Singapore North Korea and Syria striking similarities

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are many striking similarities between Singapore, North Korea, and Syria.

For one, in all of them, when the dictator dies, power devolves to his son, in North Korea to Kim Jong Un, in Singapore to Lee Kuan Yew's son, although Lee is still alive and in Syria to Bashar al Assasd. They are all dynasties, with power handed down from father to son.

All three countries are tightly controlled and any dissent is severely crushed. In North Korea and Syria, they will probably shoot you. In Singapore they use defamation laws and Kangaroo courts to sue and bankrupt you or even send you to jail, after which they continue to victimize you. You will be denied jobs, promotion or a career. Your family too will be victimized for life.

In all three countries, it is highly profitable to join and support the government party. Lee Kuan Yew, his son and family members pay themselves millions of dollars. In fact they are paid as much as five times the salary of the US president and several times more, millions, secretly. They live lavish opulent lives driving luxury cars and living in mansions. Unlike North Korea and Syria, Singapore's rulers and their clique make sure not to flaunt their wealth, although they drive around in expensive cars and under heavy police escort. In Singapore, this huge gap in incomes is a way to sending a message to others, the advantages of supporting the government, and the futility of being a critic.

All three countries are governed through fear. It is the ability of the government to inflict fear in their people that enables them to rule. Once that fear is removed, all three governments are powerless. This is so because none of these countries are governed with legitimate laws. For instance in Singapore it is simply unacceptable for any ruler to pay himself $3.7 million a year (the salary of Lee Kuan Yew). They can only do this by punishing anyone who questions them. Similarly in Singapore the law that denies free speech or assembly, which is enshrined in the Constitution,  cannot by justified by any means. But they can enforce such an unjust law by punishing anyone who attempts to exercise it. It is the power to punish anyone anytime that allows the Lee government to remain in power, just as the North Korean or the Syrian.

Since it is highly problematic, even dangerous, to espouse opinions against the government even though they are clearly fascist and unjust, most ordinary people simply act ignorant and go along with the flow. Most Singaporeans assert no public view on their leaders paying themselves millions which is plain corruption, they have no opinion on the fact that free speech, expression, free assembly and free press are all denied.

Just as in North Korea and Syria, most people in the island simply live their lives without saying or opining on anything which concerns their rights. This way they stay out of trouble and the only ones who do get into trouble are people such as myself Gopalan Nair who questions their dictatorship and denial of human rights.

There is one major difference however between these countries. It is almost impossible to get out of North Korea and as for Syria, unless you are English educated or have skills, it is equally difficult to emigrate. In the case of Singapore on the other hand, it is very easy to get out if you want. Most countries accept Singapore passports without visas and as they are English educated, this makes it even more easier. This explains the huge emigration rate from Singapore to Western countries and this is what is seriously worrying the Singapore cabal, a problem from which they have no answer.

The only solution they have is to simply replace those leaving by allowing immigration into Singapore in large numbers; only problem is that the ones who come are the rejects which western countries such as Australia, Canada and US do not want since their first choice is the West and only choose Singapore as a last choice.

Needless to say the Singapore authorities are obviously living in denial. Day by day their already tiny population continues to decline almost to extinction but they continue their tight grip on power by denying basic fundamental rights, the very reason which fuels this torrent of migration to the West.

Time will tell whether this huge torrent of migration to the West from this tiny island being replaced by second rate foreign immigrants will cause the island itself to collapse and that time, I am afraid is approaching fast.

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