Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the latest Reuters report on Singapore of Sept 28, 2016 it reads "Singapore deputy premier sees tough period for economy- report" http://af.reuters.com/article/moroccoNews/idAFL3N1C43MM
It says, although there was some progress earlier, the future will be only between 0.5 to 2 percent. But even so, it is all right if it continues to grow but will it?
There are several problems with the island causing even slight volatility to cause devastating consequences.
One is its size. Because it is so small in both geographical area and population, any negative economic impact will have a catastrophic universal effect across the island almost immediately. This is not the case with large countries with large populations, which can go one for very long even with negative economic volatility.
The second problem is the nature of its economy. It is completely reliant on foreign countries. Locally Singapore has nothing. The jobs are created by foreign companies and if foreign companies close down and leave as they are doing now, Singaporeans will simply have no work. The economic slowdown in the rest of the world now is causing just that; foreign companies in the island are shutting down and laying off thousands.
And with this happening now, many others join the bandwagon and leave. Foreign companies are not there because they owe a duty to Singapore. They are there for a profit. And when there is none, they leave.
The other problem is the wages offered. Lee Kuan Yew's plan, which by the way, every other country has not only copied but are much better at it, was to provide cheap labor for foreign companies. In addition, foreign companies are given tax breaks and perks to locate in the island rather than in their own countries which do not provide them. In the early days when Singapore was the pioneer in such tactics, of course they did well. Wages were low, you had a docile work force and you had the perks. But then everyone else began doing just that from Mexico to Botswana. So where is the advantage for Singapore, none. The wages in Singapore are simply too high now for any foreign company to locate in the island. With automation and increased productivity, you might as well manufacture it in America. Moreover it is well known that just the fact that it is made in the USA improves sales.
Then the problem is the mentality of a docile subjugated timid society. Singaporeans are taught to obey, not to think independently. So with the limited ability of the government to think of any new ideas except doing the same thing again and again, there is no ability to even stay afloat, let alone advancing. In every single area, the competition has overtaken Singapore. It is cheaper to manufacture in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. There is no need to locate in Singapore. If Singapore has a helpless workforce who will simply shut up and not complain, so are the workers of Vietnam. If Singapore had the advantage of the English language, Vietnam is making steady progress to ensure everyone speaks English.
And then you have a Singapore local population who disrespects their government and public institutions. Simply by repeating ad nauseam that you have the rule of law, does not mean the people will believe it. No one in their right mind in the island would believe that the Singapore judges are independent when they repeatedly jail and sue political opponents for criticism. You have an island wide state controlled media and press where every single news organ is state controlled as in China. Where you have no freedoms at all, when even a single peaceful protester is jailed and caned just for graffiti.
The consequence of this is that every single self respecting individual is opting to leave the island for settlement in the West. The newspaper ASEAN Today of Sept 19, 2016 has an interesting article about the brain drain from Singapore and Malaysia titled "Can Singapore and Malaysia keep their talents home?" http://www.aseantoday.com/2016/09/can-singapore-and-malaysia-keep-their-talents-home/
This report should be alarming for the island's rulers, not so much as to what will happen to their people but more on whether they will continue to take home, or steal, millions of dollars a year which they call salaries when their economy collapses!
I quote extensively from this report. It says "Singapore and Malaysia are facing the serious problem of Brain Drain. Many well educated and highly skilled individuals are looking to relocate abroad for various reasons and this is worrying for both countries. While the governments are determined to attract these people home, the issue at hand is whether will they be moved by the determination?"
It says "The number of people moving out of Singapore has increased by more than one third in the last 10 years. In 2014, 212 000 Singaporeans were living overseas, whereas in 2004 the number was 157,000.00". Actually the figures are much larger than this. These figures only take into account Singaporeans overseas who still retain their citizenship. In fact the larger number give up their citizenship so as to redeem their CPF ( state retirement savings) which require this as a condition. So if you actually include those who retain their citizenship as well as the larger number of former citizens, the total number would in fact be closer to 2 million.
For instance I am not in this number as I have given up Singapore citizenship. In fact the vast number of Singaporean's who live in the San Francisco Bay Area where I live are like me, Singaporeans who are now American citizens.
Secondly if you look at the island's citizen population from a realistic point of view and count only those who were not only born in Singapore but whose parents were also born in Singapore, the island population would in fact be no more than 2 million. When Singapore government says that they have about 3.5 million citizens, they are including not only native Singapore citizens but also the hundreds of thousands of recent mainland Chinese immigrants who were given instant citizenship to make up for the falling numbers.
Going by these figures, it is therefore possible that there are as many true Singaporeans abroad as there are in Singapore and the tide is in fact turning to make the foreign Singaporean numbers greater than in Singapore. This has actually happened in Lebanon understandably with all its wars and violence but strangely even without such violence and calamity, Singapore population is steadily showing signs of another Lebanon!
And this increasing brain drain from the island should be even more alarming to the island's rulers since the island's unemployment rate is actually lower than that in the West! Singapore it seems has only between 2 to 3 % unemployment while the figures for Western countries are far higher. So why should someone from a high employment country like Singapore go to one with greater unemployment! The answer is simple. It is because the people who can think detest living in bondage under a dictatorship with no rule of law, as is Singapore. And the government should finally understand that unless and until you give your people freedom to live as proud citizens, the brain drain will not only continue but will increase with time and your miracle island will be no better than a backwater.
In a recent speech by the Prime Minister which sounds like sour grapes, he is quoted to have said this of the mounting brain drain at the Research Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC), "Singapore is part of the global community and we have to accept that". "It is not a bad thing at all for Singaporeans to be in demand all over the world and to be distributed in the many cities and research centers. (They can) gain experience learn what the world is like pick up ideas and perhaps one day come back to Singapore". Unfortunately for the Singaporean Prime Minister, where he got it wrong was about the part of Singaporeans coming back to Singapore. They are not.
I am not returning to Singapore. I don't wish to live as a slave. And neither is every single Singaporean in the San Francisco Bay Area who has given up Singapore citizenship like me.
The report says " But it is uncertain whether these people are ever going to return to Singapore. A recent news report mentions that the government has deep fears regarding a potential permanent outflow of talents. Many talents are enticed to stay overseas due to the abundance of opportunities and choices. However they would be much helpful if they were to stay and help to further develop Singapore's economy"
There is no doubt that Singapore's Prime Minister is fully aware of his brain drain problem at his interview with TIME MAGAZINE when he said "With Singaporeans you speak English, your are well educated, the doors open everywhere. You can go to Silicon Valley, you can go to Sydney, you can go to Perth, you can go to London Frankfurt, you are welcomed and it is not just talking about 5 , 10 percent at the top who are like that but 30, 40, maybe even 50% who are welcomed."
And now there can be no doubt that he not only understands that this problem will finish him, it is also clear that he has no clue how to avoid it. He says "If the successful ones mostly leave, we are going to be depleted. And if it goes beyond the successful ones, we will be shrunken"
"Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean speaking in front of the Parliament in 2012 said that about 1200 Singaporeans give up their citizenship on a yearly basis. The reasons for emigration vary. Some emigrants leave for family reasons,. because of marriage or to re-unite the family members overseas while others do it for a different environment". The words "for a different living environment" is an euphemism to saying " because they want their freedom".
"Other reasons include the lack of space in the small territory of Singapore, too much stress, long working hours that compromise quality living, low wages and the current political situation" . Of course the "current political situation" is of course referring to the lack for democracy, freedom and the rule of law.
This massive and growing brain drain is destroying the quality of the Singapore population, thereby lowering its performance and competitiveness. The only ones who want to come to Singapore to replace those leaving are from Communist China who are much less skilled and have no knowledge of English. And then you have others from other neighboring countries such as India and Burma who similarly are no match for those who leave the island. Also these recent arrivals have no real connection, loyalty or stake in the island and are mere economic migrants, of far lesser quality than the local born citizens who leave.
With the present authoritarian corrupt government comfortable earning their millions, and refusing to face the real issues behind this massive and growing problem, there is really no way to stop the decline and eventual destruction of the Singaporean economy and the island's way of life. And the cause can only be the avarice, greed and corruption of the leaders of Singapore who pay themselves millions a year which they conveniently call salaries.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont (San Francisco) USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Friday, September 30, 2016
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Economy on a freefall, birth rate zero, tourism down, real estate down, now ZIKA. Whats wrong with Singapore island, the nanny state?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There appears no let up for bad news in Singapore island, once touted to be the miracle of the world. Economy is down, businesses are down, real estate prices down, tourism arrivals down and now the Zika virus which has infected nearly 500 people! What's wrong with that island anyway.
The problem is not caused just because of the slowdown in world trade. The problem is the mentality of the people. It is a nanny state, where the society is incapable of thinking independently but looks to the state to tell what to do next.
It all started with Lee Kuan Yew the father of the present island Prime Minister. He placed his son on the job. In 1959 when Lee senior took hold of the island, he had ideas of his own. It was to create principally a planned state economy, just as in Communist countries. The government will create jobs, the government will build the infra structure. The government will build schools, the government will do everything.
As for the individual, he has to do nothing. First he should not criticize the government. He should accept that they are the masters. He should look for jobs created by his masters. He should do good work and expect to be promoted and succeed. His success depends on showing his support for his masters. A low level clerk obeys his superior, to look for advancement. His superior looks to his superior for advancement and so on along the totem pole.
No one needs to think on his own. Your ability and acumen don't count much. What counts is your obedience and loyalty to your superiors and up the chain of hierarchy.
Government's plan so far is targeted to certain industries. But since they are all dependent upon the world economy, when that falls, they too fall. You have the sectors of tourism, the shipping trade, some biotechnology, and you have the financial sector where the crooks of the world are invited there to launder money. So for a Singaporean you can find jobs in these sectors, and if there are none, you are in trouble. If you tell a Singaporean that he should do it this way, he promptly obeys. But if your were tell that to an Australian, he would probably respond by saying "Why?" So since the average citizen in Lee Kuan Yew's nanny state is unable to think on his own, when the situation get tough, he is doomed.
I was born in Singapore, spent my schooling there and practiced law there for 10 years. Let me tell you how bad the law is. First you have judges in Kangaroo courts. The judges are required to deliver judgments favorable to the government and their cronies. Although there is a wealth of law in the law of defamation, whenever you are sued by Lee Kuan Yew's son or his cronies, you know you lost even before you stepped into the courtroom. If you thought as a lawyer, you could develop a certain area of law and be expert at it to advance your career, you couldn't be more wrong. It is not how much you know but who are. If you are a lawyer from one of the government connected law firms and you are know to be a sympathizer, you can win even a bad case. On the other hand if you are a lawyer known to be a political opponent, forget any success at the Singapore courts. Once the judge looks at you, you are as good as history, and so is your client. I have had many occasions when I had good cases but one look at me, and I lost the case. After a while no one wanted to give me any cases since they knew their cause is as good as lost. As a result the law never progresses. Everyone is trying to impress their rulers and the law is not only abused, it deteriorates.
It is the same with every other occupation. As children of a nanny state, everyone is trying to impress their nanny, because if you are recognized, you stand to benefit immensely.
Lee Kuan Yew's son is greatly admired by the locals, not so much of how good he is, but more because of how much money he makes. The local mentality is to look to profit, even if the object of your envy might be a bloody fool.
And this sort of mentality brings to mind a book I read and re-reading " First you have to row a little boat" by Richard Bode. It is about a boy who wanted a sailboat but was told by a salty sailor that first he has to row a little boat. And the advice to any local Singaporean in that island is first you have to support Lee Kuan Yew's son and the ruling party before anything else.
This sort of mentality in a society makes it doomed to failure. Especially in a small island such as this without any natural resources. The human mind is capable of great things and great things come from individuals, not through state planning. When Lee Kuan Yew embarked on his nanny state, he forgot the most important component to the equation, which is the people. For him, Singaporeans were merely widgets or digits who can be pushed around any which way and they will merely curl and roll over. So far that is exactly what they have been doing and a people who will willingly curl and roll over at the slightest order are not a robust people who can stand on their own and create opportunities for themselves.
Let me give you an anecdote. In Singapore almost every taxi driver is someone who has lost his other job. It is as if they are incapable of thinking of any other job. If you lose your job as a clerk, apply for a taxi license, as simple as that. If you cannot drive, apply to become a security guard. Almost everyone who has lost his job is either a taxi drive or a security guard! Why, firstly because they incapable of thinking of anything else and more importantly they don't have any self esteem. And more importantly they are helpless because they are afraid of the government. The by product of fear is the inability to think independently. And what is worse, they have no respect for their government institutions. They know the courts are Kangaroo courts. They know the law is being misused to punish any detractors. But they appear resigned to that fact.
Let me give you an example. A few days ago I had called a Singapore lawyer called Sujatha Bhargawan with her firm Gavan Law Practice in the island. Her Email is gavanlaw@singnet.com.sg and her phone is 63331323. She has been in practice for at least more than 30 years. I asked her if she finds practicing in the island distasteful because the Constitution was being abused. She said she didn't think so. When I asked her if the law had been abused to destroy Lee's opponent such as the late JB Jeyaretnam, she said that happens in only some cases and does that happen in other non-political cases. I asked her since she was a lawyer does she know the Singapore constitution, to which she said she is ignorant. To justify her continued practice in that jurisdiction, she said her roots and all her friends are there. End of conversation. And she is just like every single lawyer who practices in that island.
I know she has no respect for the legal system in Singapore. But because it is too hard to say so, she just lives.
Australia and New Zeeland are good comparisons to the island. Their population size is not too dissimilar compared to Australia's geographical size. Opposite to Singapore, the average Australian is proud of his country. It has rule of law, a free press and the people are able to think and act as they want. Which is why Australian law is far advanced, their scientists are far advanced, each Australian individual has a mind of his own. Why because they don't have to live in fear and submit to any master. Which is why despite anything Australians will ride the storm. If it was hard to find jobs, they would create one of their own. Which is why they have sportsmen who make millions, independent businesses of all sorts and burgeoning ideas all over the country. If an Australian loses his job, he does not automatically drive a taxi in Sydney. Instead he might think of creating a business exporting shoes to Gaborone, Botswana! Which is why he will survive good times or bad. Because he does not live in a nanny state, telling him what he should and should not do.
Singapore's business is heading down. I am monitoring the news to see how bad it will get in 3 months.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
There appears no let up for bad news in Singapore island, once touted to be the miracle of the world. Economy is down, businesses are down, real estate prices down, tourism arrivals down and now the Zika virus which has infected nearly 500 people! What's wrong with that island anyway.
The problem is not caused just because of the slowdown in world trade. The problem is the mentality of the people. It is a nanny state, where the society is incapable of thinking independently but looks to the state to tell what to do next.
It all started with Lee Kuan Yew the father of the present island Prime Minister. He placed his son on the job. In 1959 when Lee senior took hold of the island, he had ideas of his own. It was to create principally a planned state economy, just as in Communist countries. The government will create jobs, the government will build the infra structure. The government will build schools, the government will do everything.
As for the individual, he has to do nothing. First he should not criticize the government. He should accept that they are the masters. He should look for jobs created by his masters. He should do good work and expect to be promoted and succeed. His success depends on showing his support for his masters. A low level clerk obeys his superior, to look for advancement. His superior looks to his superior for advancement and so on along the totem pole.
No one needs to think on his own. Your ability and acumen don't count much. What counts is your obedience and loyalty to your superiors and up the chain of hierarchy.
Government's plan so far is targeted to certain industries. But since they are all dependent upon the world economy, when that falls, they too fall. You have the sectors of tourism, the shipping trade, some biotechnology, and you have the financial sector where the crooks of the world are invited there to launder money. So for a Singaporean you can find jobs in these sectors, and if there are none, you are in trouble. If you tell a Singaporean that he should do it this way, he promptly obeys. But if your were tell that to an Australian, he would probably respond by saying "Why?" So since the average citizen in Lee Kuan Yew's nanny state is unable to think on his own, when the situation get tough, he is doomed.
I was born in Singapore, spent my schooling there and practiced law there for 10 years. Let me tell you how bad the law is. First you have judges in Kangaroo courts. The judges are required to deliver judgments favorable to the government and their cronies. Although there is a wealth of law in the law of defamation, whenever you are sued by Lee Kuan Yew's son or his cronies, you know you lost even before you stepped into the courtroom. If you thought as a lawyer, you could develop a certain area of law and be expert at it to advance your career, you couldn't be more wrong. It is not how much you know but who are. If you are a lawyer from one of the government connected law firms and you are know to be a sympathizer, you can win even a bad case. On the other hand if you are a lawyer known to be a political opponent, forget any success at the Singapore courts. Once the judge looks at you, you are as good as history, and so is your client. I have had many occasions when I had good cases but one look at me, and I lost the case. After a while no one wanted to give me any cases since they knew their cause is as good as lost. As a result the law never progresses. Everyone is trying to impress their rulers and the law is not only abused, it deteriorates.
It is the same with every other occupation. As children of a nanny state, everyone is trying to impress their nanny, because if you are recognized, you stand to benefit immensely.
Lee Kuan Yew's son is greatly admired by the locals, not so much of how good he is, but more because of how much money he makes. The local mentality is to look to profit, even if the object of your envy might be a bloody fool.
And this sort of mentality brings to mind a book I read and re-reading " First you have to row a little boat" by Richard Bode. It is about a boy who wanted a sailboat but was told by a salty sailor that first he has to row a little boat. And the advice to any local Singaporean in that island is first you have to support Lee Kuan Yew's son and the ruling party before anything else.
This sort of mentality in a society makes it doomed to failure. Especially in a small island such as this without any natural resources. The human mind is capable of great things and great things come from individuals, not through state planning. When Lee Kuan Yew embarked on his nanny state, he forgot the most important component to the equation, which is the people. For him, Singaporeans were merely widgets or digits who can be pushed around any which way and they will merely curl and roll over. So far that is exactly what they have been doing and a people who will willingly curl and roll over at the slightest order are not a robust people who can stand on their own and create opportunities for themselves.
Let me give you an anecdote. In Singapore almost every taxi driver is someone who has lost his other job. It is as if they are incapable of thinking of any other job. If you lose your job as a clerk, apply for a taxi license, as simple as that. If you cannot drive, apply to become a security guard. Almost everyone who has lost his job is either a taxi drive or a security guard! Why, firstly because they incapable of thinking of anything else and more importantly they don't have any self esteem. And more importantly they are helpless because they are afraid of the government. The by product of fear is the inability to think independently. And what is worse, they have no respect for their government institutions. They know the courts are Kangaroo courts. They know the law is being misused to punish any detractors. But they appear resigned to that fact.
Let me give you an example. A few days ago I had called a Singapore lawyer called Sujatha Bhargawan with her firm Gavan Law Practice in the island. Her Email is gavanlaw@singnet.com.sg and her phone is 63331323. She has been in practice for at least more than 30 years. I asked her if she finds practicing in the island distasteful because the Constitution was being abused. She said she didn't think so. When I asked her if the law had been abused to destroy Lee's opponent such as the late JB Jeyaretnam, she said that happens in only some cases and does that happen in other non-political cases. I asked her since she was a lawyer does she know the Singapore constitution, to which she said she is ignorant. To justify her continued practice in that jurisdiction, she said her roots and all her friends are there. End of conversation. And she is just like every single lawyer who practices in that island.
I know she has no respect for the legal system in Singapore. But because it is too hard to say so, she just lives.
Australia and New Zeeland are good comparisons to the island. Their population size is not too dissimilar compared to Australia's geographical size. Opposite to Singapore, the average Australian is proud of his country. It has rule of law, a free press and the people are able to think and act as they want. Which is why Australian law is far advanced, their scientists are far advanced, each Australian individual has a mind of his own. Why because they don't have to live in fear and submit to any master. Which is why despite anything Australians will ride the storm. If it was hard to find jobs, they would create one of their own. Which is why they have sportsmen who make millions, independent businesses of all sorts and burgeoning ideas all over the country. If an Australian loses his job, he does not automatically drive a taxi in Sydney. Instead he might think of creating a business exporting shoes to Gaborone, Botswana! Which is why he will survive good times or bad. Because he does not live in a nanny state, telling him what he should and should not do.
Singapore's business is heading down. I am monitoring the news to see how bad it will get in 3 months.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Singapore Island government running it like the Middle Ages
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore is being run is if it were the Middle Ages.
Even though it is on paper a Constitutional democracy, it is in fact a kingdom. And the King is Lee Kuan Yew's son, the Prime Minister. And because of the way it is run, now in the 21 century, it is a sure way to run into oblivion.
For those who are not familiar with the goings on, let me explain. Firstly you have a thoroughly corrupt government. The official salaries of the Prime Minister and every single minister is not in the thousands of dollars but millions. I understand the official salary of the Prime Minister which was until recently $3.7 million a year, out of embarrassment, they themselves recently reduced to $2.7 million a year. But that is only the official salary. Unofficially they take much more in bonuses of several months a year, directorships and dividends from all major companies in Singapore. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Lee Kuan Yew's son, Lee Hsien Loong who his late dictator father Lee Kuan Yew placed in power practically owns the island. In order to make his cronies continue to support him, he pays them each millions too so they ensure his retention of power.
It is quite often we hear that there is no corruption in Singapore. This statement is only partially true. None one else in the island is allowed to be corrupt. The only ones entitled are Lee Kuan Yew's son and his chosen lieutenants. Which brings to mind Reza Pahlevi, the father of the Shah of Iran who ruled Persia from 1925 to 1941. Subsequently the name was changed from Persia to Iran. He is attributed to totally eradicating corruption in Persia. It is said that he was so ruthless against corruption that once he threw some bakers into their own oven and burned them alive when he discovered corruption. But then there was only one man who was corrupt in Persia, Reza Pahlevi himself! He owned almost everything in his kingdom!
And then you have the state controlled news media repeatedly repeating that there is rule of law. But then JB Jeyaretnam a former opposition politician was repeatedly sued jailed and bankrupted, not for any crimes he committed but because he was openly against this regime. We have Chia Thye Poh who was jailed for 31 years, even longer than Nelson Mandela's 27 years for criticism. We have subsequently Chee Soon Juan a former professor at the Singapore University who was dismissed from his job, jailed and bankrupted for the same reason. When the Singapore judiciary are paid millions of dollars to openly abuse the law to punish dissidents, how can you say you have the rule of law?
I was and am a thorn on the side of this administration. While I was a lawyer, through trumped up disciplinary proceedings I was repeatedly disciplined and jailed. They even took away my law license in Singapore, all geared to silence me. But since I now live in California, I need not silence myself. Another case of judicial abuse to silence dissent.
I can go on. There was only recently Roy Ngerng who was fined $ 150,000 because of a blog he wrote about Lee Kuan Yew's son. There were 2 men in 2008 who wore T shirts with Kangaroos in judicial robes found near the courts. They were sentenced to prison for doing that. There was a man who wrote the words "Democracy" on a monument near the Padang. He too was jailed.
And the entire news media including all blogs and social media are state controlled. There is not a single international newspaper that has not yet been sued for defamation, from Newsweek to the Wall Street Journal.
There are small minorities of Malays and Indians. They are all discriminated by the majority ethnic Chinese who are also the Prime Minister and his government. The Constitution talks of equality before the law. But the Constitution of Singapore is no better than a piece of scrap paper. None of the articles are obeyed.
And then you have the Communist Chia style shaming of political opponents. Each time a political opponent is arrested and punished, his image is prominently displayed in the newspapers. The idea is course is to persecute the individual for the rest of his life. No one will give him a job, he will get the worst housing and he will be impoverished.
Chee Soon Juan, the earlier mentioned professor has been reduced to selling books which he himself authored along the streets of the island. So was the plight of JB Jeyaretnam before he died.
And then you have some weird Middle Ages punishments under the legal codes. A large number of offenses carry not only imprisonment but also caning, where trained prison officers beat the backsides of offenders until they are bloodied and their backsides permanently marred and deformed. The plan is to inflict as much pain as possible. And a man who has been caned is demoralized, humiliated and broken in spirit for life.
So what does this island government think it is doing? Do they think they are in the Middle Ages where the people were terrified into submission. For Heavens Sakes, we now live in the 21 century. People are educated and they are connected globally. We don't have to take this nonsense lying down. And that is exactly what is happening.
Even if they themselves are not beaten and tortured in this way, many Singaporeans feel uncomfortable living in an island where their fellow citizens are treated this way. They don't want to live in a country where they cannot read real news but state controlled Goebbels style propaganda. They don't want to live in an island where their fellow Indian and Malay citizens are discriminated. They don't want to live in country where you have to fear for your life and liberty because there is no rule of law.
So they leave in huge numbers to the West. Any right thinking person who is able to leave, leaves. They and their children choose to settle in the West. In this way the best and the brightest are lost forever. And especially for a tiny island like this, without natural resources, their only asset is their people which they are losing en masse.
Lee Kuan Yew's son and his government are simply following what his father did, ruling with an iron fist. The style of government is "You listen to me or else". But today the best and the brightest are saying to him "Else what?" And packing up and leaving.
This government does not realize that repression today has its reactions. The people are not so stupid or helpless as they were in the 1950s. Today in 2016 one does not have to live this way.
This King of Singapore governs entirely for self interest. He wants to continue to line his pockets with gold and like his father he thinks the only answer is to silence all dissent. He fails to realize that ultimately power lies not from his throne but from the people. Without the people he is as good as the proverbial emperor with no clothes.
And because the way the island is run, Singapore island under Lee Kuan Yew's son continues to suffer from numerous difficulties, while the government has no clue how to redress them. First you have the lowest birth rate in the world. For a small tiny city this is bad enough. Now with Zika virus, it has become zero, no births at all. Today the government has stopped asking people to have more babies since with Zika, such a request would be embarrassing. The government has stopped reporting the numbers who are emigrating, also I suppose to avoid embarrassment. The government has stopped going to all the Western capitals of the world, which they used to do every year to persuade Singaporeans who had left to return. No one appears to want to return.
Personally I don't think there need be a revolution in the island to overthrow this regime. I think they are doing it to themselves.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email Nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Singapore is being run is if it were the Middle Ages.
Even though it is on paper a Constitutional democracy, it is in fact a kingdom. And the King is Lee Kuan Yew's son, the Prime Minister. And because of the way it is run, now in the 21 century, it is a sure way to run into oblivion.
For those who are not familiar with the goings on, let me explain. Firstly you have a thoroughly corrupt government. The official salaries of the Prime Minister and every single minister is not in the thousands of dollars but millions. I understand the official salary of the Prime Minister which was until recently $3.7 million a year, out of embarrassment, they themselves recently reduced to $2.7 million a year. But that is only the official salary. Unofficially they take much more in bonuses of several months a year, directorships and dividends from all major companies in Singapore. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Lee Kuan Yew's son, Lee Hsien Loong who his late dictator father Lee Kuan Yew placed in power practically owns the island. In order to make his cronies continue to support him, he pays them each millions too so they ensure his retention of power.
It is quite often we hear that there is no corruption in Singapore. This statement is only partially true. None one else in the island is allowed to be corrupt. The only ones entitled are Lee Kuan Yew's son and his chosen lieutenants. Which brings to mind Reza Pahlevi, the father of the Shah of Iran who ruled Persia from 1925 to 1941. Subsequently the name was changed from Persia to Iran. He is attributed to totally eradicating corruption in Persia. It is said that he was so ruthless against corruption that once he threw some bakers into their own oven and burned them alive when he discovered corruption. But then there was only one man who was corrupt in Persia, Reza Pahlevi himself! He owned almost everything in his kingdom!
And then you have the state controlled news media repeatedly repeating that there is rule of law. But then JB Jeyaretnam a former opposition politician was repeatedly sued jailed and bankrupted, not for any crimes he committed but because he was openly against this regime. We have Chia Thye Poh who was jailed for 31 years, even longer than Nelson Mandela's 27 years for criticism. We have subsequently Chee Soon Juan a former professor at the Singapore University who was dismissed from his job, jailed and bankrupted for the same reason. When the Singapore judiciary are paid millions of dollars to openly abuse the law to punish dissidents, how can you say you have the rule of law?
I was and am a thorn on the side of this administration. While I was a lawyer, through trumped up disciplinary proceedings I was repeatedly disciplined and jailed. They even took away my law license in Singapore, all geared to silence me. But since I now live in California, I need not silence myself. Another case of judicial abuse to silence dissent.
I can go on. There was only recently Roy Ngerng who was fined $ 150,000 because of a blog he wrote about Lee Kuan Yew's son. There were 2 men in 2008 who wore T shirts with Kangaroos in judicial robes found near the courts. They were sentenced to prison for doing that. There was a man who wrote the words "Democracy" on a monument near the Padang. He too was jailed.
And the entire news media including all blogs and social media are state controlled. There is not a single international newspaper that has not yet been sued for defamation, from Newsweek to the Wall Street Journal.
There are small minorities of Malays and Indians. They are all discriminated by the majority ethnic Chinese who are also the Prime Minister and his government. The Constitution talks of equality before the law. But the Constitution of Singapore is no better than a piece of scrap paper. None of the articles are obeyed.
And then you have the Communist Chia style shaming of political opponents. Each time a political opponent is arrested and punished, his image is prominently displayed in the newspapers. The idea is course is to persecute the individual for the rest of his life. No one will give him a job, he will get the worst housing and he will be impoverished.
Chee Soon Juan, the earlier mentioned professor has been reduced to selling books which he himself authored along the streets of the island. So was the plight of JB Jeyaretnam before he died.
And then you have some weird Middle Ages punishments under the legal codes. A large number of offenses carry not only imprisonment but also caning, where trained prison officers beat the backsides of offenders until they are bloodied and their backsides permanently marred and deformed. The plan is to inflict as much pain as possible. And a man who has been caned is demoralized, humiliated and broken in spirit for life.
So what does this island government think it is doing? Do they think they are in the Middle Ages where the people were terrified into submission. For Heavens Sakes, we now live in the 21 century. People are educated and they are connected globally. We don't have to take this nonsense lying down. And that is exactly what is happening.
Even if they themselves are not beaten and tortured in this way, many Singaporeans feel uncomfortable living in an island where their fellow citizens are treated this way. They don't want to live in a country where they cannot read real news but state controlled Goebbels style propaganda. They don't want to live in an island where their fellow Indian and Malay citizens are discriminated. They don't want to live in country where you have to fear for your life and liberty because there is no rule of law.
So they leave in huge numbers to the West. Any right thinking person who is able to leave, leaves. They and their children choose to settle in the West. In this way the best and the brightest are lost forever. And especially for a tiny island like this, without natural resources, their only asset is their people which they are losing en masse.
Lee Kuan Yew's son and his government are simply following what his father did, ruling with an iron fist. The style of government is "You listen to me or else". But today the best and the brightest are saying to him "Else what?" And packing up and leaving.
This government does not realize that repression today has its reactions. The people are not so stupid or helpless as they were in the 1950s. Today in 2016 one does not have to live this way.
This King of Singapore governs entirely for self interest. He wants to continue to line his pockets with gold and like his father he thinks the only answer is to silence all dissent. He fails to realize that ultimately power lies not from his throne but from the people. Without the people he is as good as the proverbial emperor with no clothes.
And because the way the island is run, Singapore island under Lee Kuan Yew's son continues to suffer from numerous difficulties, while the government has no clue how to redress them. First you have the lowest birth rate in the world. For a small tiny city this is bad enough. Now with Zika virus, it has become zero, no births at all. Today the government has stopped asking people to have more babies since with Zika, such a request would be embarrassing. The government has stopped reporting the numbers who are emigrating, also I suppose to avoid embarrassment. The government has stopped going to all the Western capitals of the world, which they used to do every year to persuade Singaporeans who had left to return. No one appears to want to return.
Personally I don't think there need be a revolution in the island to overthrow this regime. I think they are doing it to themselves.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email Nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Singapore Dissident. Please do not send anonymous comments
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have been receiving numerous comments from anonymous people. Please do not send anonymous comments. I will not publish them. If you wish to have your comment published, please identify yourself and your location.
If I receive comments which are either anonymous or appear to be so, I will delete them. If you want me to merely read what you write, you can still send your comments, which I will read and delete.
It serves no purpose for someone to write but refuses to say who he is.
I thank you for your cooperation.
Gopalan Nair
Fremont California USA
I have been receiving numerous comments from anonymous people. Please do not send anonymous comments. I will not publish them. If you wish to have your comment published, please identify yourself and your location.
If I receive comments which are either anonymous or appear to be so, I will delete them. If you want me to merely read what you write, you can still send your comments, which I will read and delete.
It serves no purpose for someone to write but refuses to say who he is.
I thank you for your cooperation.
Gopalan Nair
Fremont California USA
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Singapore cannot recover from the effects of Zika.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The recent article in the Scientific American "What's special about the Zika virus in Signapore" should be cause for alarm. See article here http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/what-s-special-about-the-zika-virus-in-singapore/
Recently the Singapore ministers have been saying that the Singapore strain of the virus is different from that of Brazil and therefore no cause for alarm. This Scientific American article states the exact opposite. It states that it is too early to come to any conclusions. In fact it states very little study has been done on the Singaporean strain to know exactly how harmful it may be or what defects it may cause in humans. Because of the latent nature of this virus, not showing obvious symptoms, humans can be affected in many ways and the virus can mutate and harm the individual in combination with other illnesses. For instance a human may feel perfectly fine but may in fact be suffering from the virus which will remain in his body.
Singapore has been actively spraying insecticide across the island but the climatic nature of the small island with prime conditions for the mosquito, hot humid equatorial would make it impossible to eradicate it. Furthermore the sardine packed overpopulated island makes its arrest almost impossible. To make matters worse, it a city with huge human traffic internationally.
And the consequences beside health are extreme and catastrophic. First human reproduction will drop to zero. Without knowing exactly what it can do to you, no one, simply no one will dare a have a baby, especially since the island has no free or subsidized health care. If you get zika and you have no money, you are as good as dead. If Zika didn't kill you, the lack of medical attention will.
Tourism is one of the mainstays of the island economy. With the fear of Zika tourist arrivals will drop and hit rock bottom. Hotels will have no guests, restaurants will have no customers, retail shops will have to close, casinos will shut down and even money launderers who park their ill gotten gains in the island will go elsewhere. The airport will be empty, Singapore Airlines will have to fly empty and all round with the multiplier the economy will just collapse.
And Singapore despite its claim to wealth, in fact has nothing. It has no natural resources and no independent means of acquiring wealth. All it has is through tourism and retail trade. If there are no human beings, there is no business. It does not have the gold mines of South Africa.
It has been several months now of news of the Singaporean Zika. And in those months the effect is already being seen with low tourist arrivals and the bustling retail trade on a slow down. Just imagine what it would be in 6 months to a year. The number of infections will continue to rise and the debilitating consequences will go on unabated.
With no prospects, more Singaporeans will leave the island either for health reasons or because they can't make any money. At the same time foreign investment into the island will collapse.
I am not sure how Zika took hold in Singapore, perhaps it is the hand of the Divine punishing the authoritarian dictators for denying democracy freedom or the rule of law and if so, I praise God for it. Now I think even without any opposition movement in the island, which they never had anyway, it is Providence which will put matters right which is to throw this establishment out.
Without any Zika in California I am watching the affairs in Singapore island and asking to know how bad it will be tomorrow in that equatorial mosquito infested island.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
The recent article in the Scientific American "What's special about the Zika virus in Signapore" should be cause for alarm. See article here http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/what-s-special-about-the-zika-virus-in-singapore/
Recently the Singapore ministers have been saying that the Singapore strain of the virus is different from that of Brazil and therefore no cause for alarm. This Scientific American article states the exact opposite. It states that it is too early to come to any conclusions. In fact it states very little study has been done on the Singaporean strain to know exactly how harmful it may be or what defects it may cause in humans. Because of the latent nature of this virus, not showing obvious symptoms, humans can be affected in many ways and the virus can mutate and harm the individual in combination with other illnesses. For instance a human may feel perfectly fine but may in fact be suffering from the virus which will remain in his body.
Singapore has been actively spraying insecticide across the island but the climatic nature of the small island with prime conditions for the mosquito, hot humid equatorial would make it impossible to eradicate it. Furthermore the sardine packed overpopulated island makes its arrest almost impossible. To make matters worse, it a city with huge human traffic internationally.
And the consequences beside health are extreme and catastrophic. First human reproduction will drop to zero. Without knowing exactly what it can do to you, no one, simply no one will dare a have a baby, especially since the island has no free or subsidized health care. If you get zika and you have no money, you are as good as dead. If Zika didn't kill you, the lack of medical attention will.
Tourism is one of the mainstays of the island economy. With the fear of Zika tourist arrivals will drop and hit rock bottom. Hotels will have no guests, restaurants will have no customers, retail shops will have to close, casinos will shut down and even money launderers who park their ill gotten gains in the island will go elsewhere. The airport will be empty, Singapore Airlines will have to fly empty and all round with the multiplier the economy will just collapse.
And Singapore despite its claim to wealth, in fact has nothing. It has no natural resources and no independent means of acquiring wealth. All it has is through tourism and retail trade. If there are no human beings, there is no business. It does not have the gold mines of South Africa.
It has been several months now of news of the Singaporean Zika. And in those months the effect is already being seen with low tourist arrivals and the bustling retail trade on a slow down. Just imagine what it would be in 6 months to a year. The number of infections will continue to rise and the debilitating consequences will go on unabated.
With no prospects, more Singaporeans will leave the island either for health reasons or because they can't make any money. At the same time foreign investment into the island will collapse.
I am not sure how Zika took hold in Singapore, perhaps it is the hand of the Divine punishing the authoritarian dictators for denying democracy freedom or the rule of law and if so, I praise God for it. Now I think even without any opposition movement in the island, which they never had anyway, it is Providence which will put matters right which is to throw this establishment out.
Without any Zika in California I am watching the affairs in Singapore island and asking to know how bad it will be tomorrow in that equatorial mosquito infested island.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Are things getting too much for our authoritarian Singapore to handle
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Recently you saw the well publicized spectacle of Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew's son suddenly fainting and being helped off stage. After a few hours, he returned and changed his prepared National Day Rally speech to talk only of one thing, his need to leave his job. One begins to wonder if the incident was real or was it faked to give an excuse to him to leave in a hurry.
If that was a theatrical performance, in today's Singapore, one shouldn't be surprised. Things are indeed getting too hot under his seat.
Let me begin by the obvious. Sea level rise. Tiny Singapore island is flooding almost everyday when it rains. And it rains everyday in equatorial Singapore. If the flood level is only knee deep now, it will soon be waist level. And for that this intolerant island government has no answer. For obvious reasons since there are none.
Now for the last few days it has been the Zika virus. In a jam packed equatorial sweaty humid island, a paradise for mosquitoes, where people live both above and beside each other, the virus will spread island wide. What this means is that there won't be any babies born at all. Today with the world's lowest birth rate the situation is bad enough. Thanks to Zika the birth rate will now be zero, not only this year but for years to come. And in order to work their businesses, they will have to flood the island with even more Chinese Communists who can't speak any English! With no English, the business language will have to change to mandarin, leaving the island without the edge they had in English, not to mention the alienation of Malays and Indians, equal citizens who now have to learn a new language.
Brain drain goes on unabated and climbing. Like a suction pipe, the West including Australia is emptying out anyone who has any education and independence of thought. Why, because the island is a dictatorship with no freedoms, no rights where people live at the mercy of Lee Kuan Yew's son. Those capable of moving refuse to live like that. So they move, leaving only dummies and zombies behind.
The economy is collapsing. Literally collapsing. Why, because there is no independence of thought. Therefore they can only churn out what they have done before and there are no new ideas. Because anyone with any ideas would rather leave. So you have a stagnant society. Since China is no longer performing, the China trade is gone. So is it in Western Europe and America. So there are no exports and there is nothing to offer. The reports are that last year as many of 1400 businesses relocated elsewhere, for lack of business and high wages. The petroleum sector in the island is at a standstill. Like Venezuela, they are losing money and have run out of ideas.
Unfortunately in Singapore today there is no political opposition. Chee Soon Juan who was colorful for many years has finally given up on politics, or almost given up. He was too keen on pleasing the government hoping that they would reciprocate but they haven't. He has stopped his political activism, sacked anyone who would not think like him and very successfully has turned himself into a recluse writing blogs. Beside him there is no one else.
But that is not something to worry about. With or without any opposition, the authoritarian regime has itself laid the elements for their own downfall. With an entire population incapable of thinking through fear, you are not going to get productivity, you are not going to get new ideas, you are not going to get any new babies and with sea level rise, the island will slowly sink under the Straits of Johore.
I think we should all take credit for their eventual demise.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney
Fremont California USA
Tel; 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Recently you saw the well publicized spectacle of Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew's son suddenly fainting and being helped off stage. After a few hours, he returned and changed his prepared National Day Rally speech to talk only of one thing, his need to leave his job. One begins to wonder if the incident was real or was it faked to give an excuse to him to leave in a hurry.
If that was a theatrical performance, in today's Singapore, one shouldn't be surprised. Things are indeed getting too hot under his seat.
Let me begin by the obvious. Sea level rise. Tiny Singapore island is flooding almost everyday when it rains. And it rains everyday in equatorial Singapore. If the flood level is only knee deep now, it will soon be waist level. And for that this intolerant island government has no answer. For obvious reasons since there are none.
Now for the last few days it has been the Zika virus. In a jam packed equatorial sweaty humid island, a paradise for mosquitoes, where people live both above and beside each other, the virus will spread island wide. What this means is that there won't be any babies born at all. Today with the world's lowest birth rate the situation is bad enough. Thanks to Zika the birth rate will now be zero, not only this year but for years to come. And in order to work their businesses, they will have to flood the island with even more Chinese Communists who can't speak any English! With no English, the business language will have to change to mandarin, leaving the island without the edge they had in English, not to mention the alienation of Malays and Indians, equal citizens who now have to learn a new language.
Brain drain goes on unabated and climbing. Like a suction pipe, the West including Australia is emptying out anyone who has any education and independence of thought. Why, because the island is a dictatorship with no freedoms, no rights where people live at the mercy of Lee Kuan Yew's son. Those capable of moving refuse to live like that. So they move, leaving only dummies and zombies behind.
The economy is collapsing. Literally collapsing. Why, because there is no independence of thought. Therefore they can only churn out what they have done before and there are no new ideas. Because anyone with any ideas would rather leave. So you have a stagnant society. Since China is no longer performing, the China trade is gone. So is it in Western Europe and America. So there are no exports and there is nothing to offer. The reports are that last year as many of 1400 businesses relocated elsewhere, for lack of business and high wages. The petroleum sector in the island is at a standstill. Like Venezuela, they are losing money and have run out of ideas.
Unfortunately in Singapore today there is no political opposition. Chee Soon Juan who was colorful for many years has finally given up on politics, or almost given up. He was too keen on pleasing the government hoping that they would reciprocate but they haven't. He has stopped his political activism, sacked anyone who would not think like him and very successfully has turned himself into a recluse writing blogs. Beside him there is no one else.
But that is not something to worry about. With or without any opposition, the authoritarian regime has itself laid the elements for their own downfall. With an entire population incapable of thinking through fear, you are not going to get productivity, you are not going to get new ideas, you are not going to get any new babies and with sea level rise, the island will slowly sink under the Straits of Johore.
I think we should all take credit for their eventual demise.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney
Fremont California USA
Tel; 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
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