instead they have had it with them and want them out, completely. They, as can be expected anywhere else, want a change of government.

It appears, the Workers Party and the Singapore electorate are therefore working at cross purposes. To take an example from contract law, the situation is described as mutual mistake. I am guessing the facts of the actual case as I no longer remember the details. In a case in the 19th century, when there was no means for modern instant communication or travel as today, a buyer in England thought he was buying a horse, while the seller in another part of the world thought he was selling a cow, neither having seen the animal before they agreed. Finally at the time of performance, it was discovered that the subject of the sale was neither a horse nor or cow but a donkey! It appears the English judge hearing the case correctly dismissed it, on the ground of mutual mistake!

I fear in this Workers Party victory, we may also have a case of mutual mistake.

But on the whole, although I am not altogether happy with a Workers Party win, still I am very happy with the fact that Lee Kuan Yew's PAP lost. Although presently the Workers Party are functioning as if they were part of China's Communist Party where factions within it play a role of criticizing the government when the need arises, I expect, as time goes on, when more and more capable Singaporeans join them, they may slowly be forced to become a defender of the people and become more like a democracy as is generally understood.

I expect next time, more Workers Party would be elected and we will eventually see Lee’s PAP out, unless of course martial law is ordered.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore. Has Chee Soon Juan lost his way

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Chee Soon Juan is undoubtedly a very wise man as can be clearly seen from his blog Singapore Democrat. Please see the links below. He had a few days ago reported that his party the Singapore Democratic Party will not contest the elections at Punggol East so as to further the chances of the opposition being returned through the Workers Party and because he believes this is what the people want. Please see his interview with government reporters below.

http://yoursdp.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvejKA_3X4c

And here is what I wonder. Has Chee Soon Juan changed completely from what we knew of him even as recent as 2 years ago.

Remember, from as long as I have known him or known of him from as early as 2 decades ago, he was a firebrand. He was the only Singapore politician I had respected other than the late JB Jeyaretnam. He was the only man in the island who was prepared to call a rat, by that very name, I mean the Singapore dictator Lee Kuan Yew. And true to his principles of the fundamentals rights of man, the right to free speech and expression, the right to freedom of assembly, he was prepared to engage in peaceful protest just as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King would have done and be arrested for it, his idols and mentors. He was the only man who stood by his principles unlike anyone else, in the entire island.

Today, I would say he is a changed man. I understand that he no longer espouses civil disobedience as a future for the island's path to democracy. He does this, I believe, because his supporters feel that such political activism, given the submissive nature of the Singapore population, will not be conducive to their gaining popular support; and therefore he does what they want. In the video above, he says that in democracy, one has to listen to your people, and since the people feel that he should not contest, he therefore complies. And since the people think civil disobedience is not the answer, he complies.

I think this sort of thinking for a leader is wrong. This is not my understanding of leadership. Leadership means doing what you think is right regardless of what your people think, because in the end, the right and just case always succeeds.

On the other hand, comprising what you think for the expediency of satisfying the masses may result in success in politics, but that success would be standing on a weak foundation, on clay and mud, unstable and unreliable. What is worse, you would be going against your own beliefs, and after a point you wouldn’t be able to recognize yourself in the mirror.

And once you begin comprising, it leads to the slippery slope of even more compromises, eventually leading to losing your way completely. Chee's SDP website the Singapore Democrat shows a much larger and sophisticated support base from what it was before when he was taking to the streets. It would appear his supporters are all of the opinion that holding mass civil disobedience protests along Orchard Road calling for freedom and democracy is not the most prudent course of action in Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore; instead they would prefer to write blog posts and put up learned treaties on freedom and democracy on their web site.

You will see in the above video clip the Harvard Professor espousing the teachings of the American philosopher Rawls who says that freedom of speech, expression and assembly are demands which cannot be compromised, which people are entitled to have and demand, and if peaceful protests are necessary to attain it, it must be done. Here you see Chee speaking for these virtues, but he stops short of actually having the will to carry it out.

Chee no doubt believes that freedom of speech and expression are not merely rights which one should hope for; I believe that he too agrees that the people have the right to use all universally accepted legal means such as peaceful protests and assembly to force a government to comply. Why he stops short is because he thinks wrongly that a good leader is one that obeys his supporters even if he thought they were wrong.

I would ask Chee to think otherwise. By Chee making his decisions on merely what his supporters want, he ends up just like the other opposition politicians under Lee Kuan Yew's one party state like dogs chasing their tails till kingdom come without an iota of progress for half a century.

I ask Chee to get out of this comfort zone with his supporters. The right thing to do is to shake the very foundations of this illegal government of Lee Kuan Yew and demand, I say demand, a free society as required by the Constitution, through peaceful protests, mass civil disobedience or what ever. This path of action may result in his political party dismantling and descending into disarray but so be it. Who needs people such as that. Who need rabbits. What we need to happen is for the government to realize that they simply cannot go on suppressing people’s rights and that we will force a change. But if Chee is going to be surrounded by a bunch of collaborators who refuse to have the courage for the right thing, he would be chasing his tail like that dog until kingdom come.

If Chee is hoping to be another Low Thia Khaing and enter parliament through appeasement instead of principle, he should not be wasting time showing videos of Harvard Professors speaking about Gandhian principles because it would be simply hypocrisy to claim a certain set of beliefs but not have the courage to walk that path.

Finally I must say that Chee Soon Juan has done a lot for his country and his people and undoubtedly deserves credit, no doubt. We all respect him. But I only hope he sees my argument and now embark on a course of change for Singapore, with or without his supporters.

I want to see the Chee Soon Juan I knew. The fighter. Not someone who has descended into a placatory enabler.  

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Believe it or not, this is how they speak English in Singapore

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please see video link below.

Believe me; I am not being insensitive by using this video to point out how bad Singaporean English is. The video is about a young woman motorcyclist involved in a traffic accident in the island a few days ago as a result of which she suffered serious injuries. We are all sorry for what she has undergone and surely hope for her full recovery very very soon. No one would want anything but that.

The video reports that she is a trainee teacher and would soon start teaching young children in Singapore. She believes I am sure, and her fellow Singaporeans believe it too, that the language she is speaking is supposedly English. Although it may be intelligible to others in the island who speaks that way, what I would like to know is whether anyone else in any other part of the world would even in their wildest imagination think that the language being used is English.

And being a soon to be teacher, can you imagine the harm that will be done to her students, or shall I say her victims, who would leave her class thinking that they too are speaking English.

The English language proficiency in that island is atrocious. It has not always been so. It can be best described as a cross between Hokkien Chinese, a sing song tonal language and English, resulting in the English being totally unintelligible.

The problem is anyone who had any brains have all left the island and are living in the West, in Australia, the Americas and elsewhere. The ones left behind, such as this sorrowful woman, sorrowful in more ways than one in this case, are the product of those left behind, who are either incapable or reluctant to leave Lee Kuan Yew's one party police state. Not having any interaction with anyone from elsewhere, they end up speaking this way like a frog in a well which has never seen the rest of the world; thinking erroneously out of no fault of their own that what they are uttering is in fact English.  

And can you imagine, Singapore tries to attract large numbers of foreign students from the neighboring Asian countries to study English in Singapore. If this is how they will speak English after their stint in the island, I would demand that the authorities be criminally charged for cheating and fraud since whatever language they are being taught, it is certainly not English.

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/road-accident-video-goes-viral-20130121&

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore's demand that I obtain permission to visit the island hurts

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me be frank. I miss Singapore. Don't get me wrong. I did not mean I want to live in Singapore. But it is good to visit the island once in a while. I like to take a walk along Exeter Road where I was born and spent my childhood, Winstedt School (which no longer exists) in Newton next to Monks Hill School, Orchard Road from the junction of Grange Road and towards Tanglin where I spent my young days playing, fighting and doing things other boys do.

During the past years I had visited almost every year, sometimes twice a year. I still have friends who lived in Somerset Road just behind my house in Exeter Road, with whom I had fun visiting.

In my last visit in 2008 which undoubtedly angered the Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew, I was deported and now cannot enter even with my US passport unless I have a visa.

Requesting a visa is itself problematic. Even if they did give me one, there is no guarantee that I won't be arrested again in Singapore for having continued to write against the denial of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms in the island. Moreover I have not paid them the costs of my contempt of court case in Singapore and the costs of the disciplinary case against me for questioning the Attorney General of Singapore in 1998, all trumped up charges by a kangaroo court, no less.

But however long I am kept away from Singapore; I shall not stop writing this blog and shall not stop attacking the dictatorial one party police state of Singapore until it changes. If the price for my troubles is the inability to visit my country of birth because the island's tin pot tyrant doesn't like me, then so be it. It is a price I am willing to pay, although it hurts.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore's desperate measures to increase childbirth and it's unintended consequences

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With the fast falling birth rates in tiny Singapore Island where the local born population is not more than about 2.5 million, with one of the lowest rates in the world of only about 1.2, which means if things are left as they are, in a few decades there won't be any local born left, the government is now descended to greasing the palms with all sorts of insignificant crumbs for having children. Unfortunately, it appears a case of too little too late. Not just that, the policy as it is, will have far damaging unintended consequences.

Please see the following reports in their state controlled newspaper Straits Times
http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/population-paper/story/government-releases-new-measures-promote-marriage-and-parenthoo

http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/population-paper/story/singapore-aims-total-fertility-rate-14-or-15-128-dpm-teo-201301

http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/population-paper/story/one-week-government-paid-paternity-leave-20130121

http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/population-paper/story/young-families-moved-front-bto-queue-20130121

The government will pay about $6,000 Singapore for the first 2 births not in a lump sum but over a period of time in tiny installments and a slightly larger figure for the next 2 children; they will have just one miserable week of paid leave after having the child; and young families will be given preference on wait times for government housing.

For one thing, adults who are sufficiently well off and who have refused to have children for reasons such as the island’s authoritarian system of government, will not have them for these measly sums. Children cost much more than a few thousand dollars paid in tit bits over a long period of time.

On the other hand, instead of attracting the younger qualified and skilled middle income Singaporeans with good jobs, it may attract the low income people who have no idea what this means and who may do it just for the money. And since very probably they are already suffering some form of financial hardship, they would fall even further into difficulty given the fact that Singapore has simply no welfare of any sort.

The other problem is that it may attract the wrong kind of Singaporean entirely. Lee Kuan Yew has made no secret of the fact that he wants Singapore to be an ethnic Chinese island, which explains the fact that he has allowed hundreds and thousands of Chinese from China to indiscriminately immigrate whilst not allowing the other races. As a result of this sustained racial cleansing, the ethic Chinese population in the island has grown to nearly 79% with the Malays a mere 10% and the Indians, an endangered species there, to a mere 8% or so.

Of all three races, he particularly dislikes the Malays and would have hoped that all of them dropped dead the next minute. Why he still allows them to remain is to fill the low paid jobs that others dislike which require very little thought process or judgment, like low level police officers, peons and security guards; just as the Arabs in Jewish Israel.  

But what happens, Heavens forbid, if the Malays who are at the lower rung of the social ladder decide to take up the offer and have more babies, a nightmare for Lee Kuan Yew. Lee may be faced with his nightmare of the Malay population increasing at an even  faster rate than the Chinese, which it already is, with its concomitant problems of a strain on their financial situation, difficult as it already is.

The only way Lee can manage the eugenics is by announcing firstly that they would only go to ethnic Chinese children, only to those with graduate degrees, and thirdly the incentive should increase from the measly $6,000 Singapore, for a child to $600,000.00. Then perhaps they may take the bait, but then again, what guarantee is there that they will not take the money and emigrate to sunny California the next minute.

And if Lee Kuan Yew did in fact do that, he would be named the latest Singaporean Hitler going for his supreme race, not Aryan but Chinese. That would make Singapore one real Chow Mein don't you think?

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew 91 is missing presumed bedridden or dying.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed an unusual silence. What, with national by elections at Punggol East, an important political event, now being held in his Singapore Island which the 91 year old Lee Kuan Yew has treated as if it belonged to him since 1959, now, especially now at election time, he is nowhere to be seen. This is surely alarming to anyone who has a stake in that island. Also, surely his people have a right to be told if he is bedridden, dying or already dead.

Dictatorships all over the world have a natural tendency to go into chaos and upheaval once the dictator is gone. If everything depends on one man and the man is dead, there is nothing to hold the island together.

The likelihood of calamity in this instance is especially magnified in a tiny city state with just 2.5 million local born and highly dependent on foreign investments. Foreign investors invest in countries because they can make a profit through cheap labor, stability and a submissive workforce. All this will go down the chute once the dictator dies as investments flow out, foreign workers leave and the local born population migrates abroad.

If indeed Lee Kuan Yew is dying, this fact is indeed being kept out of the public because they fear a calamity. People should demand answers from this government on the state of health of the Singapore dictator because otherwise it may be too late and they may be left holding the baby.

It would have been very easy for Lee Kuan Yew, 91, who is credited with all sorts of praise by both locals and foreigners who have no real idea of Singapore’s history, and a person who actually holds official office as Minister Mentor, whatever that means, and paid $3.7 million for it, to at least show his face at these By Elections beside his candidate but he has simply refused to do it.

And by the way, you might also want to ask whether it is indeed not a waste of tax payer’s money to be paying a bedridden and dying Minister Mentor who has not mentored anyone for a very long time through presumably incapacity incontinence acute constipation or all three, we do not know.  

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel 510 491 4375

Singapore Punggol By Elections. Opposition fails to see the wood from the trees

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Punggol Constituency in Singapore now has it's by elections being held. There are two real opponents, Lee Kuan Yew's PAP the ruling party and the credible Workers Party as well as two time wasters, Kenneth Jeyaretnam of the Reform Party and the Desmond Lim of the Singapore Democratic Party are contesting.

But unfortunately for them as it has been the problem with opposition political parties in the island throughout its history is this, they fail to see the wood from the trees.

Singapore although it pretends to be a democracy with a Constitution, Lee Kuan Yew has broken every single fundamental right enshrined in it, with total impunity and indifference. There is no freedom of speech, freedom of expression, right to assembly, freedom of the press or the rule of law. The courts instead of upholding the Constitution, instead willingly violate it to favor Lee Kuan Yew and his government. Any single criticism by anyone on any of this faces a real threat of criminal prosecution, jail, fines, million dollar defamation awards and bankruptcy through these corrupt courts. And even if they do not charge you with any offence, even the threat of it is sufficient to send a chill down the spine of anyone believing himself to be a free man.

Unless and until the opposition addresses this question first, which is the restoration of the rights of the individual under the Constitution, there can be no democracy whatsoever, since as matters stand with the government having omnipotent powers, any allowance given with one hand can be taken away with the other.

In effect, the opposition will forever be like a dog chasing its own tail, going round and round but never ever solving anything.

The government on its part appears not to care what anyone thinks. They are determined to do whatever they want which amounts to paying each Minister millions of dollars amounting to no less than five times the salary of the President of the United States. And they are prepared to go on denying their citizen's every single right in the Constitution.

In the last 2 days political rallies, the opposition has expectedly spoken of high cost of living, high cost of housing and high cost of medical treatment. But not one, not a single one of them has spoken of the real demands of the people, which is the restoration of the Constitution to them. And unless and until the opposition demands this, Singaporeans will forever be slaves of Lee Kuan Yew and his party as they are now.

And the opposition should not stop at merely demanding it. If Lee Kuan Yew refuses to do what has to be done, which is to give the people their rights under the Constitution, they should go on strike, hold protests, hold demonstrations, carry out civil disobedience and not stop until their just demands under the Constitution are met. Only them, when Lee Kuan Yew and his ruling party have restored the rights of the common man, should the demand of any of these things that the opposition has been speaking of these last 2 days be addressed.

As we know that Lee Kuan Yew and his PAP government would never allow the people their rights under the Constitution, because they know that once the people have been empowered, their grip on power in the island would promptly come to an end.

What Singapore needs if ever its people want to be free is not elections. It needs a revolution.  

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore. Where is our 91 year old island strongman Lee Kuan Yew

Ladies and Gentlemen,

No one should think erroneously that I have any ill will against him, but we haven't seen him for some time. I am of course talking about Lee Kuan Yew who is omnipresent like Big Brother over everything and everyone in the island every time. Now, since By Elections have been called at Punggol East, surely he would have made a presence, if his past behavior of being at the thick of anything even remotely important in the island is anything to go by. It seems however no one has seen him.

Given the fact that anyone who is 91 is not expected to be everywhere every time, like a 30 year old could, but I must say, in the case of this 91 year old, his complete absence from the scene entirely is somewhat unexpected. Why because he has too high an opinion of himself, like a delusion and megalomania, and his normal behavior should have been to oversee the entire by elections.

Although I have no real evidence, I have been told that the old dictator is in lying sick in bed in his house in Oxley Road Singapore. Whether this is true, his actual condition and whether it is serious or not, I cannot say.

But given the fact that no one has seen him for some time now, his absence appears especially glaring at this time of the Singapore Island By Elections at Punggol East.

As I have always said here, the passing of Lee Kuan Yew who is 91 years old now, regardless of when it happens today or years from now, will cause some serious upheaval to the political and social climate of that island. His son, whom he has placed as Prime Minister is not in my view capable of holding together this small tiny island with only 2.5 million local born and another 2.5 million foreigners. I predict, on Lee’s death, you are going to see a drain of capital and assets overseas, a flood of both locals and foreigners leaving for settlement abroad and a complete collapse of the local stock market, an upheaval serious enough that will prevent the economy from a quick recovery.  

Unless the old tin pot tyrant of 91 makes some sort of appearance in public very soon, the people of that island may want to seriously consider what their plan B is going to be, once he dies and the island goes into a irrecoverable tailspin with both wings stalled.

I don't want you to say that I didn't tell you so.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore Punggol East By Elections. Kenneth Jeyaretnam should get out

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Kenneth Jeyaretnam, of the Reform Party should get out of the Punggol By Elections race right now. He is doing the cause of democracy in Singapore Island a grave injustice. He is either being deliberately obstructionist or he is downright ignorant about politics I don't know which.

Today with the PAP's strong grip over the island with their authoritarian rule, the opposition already has to face an almost impossible task of winning any elections. With a small population and electorate, and the overwhelming advantage that Lee Kuan Yew and his PAP has, every Singaporean wanting any reasonable change should be throwing everything they have behind any opposition party that has a chance of winning. It does not matter now which party.

The only party that has such a chance in this By Election is the Workers Party. Even though it may not be the best choice of everyone, still the Workers Party is better than no opposition at all.

Kenneth Jeyaretanm is being deliberately difficult when he justifies his reason for contesting for giving the people a choice. He says there may be some in the island that may prefer him and therefore he is determined to contest. Surely any responsible honest candidate not only takes into consideration the choice of the voters but also the likelihood of the opposition being defeated because of his contest.

There is a real danger with a small electorate such as this of the few votes going to Kenneth Jeyaretnam resulting in the PAP succeeding in winning the majority by a slim margin.

Jeyaretanm knows that if he has any support in the island today, it is minuscule. He also knows that he has no chance at all of defeating the PAP while the Workers Party because of their experience and track record is a far superior party than his and has widespread support on the ground.

Jeyaretnam is not only being obstructionist, he is also outright irresponsible and down right dishonest.

Although I would not go to the extent of threatening him or his family with death, I would urge every single Singaporean who cares for freedom to bombard him with Emails, telephone calls and personal remarks to tell him in no uncertain terms that he is irresponsible and he should get out right now. If he persists, I don't think he will have any credibility left in Singapore’s politics ever in the future.

See a video of his: http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/87114.html
http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/87084.html

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore Punggol By Elections, Kenneth Jeyaretnam spoils opposition chances

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The latest tally for the coming Punggol By elections shows a 4 party contest, 2 heavy weights and 2 nonsensical characters. The heavy weights: Lee's minion who will very likely win since after all it is Lee Kuan Yew's island anyway and the other heavy weight is the Workers Party's representative, a woman.

She too stands an excellent chance since they are what Lee once described as their "responsible" opposition. What this means in Singaporean parlance is this, they are opposition but at the same time they are not.

In other words they will give the impression they are an opposition but at the same time, make no efforts to mount any real threat to our Lee Kuan Yew. So she has a good chance of winning since a vote for her is almost like a vote for the Lee's PAP anyway.

All this I understand. But what I don't understand is what in Heaven's is Kenneth Jeyaretnam doing there anyway. He knows he has not the slightest chance in the world of succeeding. No one knows him anyway, although they knew his father. But he is nothing compared to his father. He has done nothing. He has nothing in common with the people and the people owe him nothing at all.

To top it all, he doesn't make sense. Please see this video http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/87054.html

When asked why he is entering the fray when he knows he hasn't a chance in the world, he says in the West 18 parties have contested state elections. What he apparently doesn't appear to know that in such countries there is proportional representation, not first past the post as in Singapore.

In the US there are only 2 parties contesting with some minor ones which make no difference to the outcome in a large populous country. In a small island like Singapore, parties who know they have no chance in the world should not be contesting as this would drastically affect the chances of the others.

In fact someone should go up to Kenneth and explain to him that he has no chance, not now, or in the next 20 years of ever getting anywhere. Lee has, unlike his treatment of his father who had some substance, completely ignored him. I am not surprised. He appears to think that simply by going house to house and speaking English to the residents of Punggol East to solicit votes is the way it is done. He is simply wasting his time and money, which would have been much better spent in paying a political advisor with some grey matter up there to tell him what Singapore politics actually is.

The other spoiler who has no chance in the world is Desmond Lim of the unknown Singapore Democratic Alliance. In his case he is probably a paid government agent deliberately deployed to break up the votes to ensure either a Workers Party or PAP victory. Just look at his total lack of the English Language or an ability to articulate himself. This is the pathetic sort of opposition candidates you have in Lee's first world Singapore. I see no hope at all.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore Punggol By Elections. Opposition Indians and Malays are wasting their time.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Some opposition parties have indicated they may field Indian and Malay candidates in the impending by elections at Punggol Singapore.

As much as I would hope their success, I would suggest they descend into reality from the dreamy clouds they seem to be in.

Singapore is today primarily a Chinese island, many of whom do not even understand English, let alone the highfalutin type you would appear to use in their political speeches. It is not possible to give a political speech any other way. In the end none of them would understand a word and even if they did, why should they vote for someone with whom they have no affinity whatsoever.

If you did not know, Lee Kuan Yew has successfully separated the supposedly multi racial island into ethnic Chinese people and few others. If anyone is trying to suggest I am wrong by the JB Jeyaretnam example in 1981, when he, a non Chinese won, let me say the circumstances were vey different. In 1981, Lee did not have time enough to divide the island into clear segregated racial quarters as he has done by 2013.

For Malays and Indians aspiring for politics in Lee's island, let me say this, it is too late pal. For too long the Malays and Indians have stood idly by while Lee continued to entrench Chinese superiority in the island in every way possible and literally decimate the few Malays and Indians left.

The Malays and Indians in the island are going to be just a curiosity, no more than that. This is what happens when you stand by and do nothing while a tyrant runs over you.

Opposition parties should not waste their chances by fielding a non Chinese. It is already a mission impossible as it is, why make it worse?

If Malays and Indians in the island want to bring about democracy in the island, they should have the courage to do it. Form associations without any registration as the government requires, along racial lines to pressure the government for ethnic rights, through civil disobedience, protests and demonstrations. Others wanting democratic change in the island should do the same by demanding their fundamental rights which they are denied.

I am not a racist wanting to usurp my rights over others. We are all brothers in the end, but the reality on the ground, deliberately cultivated over the years has separated and distanced the races. It is not the fault of any Singaporean Chinese but that solely of the Lee Kuan Yew administration which sees profit in the division.

You want the world to know you have a grievance and the only way you do that is by protesting, sit downs, strikes, protests and demonstrations. The world is presently not aware that Singaporeans have any grievances. Why, because you don't seem to want any change.

My advice to opposition political parties contesting in the Punggol East by elections. Don't field Malay and Indian candidates if you want to win. Your chances are already bad as it is. Use your head.

Especially important, don't try your Oxbridge English at the Punggol East Noodle House among the Chinese noodle hawkers. Believe me, they don't understand a word. They may even think you are insulting them and pour boiling oil over you and set you alight!

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore's Punggol East By Elections, an inept fragmented irresponsible opposition

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A brief background on Singapore. It is a tiny island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula.

It is just 26 miles on the horizontal radial and 16 miles on the north south radial.

In it live no less than 5 million people, half of whom are recently arrived foreigners mainly Chinese as a result of the one party government's massive immigration policy, because of the huge brain drain from the island, extremely low birth rate and a dying older generation.  

For such a tiny island with such a tiny population, one would have thought that a mere handful of political representatives would have been sufficient but not in Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore.

By the way Lee Kuan Yew has been single handedly or through his family running the place as if it was his own since 1959.

This he has managed through silencing his opponents through his well known defamation law suits before his compliant judges, contempt of court and other criminal charges.

As a result the island has been effectively de-politicized.

By and large anyone who is interested in a political career would choose to do it by joining Lee Kuan Yew's party, the PAP, just as in the former Soviet Union, you would have joined the Communist Party.

Only a fool or a diehard martyr, like the late JB Jeyaretnam or today’s Chee Soon Juan would be willing to embark on such a suicidal purpose as to challenge Lee.

JB Jeyaretnam had been repeatedly sued and bankrupted and effectively branded a criminal and removed.

So was the fate of Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party but the ultimate fighter that he is, he hasn't given up and his party will be contesting the coming by elections.

Workers Party is one of the opposition parties contesting. It is a red herring of sorts.

At this moment, we are not sure if whether they are the genuine product or are they merely a front for the PAP.

Since they had won the Hougang Constituency about a decade ago and last year the Aljunied GRC in 2011, they have 6 members in Parliament.

But the question is whether they have done any good regardless of whether they have 6 or 16.

For the last decade or so since their leader Low Thia Khiang has got into Parliament, the cause of freedom and democracy in the island has not progressed one inch.

Day in and day out, during parliamentary sessions, you can see him making fiery speeches which are fully televised.

But that is all that happens, just speeches.

He doesn't see the need; it appears, to really make any change at all.

In fact since he has got into Parliament, the Lee Kuan Yew government has become more repressive, not less.

Today even a single peaceful protestor can be thrown in jail without more.

Which is why many like me question the bona fides of this man.

It seems to me that he is there on a private handshake with the dictator Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee must have realized that if indeed the people are going to be so silly as to vote for an opposition, and then why not give them a fake one.

This way, Low Thia Khiang and his men are safe from defamation lawsuits, prison time and bankruptcy while they sit comfortably in Parliament while Lee is secure in knowing that his seat is not under threat.

Remember, Low nor anyone in his party has ever been sued for defamation of character unlike JB Jeyaretnam or Chee Soon Juan.

A word on Low Thia Khiang personally.

I know him.

I was in his party from 1984 until my departure from Singapore in 1991.

He was second to JB Jeyaretnam who was then Secretary General.

JB Jeyaretnam needed him and relied on him for obvious reasons.

JB Jeyaretnam was not Chinese and Singaporeans by and large didn't understand a word he said, they being Chinese.

So Low came in handy.

Low is Chinese educated, very much influenced by the politics of Communist China.

He has no idea of the Western sense of Parliamentary democracy.

He considers himself some sort of a champion of his people helping them from the injustices of the Emperor, so to speak.

His main concern in speaking up for the poor for better services.

He has no idea of such things as human rights, the right to free speech, expression and assembly, the bedrock of the European or Western philosophy of democracy upon which most developed countries depend.

Low's approach to politics is no different from what you see in Communist China today where a local community leader pushes the Chinese Communist government for better treatment for his people.

Just as in China today, no one is trying to unseat the Communist Party; they are only trying to get better treatment.

Similarly Low Thia Khiang has no interest in unseating Lee Kuan Yew.

He is only there to argue for cheaper bus fares, lower prices for food and cheaper electricity.

But even in this he stops short of just making speeches.

It never crosses his mind to take the next step and order a peaceful protest outside the palace of Lee Kuan Yew's son.

He does not seem to appreciate that before anything, you must first empower the people.

If they remain slaves, they would perpetually have to be begging for crumbs from the government, as he does now.

Then we have the Singapore Democratic Party, and their leader Chee Soon Juan.

He realizes, no doubt, that parliamentary elections in Singapore cannot do much.

Lee has made sure that for such a tiny island, it has no less than 87 Members of Parliament of which 81 are his minions.

There is no way that this by election with one seat or even a full general election would result in a change of government.

In the past, Chee, the most knowledgeable among the opposition, had held peaceful protests for which he had been repeatedly arrested and jailed.

Now, he has given that up entirely.

I believe his party members have convinced him against it.

I think that was a big mistake.

Lee by his own admission has said that he has engineered a political system in the island where he simply cannot fail.

It is like this.

There is no independent press.

He controls the media.

He appoints judges and makes them obey him.

He criminalizes free speech, expression and assembly.

Every single Singaporean lives in an apartment owned by his government.

Almost three fourths of Singapore companies are owned by his government.

This means literally the entire livelihood of a Singaporean depends on him and his government.

With the wide network of secret agents, every move of a Singaporean is monitored and kept under surveillance.

In such circumstances, it is almost impossible for any Singaporean to vote for an opposition candidate.

Opposition candidates are by and large of poor quality, lacking an education, lacking leadership and lacking the English language. Understandably so.

When the risks of arrest, harassment and victimization are so great, you have literally to be a martyr to enter the fray.

For instance, I left the island in 1991, not wanting to be another Nelson Mandela.

And to make matters worse, there is no co-operation among them.

Chee of the Singapore Democratic Party had approached the Workers Party for a joint effort so as to avoid multi party contest.

He has been rebuffed.

There is the Reform Party with JB Jeyaretanm's son who has also tried to approach Workers Party. Same result.

As for the SDP and the Reform Party, other than writing articles in their respective blogs, they do nothing else.

Since they are not allowed to run mainstream papers and are in constant fear of being sued for defamation, most Singaporeans never hear of their policies if they have any, since Singaporeans are by and large not interested in what they say anyway.

In any case, even if they had something interesting to say, it is still useless since they cannot do anything for the people.

The reins are still firmly in Lee's hands.

As if this is not bad enough, another party Singapore Democratic Alliance has said they too will contest.

As if that is not bad enough, 2 independents, one Zeng Guoyang, a person generally believed to be of unsound mind and 70 year old Ooi Boon Kwei, some sort of a comedian who breaks into song at every opportunity have also indicated they will contest.

I, as well as many, have no doubt that these are Lee's plants, intended to split the vote to make sure that the opposition have no chance in the world. 

Democracy has no chance whatsoever in this case.

With the Workers Party being a PAP agent, it would make no difference if the Workers Party won, since a vote for them is as good as a vote for the PAP.

As for the Chee's SDP, Reform Party or any of the others there is simply no chance in the world.

In fact I believe that the Singapore Democratic Alliance as well as the 2 clowns who are standing as independents are serving the PAP in this exercise as pretenders masquerading as opposition. 

And the electorate too is no help.

By and large they are an ignorant lot who have no idea what democracy means.

Of course there were many highly educated and politicized but they have mostly emigrated abroad not wanting to live in Lee's one party dictatorship.

The educated discerning responsible Singaporeans live in Sydney, Melbourne and the other capitals of the free world.

The ones left behind are by and large ignorant or are those who derive their livelihoods serving the Lee Kuan Yew administration.

It is unlikely they would want any real change in the style of government.

Although in the last general election, the Low's Workers Party won some seats, we know that does no good at all.

It only serves to perpetuate the Lee Kuan Yew administration. 

What is going to happen is a 5 cornered fight, with a powerful PAP on one side and a fractured irresponsible opposition on the other.

The cause for democracy has no hope whatsoever.

On the one hand you have not only a disunited opposition and what is worse, an opposition which actually is serving the PAP.

There is simply no hope for the opposition the way they are going

What needs to be done is first to empower the people.

And for that you need a catalyst.

And that is peaceful protest.

Even a one man protest will encourage others to join.

A trickle will become a flood.

And when the government uses force to subdue peaceful protestors that is when you see the seeds of democracy being sown.

That is when you will see true opposition leaders sprouting.

Not some of these disunited ignorant clowns that you see in today’s Singaporean political opposition.

Please see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1247073/1/.html 

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC130114-0000034/5-cornered-fight-shaping-up-in-by-election

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw78KoIf-xo

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singaporeans, questionable moral fibre

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singapore is a tiny island which is just 26 miles on the horizontal radial and 16 miles on the vertical at the tip of the Malay Archipelago.

Unless the map is magnified, you are not even going to see it; it is that tiny.

And in this island is packed no less that 5 million people, of which only 2.5 million are local born, a declining number and the other 2.5 million are temporary workers mainly from Communist China.

The local population continues to decline because the island has the lowest reproduction rate in the world, the largest emigration rate in the world and a huge elderly population which is not being replaced by local childbirth.

Today’s Straits Times, one of many newspapers in the island, all of whom are state controlled has the report of the trial of a college professor who had sold good grades to his student in exchange for sex and gifts. See report http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/law-professor-applies-documents-containing-grades-other-nus-students-2

In parallel, there are several other similar cases of Lee Kuan Yew government people having corruptly received sex and money in exchange for state contracts. There are far too many of these and the reader is invited to check them out.

Earlier there was large numbers of arrests of people engaging in pedophilia with teenage prostitutes across the island. They were all given a mere slap on the wrist, jail terms of no more than a week in most cases and let off.

According to reports, the island has a bustling burgeoning sex trade with a whole area set aside of several square miles, known as Geylang, in an already land starved tiny island.

The prostitution is so well organized and state sanctioned with specific streets designated to certain nationalities.

For example if you wanted the ubiquitous Chinese mainland woman, you would go to Street one.

For a Filipina, Street two and so on.

There are Sri Lankans, Indians, even Ukrainians if you prefer.

They are all allowed to enter Singapore with Visit Visas, although the Lee government is fully aware they are not going do any visiting, a wink and a nod and off they go to Geylang to get undressed the next minute!

All this happens well within the midst of families with children in the nearby housing estate blocks in the crowded jam packed tiny island; children who have no choice but to pass the streets lined with these women of pleasure daily on their way to school!

Now tell me, what sort of adults these children will grow up to!

I am not surprised why an increasing percentage of Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew's government minions have no qualms to resort to such behavior.

Mind you the woman involved in the sex for grades case, was actually studying law and is now working as a lawyer!

Can you imagine what sort of lawyer that would that be?  

And mind you, their  state controlled Singapore Bar has taken no action to discipline her, as if it is perfectly all right in that island for a lawyer to have got a license through sleeping with her professor.

This is where the problem lies.

As Lee Kuan Yew demands as a requirement to live in his island, total submission to his rules, or else defamation actions and arrests; good people with some character and mettle, would find it impossible to reconcile such an existence with their conscience.

So they do what they have to do, and emigrate to live away from an island which has no free press, no rule of law and a corrupt administration.

They are no longer in Singapore; they have moved just as I did in 1991.

What you have left are people without character, like someone who would not consider it out of the ordinary to sleep with a professor for grades.

And since the rest of the citizenry there are not much different, since they don't mind living under the rule of Lee Kuan Yew, they don't see anything much wrong with such disgusting behavior either.  

Singapore is on the whole a society which doesn’t treat prostitution in the same way as in other more respectable societies.

You find even local Singaporean girls making money on the side by the euphemistic term "part time work" and by and large their parents don't frown upon this too much either.

In fact, you would be surprised to know that every Singapore brothel has an alter with Chinese deities with lighted joss sticks for prayer!

It seems the pimp and the brothel owner both expect God's grace for their prostitution business!

I wonder what sort of God is that!

And then you have thousands and thousands of native Singaporeans with no care in the world but one, to pass school exams and serve the Lee Kuan Yew government for the rest of their lives.

They are even incapable of questions such as the laws they have to live under, and fundamental human rights and other such ideals which never cross their minds.

Countries such as Lee Kuan Yew's dictatorships all suffer from the same unavoidable consequences, that is, the people who are able to think, leave and the dummies and blind followers stay behind.

What this does is to continuously weaken the quality of their citizens, to a people who know only how to be led, and completely incapable of leading.

Just as James Bond once said to a beautiful Specter agent in a car in the movie Dr. No, “some people like to drive, and some people like to be taken for a ride”.

Of course the island's state controlled newspapers only have non stop flowing good news and praises for themselves, but that is all they can do for now; but for how long more, we cannot say.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore. Two forces that will topple the Lee Kuan Yew government; the Internet and rain

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Firstly let’s take the Internet. Lee Kuan Yew is delusionary if he thought he can get away much longer the way he represses his people. He appears incapable of understanding that the Internet is like a malignant tumor. Once it begins to spread, there is no holding it back.

In order to rule, I believe, one has to have the respect of the people. Surely that is understood. But in Singapore, he pays himself and each of his family $3.7 million a year. This is theft. He denies his people the right to free speech and human rights. He allows foreigners unlimited immigration to the island, lower wages and deny locals jobs. He abuses the law to punish detractors, jails and bankrupts them. He denies a free press and has instead propaganda through his state controlled media.

Any human being living under such conditions is not going to respect their government. How do you respect thieves as your leaders who would sue you and bankrupt you if you complain? They would hate it. There is no justice in such a system. No one can be expected to respect, obey and co-operate with such an unjust government.

Lee Kuan Yew has said that "if people did not fear him, he is nothing". Where does he think he is living, in Machiavelli's 1513 Italy!

And to make matters worse for him, of all languages, English is taught in the island, making emigration for those who want to leave that much more easily.

And daily the Internet, including this blog Singapore Dissident, is repeatedly reminding Singaporeans of their miserable lives under this dictator; which he is unable to stop. And throughout the island, except for those at the top who trade their souls for money to work for him for astronomical salaries, everyone else is simply miserable.

The unhappiness on the ground is already being manifested daily. The emigration rate continue to mount, with thousands of skilled people leaving the shores for the West; the birth rate has dropped to almost zero which means no babies are being born and the large segment of old folks are just dying.

The Lee government tries to control the damage by increasingly appointing more and more people to senior positions at astronomical salaries in an attempt to retain their support. But the island simply cannot afford to dish out these huge salaries to buy their allegiance indefinitely. They also need the middle management and workers. As for middle management and professionals, doctors, lawyers and engineers who are not affiliated with the top elites have no incentive to serve this dictatorship. Why should they when it is nothing but a corrupt uncaring administration.

As for the workers at the bottom of the rung, they could bring in as they do now, unlimited numbers of Chinese, Indian and Bangladesh construction workers. But what this means is that as time goes on, the island workforce will have fewer and fewer Singapore workers at the bottom, with a disproportionally large top heavy management being paid zillions of dollars.

This sort of thing simply cannot last. The Lee Family's ultimate enemy is their disgrace that is being exposed in the Internet on a daily basis. Unfortunate for Lee, he might as well toss his Machiavelli out the window now. It simply does not work now. No one is afraid of him now. It is impossible to govern Singapore Island through fear as Lee Kuan Yew thinks he can.

Chee Soon Juan, Lee Kuan Yew's arch political enemy's greatest friend is the Internet. For the others too who are in Singapore today, I don't think it would take much more for the regime to topple on its own. The death of Lee Kuan Yew would definitely give the momentum a very welcome push.

I notice from the state controlled newspapers that several more top honors are being given to Lee's toadies such as Senior Counsel and judgeships. If I was them, I would be very wary in accepting anything from Lee Kuan Yew now, as it is uncertain when I would have to account to the new free government of Singapore for many of their actions.

We can all proudly take credit for what we have done towards a better Singapore. When Lee repeatedly punished JB Jeyaretnam for standing up for justice, the people’s hate for the regime went up several notches. So did it, when Chee Soon Juan was repeatedly punished through the abuse of the law; for which the people hated this administration. So did they hate this administration when Tang Liang Hong, opposition politician, was impoverished to nothing from a millionaire which he was. So did they hate this administration when I was suspended for two years from practicing law in 1991 for merely questioning the administration culminating in my being jailed and disbarred. The people of Singapore can see injustice when they see it. And that alienates and antagonizes the people. And we can all take credit for our actions.

Second the rain. The rain would finish off Lee and his island too. The atmosphere has warmed up so much that each time it rains now, which is almost everyday; it is as if several supertanker loads of rain water falls down from the sky in a deluge. No matter how much you dig culverts and underwater reservoirs or whatever else you claim to do, it is simply not going to work. With a rising sea level through the expansion of sea water from higher temperatures, the water has simply no where to go. I understand from enquiries that it floods almost every other day in Serangoon, Thomson, Bukit Timah and parts of Orchard. If you have an overcrowded city with shops, roads and apartments every single inch of space which repeatedly floods knee high, I am afraid the time is up or will soon be up.

The athmosphere over Singapore has heated several degrees over the years and continues to increase. This means as each day passes, the air will contain even more water vapor which means even heavier thunderstorms and even heavier downpour. If the flooding today is only knee high, it will be waist him in no time. It is the revenge of the heavens.

Vivian Balakishnan, Lee's minister or Comedy Vivian as some call him, tries to justify it by saying the water subsides within a short time. But what good does that do, to be submerged for an hour each day in floodwaters!

Yes, the time for reckoning is fast approaching. Brace up.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375

Singapore, Lee's son, the very delicate Prime Minister threatens to sue blogger

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One thing must be certain. Lee Kuan Yew, the strongman of Singapore whose son he appointed Prime Minister of the island has once again engaged in his routine disgraceful activity of suing his Singaporeans for defamation of character to silence them.

This time it is the well known Singapore resident blogger Alex Au of Yawning Bread. Alex Au lives in Singapore which therefore brings him within the clutches of the Singapore strongman and his son.

The facts are not very important since whichever way one looks at it, this is not something which anyone, let alone the Prime Minister of a country would find actionable; but then Singapore is not any country and neither is Lee Kuan Yew's son, any Prime Minister.

It is Alice in Wonderland and both father and son are clowns with very delicate nerves.

It appears that the Peoples Action Party, the ruling government of the Lee's had sold some computers to an organization which is in fact owned by them, for their sale to housing associations, which therefore smacks of conflict of interest, nepotism, corruption or one or more of these unacceptable practices.

I am not really sure whether I have got the facts right here but really, whichever way one wants to scrutinize it, it really would fall within the realms of normal legitimate criticism, which one sees daily around the world.

Not so for the very delicate son of the Singapore strongman.

He unfortunately cannot tolerate even the slightest unfavorable comment.

If you did not know, the father and son here hold the world's record not only of the largest number of defamations actions against their political critics, they are also the proud holders of the dubious record of not having lost a single one.

If you were wondering why they behave like this, it appears once they said to reporters that if someone were to criticize them he has to sue, because if he did not, he would lose his authority to rule! He said this is how the Emperors of China were, as he is!

Of course I have not considered the record of Adolf Hitler in this litigation game, but I suppose Hitler just murders his opponents instead of wasting time suing them.

But then, how could they? I mean how could they ever lose any case in their Singapore Island before their Singapore courts and before their handpicked Singapore judges? Impossible.

Lee Kuan Yew’s son has not just engaged in nation wide conflict of interest; it is downright corruption and criminal beach of trust, which in any other jurisdiction would cause them to be jailed and the key thrown away.

Here is the story for you from their state controlled newspaper "PM Lee to take legal action against Alex Au for false allegations" http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/pm-lee-takes-action-against-blogger-alex-au-20130104

Since the poor victim in this case knows that he would lose even before he steps into a Singaporean courthouse when the Lee family sues, Alex Au is reported to have sensibly done the right thing by immediately apologizing, unconditionally confessing that he had no right to utter such nonsense about the great Lee Kuan Yew's son and I am sure if it was demanded of him, danced the foxtrot, sang the Man on the Moon and gone on all fours like a monkey if required.

You must understand that in Singapore if Lee Kuan Yew or his son or any of his family sues you, you have no chance at all in the world. You are as good as gone. What chance do you have when Lee owns the island's judges, the courts, the island and even you!

Do they or do they not know, I do not know one way or the other, that the world looks upon them as a bunch of clowns, simply clowns.

Only a clown and a coward would want to sue someone merely for criticism, rig the courts and predictably obtain a judgment award.

Only someone who is actually corrupt would want to force his people to say he is not.

I remember having read New York Times William Sapphire correctly describing the actions of Lee Kuan Yew and family as an "extortion racket", a very correct description I must add.

When you appoint corrupt judges to abuse the law to extract judgment awards against political opponents, it is indeed an "extortion racket".

Poor Alex Au has and will be sued again and again if he refuses to be silent.

But this blog by Gopalan Nair writing from Fremont California is also being read not only in Singapore but throughout the world.

But with one difference.

He will not sue Gopalan Nair in Fremont California because he is not certain of winning a lawsuit here.

He knows the outcome before a California Court is uncertain to say the least.

He could of course sue me in Singapore but the judgment he gets would be a worthless piece of paper, no more and no less.

There is a word for people like the Lee Kuan Yew family, father and son.

It is coward.

Only cowards beat up helpless citizens as Singaporeans are within Singapore faced by the Lees.

Outside the island, the Lees are no better than monkeys.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 4375