Ladies and Gentlemen,
Except for my childhood and about 10 years as a lawyer in the island, I have spent a great part of my life abroad, 7 years in Europe and 26 years now in California USA. I can clearly see the damage that life in Singapore does to your brain. I have also seen a few Singaporeans here and previously in Europe. I can say without hesitation that a Singaporean either in Europe or America is a disappointment. He is a bore. The only things that interests him is perhaps talking about the price of houses and where to eat at which restaurant. Since most Singaporeans who have left the island are ethnic Chinese, they invariably appear pale, effete and weak both physically mind and spirit. You will never see a Singaporean scaling El Capitan or sailing the world. Only Americans and Europeans do that. And he is afraid to speak because he does not want the Singapore rulers to take offense. In other words he has no opinion because he is a bore.
Once again let me tell you this. It took me a long time before it dawned on me as to why these Singaporeans are so different, so uninteresting, so bereft of any daring or courage compared to Englishmen or Europeans. Their total lack of spontaneity. Their total lack of a spark in the eye. Talking to them is like getting information from an old 1980 computer; you feed in the question and there is a delay before your answer is processed.
Why are Singaporeans this way? With a little bit of thought the answer would be very clear. It is the stifling political system which prevents a human being from being who you are. In Singapore island, the island wide security apparatus includes island wide surveillance, not dissimilar to North Korea. Success in that island depends on your pleasing your masters, just as you would please Kim Jong Un, showing unwavering support to the ruling party and their government and in this manner one climbs the ladder to financial and political success.
But Hey wait a minute. Is it not hard to show loyalty and support to a government which denies you the right to free speech and expression, which denies you the right to free and independent newspapers, which has no rule of law but rule by telephone by which I mean the judge before passing judgment waits for the Prime Minister to tell him how long the sentence should be?
For example common sense should tell you that there should be nothing wrong for you to peacefully stand alone and hold up a placard with the words "Down Down Prime Minister". No one is harmed. No one is hurt. The island doesn't collapse as a result. But not in Singapore. In that island common sense is upside down. Even if you think there is nothing wrong for the peaceful protester, you have to deliberately make yourself believe that it is wrong and not do it. If you do you are punished.
For any lawyer to tell the court that he believes the judge is corrupt and a Kangaroo would mean a contempt charge and you would be thrown in jail, even though you, the judge himself and everyone else knows it is perfectly true! In other words the Singapore's rulers have a right to appoint corrupt judges to punish political opponents and you simply have to accept it.
What happens over time when you live in such a state is this. You slowly begin to realize the hopelessness of your situation. You realize that there is nothing you can do. Whether you like it or not you simply have to submit. You simply have to crawl. You have to resign yourself to your fate and the life that this dictatorship has decided for you.
Having resigned yourself to this state of hopelessness, the vast majority who either have no means to leave the island or are opportunists, feel that the best policy is "In Rome do as the Romans do". If success in the island depends on your unwavering support for the dictatorship, then why not give it and reap the rewards. The thinking is just the same as what a Russian would have thought under the Soviet Union. If it is profitable to sing praises to Stalin, never mind he is a mass murderer, then why not do it and profit by it.
So in Singapore today you have an entire citizenry who are daily looking at ways to please the rulers, i.e. the Lee Family and their ruling party. The smart guy in the island is the thoroughly obedient submissive loyal supporter of the establishment. He is a member of the Peoples Association, the branch of the government which you are invited to join, run around doing errands for the government members of parliament and after sufficient crawling and licking their boots, you will be rewarded. In order to accomplish this, you have to engage in some mental gymnastics. Even though you hate the way you have to live, you should publicly declare it is paradise. Even though you have no respect these government appointment lapdog judges, you have to say the island has the best legal system in the world. Even though you have no right to freedom of speech, you have to say that freedom of speech is a very bad thing. And so on and so forth.
On the other hand, in Alice in Wonderland Singapore, the one who has the courage to stand up against this Stalinist government is considered a fool, who does not know which side the bread is buttered! In any other country, he would a hero.
And can you imagine someone who has lived a life such as this suddenly coming to America! All he knows is to simply obey like a Labrador Retriever. The problem is this. In Singapore it is good for you to be a Labrador Retriever. But American society has no respect for such people. In any organization, people who have independent minds and opinions are appreciated. And in America people have common sense which is why if you told an American that is a criminal offense to hold up a sign peacefully, he will send you to the mental asylum.
In America and Europe, everyone has the right think and speak openly. And this is why when people think of new ideas and changes, they have a chance to get it implemented thereby improving their own lives as well as society. Free societies always change because everyone is always thinking of new and better ideas. Sometimes it is wrong and the country regresses. But then they realize it, correct their mistakes and move forward. Change is always good for society because change means progress.
In Singapore island you can have no change at all through the people. If there is going to be change it is because the rulers have decided it. As for you, you have to just sit back and wait for the next orders. In the end, the Singaporean is a boring dummy. And that is why Singaporeans never succeed abroad in the free world. It's because if an American is faced with something really stupid like don't stand on a street protesting, he would instantly ask why not. Whereas a Singaporean brought up under the obedience regime of Singapore would not even imagine of questioning the rule. And if you come to America and live your life simply obeying authority, you will not only fail in life, you will be a bore and no one would want to be with you.
Which is why an English boy, an American boy or an Australian boy is far more smarter intelligent and interesting than a Singaporean raised under this Stalinist one party police state.
I am a very lucky man to have got out of Singapore before my mind was permanently damaged living under such a regime. And that is why I am passing this message to you.
Please spread this message as widely as possible in social media sites. Thank you
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont San Francisco USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
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