Singapore's state controlled press. Simply writing any nonsense they want

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a wonderful thing for any country to have a state controlled press, no doubt about it. Because you can simply write any nonsense you want and there is none to question you.

The one party island state of Singapore's state controlled newspaper Straits Times of Sept 11, 2013 has the story "Reluctance to work abroad limits us: PM Lee" Please see the article here http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/reluctance-work-abroad-limits-us-pm-lee-20130911

It is reported Lee Kuan Yew's son the Prime Minister claims the reluctance to work and posted overseas by their companies impedes Singapore's potential. Apparently, according to him they resist overseas postings by their companies due to concerns such as their children's education and spouses career, making it hard to uproot. It seems he made this astounding remark at the IE Singapore's 30th anniversary dinner.

Anyone following the interesting political situation in that island would no doubt be surprised. As far as I know, for at least the last two decades, the main insurmountable problem that the island faced, and indeed continues to face is it's huge and mounting brain drain to the West.

To try to correct this, we have seen Senior Minister Goh Chock Tong in desperation calling Singaporeans who have settled abroad "quitters" while Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's dictator has called them "ungrateful".

We have also seen them as well as Minister Liu Tuck Yew making several trips to the capitals of the world,  including San Francisco where I am, to where Singaporeans have fled to coax them to return. We also know that none have so far ever come back as a result of which they have given up even mentioning the problem anymore. I suppose they reckon it pointless to flog a dead horse.

But against all that we thought was the problem, now the son, the Prime Minister says their problem is just the reverse; that Singaporeans don't want to go abroad!

This is why state controlled newspapers in totalitarian countries such as the former Soviet Union, todays China and Cuba receive very little respect, because you can simply say what you want. Understandably most Singaporeans pay very little attention to their local media since there is very little one can do about it.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email:nair.gopalan@yahoo.com