just to let you know that i enjoy reading your site immensely, and make a point of bringing it to the attention of as many people as i can here in sillypore. Your observations are spot on every time.
all the best,
Sean Ashley
Monday, November 19, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Singapore. It is impossible to change the government through national elections.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Anyone with a pair of eyes, ears and a functioning head on his shoulders should have realized this much in Singapore Island. That it is impossible to change the government through conventional channel of elections. And as proof of the utter corruption of the Singapore administration responsible for this unacceptable state of affairs is the glaring and obvious Dr. Chee Soon Juan and Mr. JB Jeyaretnam. One need not go further than that. But I will anyway, starting with Dr. Chee Soon Juan and Mr. JB Jeyaretnam.
Each and every honest Singaporean will agree; honest ones that is; that the bankrupting of Dr. Chee and Mr. Jeyaretnam by Lee Kuan Yew, defaming them at will in the state controlled papers, the Straits Times, repeatedly calling them liars and cheats and dishonest persons, was entirely without justification. Anyone with any honesty will agree with this statement. We all know that neither of them was guilty of any defamation of any sort against anyone; that the defamation actions against them were politically motivated and carried out by a corrupt judiciary; their being made bankrupt was totally unjustified and calculated for one purpose and one purpose alone, that is, to disqualify them from standing for elections.
We also know that both of them, Dr. Chee and JB Jeyaretnam; are the 2 most eminent and capable of politicians; responsible honest loyal sincere and intelligent among Singaporeans; who most deserve to be in Parliament; who are best suited to protect Singaporeans interests. Yet without any shame; knowing full well that each and every Singaporean considers their disqualification totally unacceptable, indeed ridiculous; yet the Lee Kuan Yew Administration goes ahead and does what everyone can see is nothing short of outrageous. Lee makes them bankrupt and disqualified from Parliamentary elections.
This alone shows that this Administration will not stop short of taking even the most unacceptable action to remain in power. With this fact well known, any Singaporean should know that it is impossible to remove this Lee Kuan Yew Administration from power, as they are capable of any and all illegality to remain in power.
Although not necessary, I will point out even more reasons why the opposition should forget here and now, winning Parliamentary elections and forming the government.
In order for free and fair elections, one has to have an independent media, totally lacking in Singapore. All media in Singapore is owned and controlled by the Singapore government. It is furthermore an offence to print and distribute newsprint without a permit; and just in case you are minded to apply for it, the advice should be to forget it, since it will not be granted.
The state owned and controlled media will repeatedly and with heightened intensity just before any general election, defame all opposition politicians, even threatening them with defamation suits. This will frighten off any possible opposition political candidate from running; and every citizen from voting for any opposition candidate.
Electioneering system is weighted against the opposition. The few days that is permitted for electioneering is too short favoring the Lee Kuan Yew party since they can plan it years ahead.
It is impossible for opposition politicians to speak freely at rallies since there is the constant fear of defamation actions; as what happened to Tang Lian Hong in 1997 elections.
The judiciary is corrupt and beholden to the Lee Government. This prevents any honest and capable politician from standing at elections since he knows that he may, the very next minute, be bankrupted by Lee Kuan Yew's judges who willingly do his bidding.
And I can go on but it is not necessary. As for Hougang and Potong Pasir, these wards will continue to remain under the opposition or pseudo opposition to be more correct. Lee Kuan Yew prefers these 2 politicians to continue in Parliament as they serve to paint a good face on the PAP for the rest of the world to see; since they can say that it is not true to call Singapore a one party state. At the same time Lee is confident, by the past actions of these 2 politicians, that they are really not interested in challenging the PAP. Hougang and Potong Pasir are therefore really not examples for anyone to use in arguing that Singapore has a fair election system.
What I say is this. First the people of Hougang and Potong Pasir should stop relying on these opposition political parties and do what is right. They should not follow laws that they know to be unjust. These laws such as the 5 person protest law should be broken. If you do it in numbers, Lee Kuan Yew is powerless to do anything. The newspapers licensing law should be broken as being without any rational basis. The societies act should be broken because of the same. The people should break the house to house street collections act and the political donations act and solicit for moneys locally and worldwide for the same. When defamation suits are filed, they should be just ignored and not given any co-operation, leaving the despot to do whatever he wants.
By doing these things and getting away with them, Singaporeans empower themselves. And when you empower yourselves, Lee will have to take you seriously. And when he does that, is when Singaporeans will ever manage to succeed through the ballot box.
Until and unless these things happen, Lee Kuan Yew will continue to treat each one of Singapore citizens, nothing more than a nuisance. Your views will continue to be ignored and you will forever remain in Singapore, nothing more than slaves.
There are a few free men and women in Singapore. The most notable of them are Mr. JB Jeyaretnam and Dr. Chee Soon Juan. I too am a free man living in California, Gopalan Nair of Fremont California, USA.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
Anyone with a pair of eyes, ears and a functioning head on his shoulders should have realized this much in Singapore Island. That it is impossible to change the government through conventional channel of elections. And as proof of the utter corruption of the Singapore administration responsible for this unacceptable state of affairs is the glaring and obvious Dr. Chee Soon Juan and Mr. JB Jeyaretnam. One need not go further than that. But I will anyway, starting with Dr. Chee Soon Juan and Mr. JB Jeyaretnam.
Each and every honest Singaporean will agree; honest ones that is; that the bankrupting of Dr. Chee and Mr. Jeyaretnam by Lee Kuan Yew, defaming them at will in the state controlled papers, the Straits Times, repeatedly calling them liars and cheats and dishonest persons, was entirely without justification. Anyone with any honesty will agree with this statement. We all know that neither of them was guilty of any defamation of any sort against anyone; that the defamation actions against them were politically motivated and carried out by a corrupt judiciary; their being made bankrupt was totally unjustified and calculated for one purpose and one purpose alone, that is, to disqualify them from standing for elections.
We also know that both of them, Dr. Chee and JB Jeyaretnam; are the 2 most eminent and capable of politicians; responsible honest loyal sincere and intelligent among Singaporeans; who most deserve to be in Parliament; who are best suited to protect Singaporeans interests. Yet without any shame; knowing full well that each and every Singaporean considers their disqualification totally unacceptable, indeed ridiculous; yet the Lee Kuan Yew Administration goes ahead and does what everyone can see is nothing short of outrageous. Lee makes them bankrupt and disqualified from Parliamentary elections.
This alone shows that this Administration will not stop short of taking even the most unacceptable action to remain in power. With this fact well known, any Singaporean should know that it is impossible to remove this Lee Kuan Yew Administration from power, as they are capable of any and all illegality to remain in power.
Although not necessary, I will point out even more reasons why the opposition should forget here and now, winning Parliamentary elections and forming the government.
In order for free and fair elections, one has to have an independent media, totally lacking in Singapore. All media in Singapore is owned and controlled by the Singapore government. It is furthermore an offence to print and distribute newsprint without a permit; and just in case you are minded to apply for it, the advice should be to forget it, since it will not be granted.
The state owned and controlled media will repeatedly and with heightened intensity just before any general election, defame all opposition politicians, even threatening them with defamation suits. This will frighten off any possible opposition political candidate from running; and every citizen from voting for any opposition candidate.
Electioneering system is weighted against the opposition. The few days that is permitted for electioneering is too short favoring the Lee Kuan Yew party since they can plan it years ahead.
It is impossible for opposition politicians to speak freely at rallies since there is the constant fear of defamation actions; as what happened to Tang Lian Hong in 1997 elections.
The judiciary is corrupt and beholden to the Lee Government. This prevents any honest and capable politician from standing at elections since he knows that he may, the very next minute, be bankrupted by Lee Kuan Yew's judges who willingly do his bidding.
And I can go on but it is not necessary. As for Hougang and Potong Pasir, these wards will continue to remain under the opposition or pseudo opposition to be more correct. Lee Kuan Yew prefers these 2 politicians to continue in Parliament as they serve to paint a good face on the PAP for the rest of the world to see; since they can say that it is not true to call Singapore a one party state. At the same time Lee is confident, by the past actions of these 2 politicians, that they are really not interested in challenging the PAP. Hougang and Potong Pasir are therefore really not examples for anyone to use in arguing that Singapore has a fair election system.
What I say is this. First the people of Hougang and Potong Pasir should stop relying on these opposition political parties and do what is right. They should not follow laws that they know to be unjust. These laws such as the 5 person protest law should be broken. If you do it in numbers, Lee Kuan Yew is powerless to do anything. The newspapers licensing law should be broken as being without any rational basis. The societies act should be broken because of the same. The people should break the house to house street collections act and the political donations act and solicit for moneys locally and worldwide for the same. When defamation suits are filed, they should be just ignored and not given any co-operation, leaving the despot to do whatever he wants.
By doing these things and getting away with them, Singaporeans empower themselves. And when you empower yourselves, Lee will have to take you seriously. And when he does that, is when Singaporeans will ever manage to succeed through the ballot box.
Until and unless these things happen, Lee Kuan Yew will continue to treat each one of Singapore citizens, nothing more than a nuisance. Your views will continue to be ignored and you will forever remain in Singapore, nothing more than slaves.
There are a few free men and women in Singapore. The most notable of them are Mr. JB Jeyaretnam and Dr. Chee Soon Juan. I too am a free man living in California, Gopalan Nair of Fremont California, USA.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The shameful 2 faced lives that Singaporeans lead.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I was in Singapore from Nov 1 to Nov 9. East coast Malaya from Nov 9 to 12. Nov 12 travel from Wakaf Bahru/ Tumpat Thai border to Singapore on Malayan Railway Eastern Line. Departed Singapore 5.40 pm Changi, SQ2 Nov 13. The following my observations.
Every morning Singapore I wake up and turn on TV Channel News Asia. Steven Chia and a diminutive woman who keeps nodding her head at regular intervals, almost to outdo TV's "noddy the horse" read the news followed by Jennifer Alejandro to read the business news. Alejandro on her part introduces herself phonetically as Olihandro for some reason when it should be pronounced Alejandro as spelt (J being pronounced as H in Spanish, unlike in Portuguese were it is the same as in English). Alejandro is simply Alexander in English.
The point is this. These TV newsreaders unlike their other Singaporean citizens, do actually speak English and not Singlish. Second they appear to have an education commensurate to their reading the news. Third they appear to be very westernized with westernized mannerisms, effusing confidence replete with the jokes and the small talk which is expected of any newsreader in any western country.
But one thing makes them very different from any western newsreader. The fact that they are quite prepared to surrender their destinies to the whims of a despot. Any western newsreader being unwilling to do.
It strikes me as odd, very odd, that such apparently educated self confident young men and women, such as these western style newsreaders would be quite prepared to act their parts in a so called first world country, yet are prepared to live, presumably out of fear, in circumstances where they have no rights at all, and all rights belong only to the Lee family.
It is not only them. The greatly experienced SIA pilots on all the legs to Singapore and back only spoke an atrocious form of English, as we know Singlish, which is in fact English with a Hokkien accent. I am quite sure that listening to them, any English speaker from any part of the English speaking world, hearing it for the first time, would be hard-pressed in being convinced that it is actually English. But what was even more astonishing was the fact that all of them had an English name before their Chinese name, like Robert Chong and so forth. One will wonder why these people are so determined to have English names when they have so much difficulty in speaking it. Why are they so desperately trying to hide their Asian identity? And if they are so ashamed to be Chinese, should they not try a little harder in trying to speak English for a change.
The taxi driver from Changi Airport to my hotel had many complaints. Not enough money. Taxi company charging too much. Difficult to survive. To my question why he did not do anything about it, his answer was that it was useless. He did not wish to openly protest as the government will retaliate and cause him and his family harm. He was afraid. He cannot do anything to change his bleak prospects. He is resigned to the fate the government has for him. A pathetic case, just as the sad cases of each and every Singaporeans that we meet. A country consumed in fear.
Dying for good Indian food, I head for Tekka Market. There I meet an Indian foreign talent, a civil engineer. He is a Singapore Permanent Resident. He lives alone in Singapore. His wife and children live in India. He has been in Singapore for 6 years. He is not interested in being a Singapore citizen. As too many Indian students are going into software engineering, there is a shortage of civil engineers in India, he claims. He claims he can make as much money now in India as in Singapore. He told me he cares 2 hoots for Singapore. He will go anywhere in the world where he can make money. Then he will go home to India. He is Indian, he reminded me.
At the market I meet up with Uncle Yap. He paints an even grimmer picture of Singapore. He says the government does not pay CPF because they have run out of money. This is evident in their laying off many workers in government departments. And these, even the highly educated ones, according to Uncle Yap, end up as security guards and taxi drivers. He even said that there was a PhD driving a taxi around. The foreign talent policy, according to him is deliberately carried on by the government to suppress the wages of Singaporeans to remain competitive. If true, very distressing news for all Singaporeans.
A friend of mine, Jagir Singh Towana. Ex police officer. Spent entire career in the Singapore Police Force. After retirement, one would have expected him to live in comfort and leisure. No not so. Despite ailing health, he has had a heart bypass operation, he has no choice but to drive a Mercedes Benz taxi as a relief driver to the licensee. This is another example of the dark side of the Lee Kuan Yew's first world country.
Another old friend Gurunathan is busy running around as a real estate broker. He claims he has no time to see me as before. He has to run around making money to pay for his HDB flat. According to him, the HDB did not care whether you had food. Their flat must be paid for first! So even though he retired from Telecoms many years ago, despite every muscle and limb hurting, if indeed it did, the man has to still run around the length and breath of the island, hoping to make a deal to pay for his flat and food on the table.
We have Bala and Thanabal, the former in his 60th year, and the latter 57. Both have all sorts of ailments. Bala has severe diabetics, suffered a stroke and now has a liver condition. Thanabal a lifetime smoker has had a "balloon" medical procedure in his heart. Both are ailing. Yet both, with all their strength have to work. This Lee Kuan Yew's first world country is not prepared to lend them a hand.
Yet neither Bala, Thanabal nor Gurunathan would dare to even mention the word "protest". They are terrified to even mention the word. Terrified at what Lee Kuan Yew would do to them if they even so much so as raised a whimper. This is the example of Lee Kuan Yew's first world citizens in his first world country.
I spoke to my friend Nazir Mohammed Khan. He is the grandson of carpet dealer Amir and Sons along Orchard Road. This man had a lot to say in complaints. He had stories like how Lee Kuan Yew and his family forced the then owners of Goodwood Hotel to sell it to them and other interesting pieces of information; whether true or not only God knows. But in the end, he will refuse to do anything even remotely of registering his complaints in the open. On a fear register of 1 to 10, you could consider him nine. Now since he knows that I write this blog, he has refused to meet me at all!
I saw my friend Sambasivam of MediaCorps Tamil Section. He was my old friend. Same complaints as usual of the government censoring the media. But as expected he is not prepared to do anything about it. Again, the all encompassing fear.
I sometimes find it hard to accept the fact that in a country with such an educated population, why do they not realize, as everyone can see, that if sufficient numbers show their dissatisfaction, the magic words being sufficient numbers, the government is powerless to punish everyone. And it is not too hard to galvanize sufficient numbers. Surely this is possible.
But as to why they do not see what I can see, is a problem that beats me. Especially why Mr. Steven Chia, the Channel NewsAsia TV newsreader, that outspoken, classy, sophisticated Western educated confident young man wishes to live his life in submission beats me.
And on the whole, the average Singaporean appeared to be classic Kaisu characters. Greedy, selfish, money driven, generally angry and impatient. A vast contrast to the people of Kota Bahru.
The men and women of Kota Bahru were very different. First, I have never seen so beautiful women, Malay women, anywhere in the world, not even in England Germany or California. They were beautiful, gentle, gracious and generous. Truly so. Not the forced type of gentleness seen on airhostesses on Singapore Airlines Flight No. SQ2. Not only the women but everyone I met in Kota Bahru had this class and style about them. A true humanness lacking among Singaporeans.
Not too long ago, I read Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim. Conrad too has the same good impression of the people of Kota Bahru that I have.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
I was in Singapore from Nov 1 to Nov 9. East coast Malaya from Nov 9 to 12. Nov 12 travel from Wakaf Bahru/ Tumpat Thai border to Singapore on Malayan Railway Eastern Line. Departed Singapore 5.40 pm Changi, SQ2 Nov 13. The following my observations.
Every morning Singapore I wake up and turn on TV Channel News Asia. Steven Chia and a diminutive woman who keeps nodding her head at regular intervals, almost to outdo TV's "noddy the horse" read the news followed by Jennifer Alejandro to read the business news. Alejandro on her part introduces herself phonetically as Olihandro for some reason when it should be pronounced Alejandro as spelt (J being pronounced as H in Spanish, unlike in Portuguese were it is the same as in English). Alejandro is simply Alexander in English.
The point is this. These TV newsreaders unlike their other Singaporean citizens, do actually speak English and not Singlish. Second they appear to have an education commensurate to their reading the news. Third they appear to be very westernized with westernized mannerisms, effusing confidence replete with the jokes and the small talk which is expected of any newsreader in any western country.
But one thing makes them very different from any western newsreader. The fact that they are quite prepared to surrender their destinies to the whims of a despot. Any western newsreader being unwilling to do.
It strikes me as odd, very odd, that such apparently educated self confident young men and women, such as these western style newsreaders would be quite prepared to act their parts in a so called first world country, yet are prepared to live, presumably out of fear, in circumstances where they have no rights at all, and all rights belong only to the Lee family.
It is not only them. The greatly experienced SIA pilots on all the legs to Singapore and back only spoke an atrocious form of English, as we know Singlish, which is in fact English with a Hokkien accent. I am quite sure that listening to them, any English speaker from any part of the English speaking world, hearing it for the first time, would be hard-pressed in being convinced that it is actually English. But what was even more astonishing was the fact that all of them had an English name before their Chinese name, like Robert Chong and so forth. One will wonder why these people are so determined to have English names when they have so much difficulty in speaking it. Why are they so desperately trying to hide their Asian identity? And if they are so ashamed to be Chinese, should they not try a little harder in trying to speak English for a change.
The taxi driver from Changi Airport to my hotel had many complaints. Not enough money. Taxi company charging too much. Difficult to survive. To my question why he did not do anything about it, his answer was that it was useless. He did not wish to openly protest as the government will retaliate and cause him and his family harm. He was afraid. He cannot do anything to change his bleak prospects. He is resigned to the fate the government has for him. A pathetic case, just as the sad cases of each and every Singaporeans that we meet. A country consumed in fear.
Dying for good Indian food, I head for Tekka Market. There I meet an Indian foreign talent, a civil engineer. He is a Singapore Permanent Resident. He lives alone in Singapore. His wife and children live in India. He has been in Singapore for 6 years. He is not interested in being a Singapore citizen. As too many Indian students are going into software engineering, there is a shortage of civil engineers in India, he claims. He claims he can make as much money now in India as in Singapore. He told me he cares 2 hoots for Singapore. He will go anywhere in the world where he can make money. Then he will go home to India. He is Indian, he reminded me.
At the market I meet up with Uncle Yap. He paints an even grimmer picture of Singapore. He says the government does not pay CPF because they have run out of money. This is evident in their laying off many workers in government departments. And these, even the highly educated ones, according to Uncle Yap, end up as security guards and taxi drivers. He even said that there was a PhD driving a taxi around. The foreign talent policy, according to him is deliberately carried on by the government to suppress the wages of Singaporeans to remain competitive. If true, very distressing news for all Singaporeans.
A friend of mine, Jagir Singh Towana. Ex police officer. Spent entire career in the Singapore Police Force. After retirement, one would have expected him to live in comfort and leisure. No not so. Despite ailing health, he has had a heart bypass operation, he has no choice but to drive a Mercedes Benz taxi as a relief driver to the licensee. This is another example of the dark side of the Lee Kuan Yew's first world country.
Another old friend Gurunathan is busy running around as a real estate broker. He claims he has no time to see me as before. He has to run around making money to pay for his HDB flat. According to him, the HDB did not care whether you had food. Their flat must be paid for first! So even though he retired from Telecoms many years ago, despite every muscle and limb hurting, if indeed it did, the man has to still run around the length and breath of the island, hoping to make a deal to pay for his flat and food on the table.
We have Bala and Thanabal, the former in his 60th year, and the latter 57. Both have all sorts of ailments. Bala has severe diabetics, suffered a stroke and now has a liver condition. Thanabal a lifetime smoker has had a "balloon" medical procedure in his heart. Both are ailing. Yet both, with all their strength have to work. This Lee Kuan Yew's first world country is not prepared to lend them a hand.
Yet neither Bala, Thanabal nor Gurunathan would dare to even mention the word "protest". They are terrified to even mention the word. Terrified at what Lee Kuan Yew would do to them if they even so much so as raised a whimper. This is the example of Lee Kuan Yew's first world citizens in his first world country.
I spoke to my friend Nazir Mohammed Khan. He is the grandson of carpet dealer Amir and Sons along Orchard Road. This man had a lot to say in complaints. He had stories like how Lee Kuan Yew and his family forced the then owners of Goodwood Hotel to sell it to them and other interesting pieces of information; whether true or not only God knows. But in the end, he will refuse to do anything even remotely of registering his complaints in the open. On a fear register of 1 to 10, you could consider him nine. Now since he knows that I write this blog, he has refused to meet me at all!
I saw my friend Sambasivam of MediaCorps Tamil Section. He was my old friend. Same complaints as usual of the government censoring the media. But as expected he is not prepared to do anything about it. Again, the all encompassing fear.
I sometimes find it hard to accept the fact that in a country with such an educated population, why do they not realize, as everyone can see, that if sufficient numbers show their dissatisfaction, the magic words being sufficient numbers, the government is powerless to punish everyone. And it is not too hard to galvanize sufficient numbers. Surely this is possible.
But as to why they do not see what I can see, is a problem that beats me. Especially why Mr. Steven Chia, the Channel NewsAsia TV newsreader, that outspoken, classy, sophisticated Western educated confident young man wishes to live his life in submission beats me.
And on the whole, the average Singaporean appeared to be classic Kaisu characters. Greedy, selfish, money driven, generally angry and impatient. A vast contrast to the people of Kota Bahru.
The men and women of Kota Bahru were very different. First, I have never seen so beautiful women, Malay women, anywhere in the world, not even in England Germany or California. They were beautiful, gentle, gracious and generous. Truly so. Not the forced type of gentleness seen on airhostesses on Singapore Airlines Flight No. SQ2. Not only the women but everyone I met in Kota Bahru had this class and style about them. A true humanness lacking among Singaporeans.
Not too long ago, I read Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim. Conrad too has the same good impression of the people of Kota Bahru that I have.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
A letter from E-Jay
This is such a good article. Your rebuttal to Low Thia Kiang's chicanery, obfuscation, and gerrymandering is direct and accurate. This is what I call political critique at its best.
This is the kind of talent we need at the political helm of Singapore, not the half-baked puerile self-serving attitudes espoused by Low Thia Kiang. I don't have to mince my words in calling a spade a spade.
E-Jay
This is the kind of talent we need at the political helm of Singapore, not the half-baked puerile self-serving attitudes espoused by Low Thia Kiang. I don't have to mince my words in calling a spade a spade.
E-Jay
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Singapore. Low Thia Khiang is a let down for the cause of democracy
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is unfortunate that Singapore produces opposition politicians such as Low Thia Khiang. I have known him for 6 years while I was a member of the Workers Party, and this much I can say for him. He does not understand what a constitutional democracy is supposed to be; not forgetting that Singapore is, or at least is supposed to be a constitutional democracy.
He is very good in Hokkien and Teochew oratory to Chinese hawkers and grocery shop merchants in Hougang who do not know any English. For him to tell them that such and such policies are good or bad; get their support and enter Parliament to merely argue on policies is what he does. He does not have a sound education in English, let alone any understanding as to what a democracy is supposed to be. In fact, it appears to me that he does not believe in democracy but rather in the style of the Chinese politburo form of government; where the Chinese have no fundamental rights and the rulers decide on rules and laws which they feel would move the country forward; with or without freedom.
To the educated freedom is fundamental. Without it, there cannot be progress in this day and age. In any case, most educated people do not want progress if it comes with a denial of freedom. Low Thia Khiang does not understand any of this.
I am referring to his interview with the Chinese language press which was published in the Straits Times Nov 1, 2007.
He says "the term opposition is a legacy of the western parliamentary system and I have never believed that an opposition party should oppose for the sake of opposing or to shoot one's mouth off". He is wrong. Opposition derived from ancient Greece, ancient China and even ancient India where debate was encouraged so that, through consensus the best idea wins, and the country wins and progresses. It predated western parliamentary system by ions. Secondly he is wrong in "saying western opposition parties oppose for the sake of opposing or that they shoot one's mouth off". I wonder were he got such ideas, or is he saying these things because it pleases the PAP?
He then says "Politics should be responsible politics". Surely that is so. Is he suggesting that anyone would want it any other way? And we have no problem with his statement that "Opposition should be a watchdog, not a mad dog". That too we all agree. Why mention this. Or is he trying to say that the SDP is behaving otherwise?
He seems to be stating the obvious. "It is not the job of the opposition here to offer alternatives to all government policies". Yes Mr. Low. Here too we all agree. This is obvious.
He says "While the ruling party has specialists to study and research various issues, the opposition lacks the resources to come up with alternative issues". But Mr. Low, the ruling party uses taxpayers money to employ specialists. Similarly, when the opposition form the government, they will too. This does not prevent you to speak for the people; to defend their rights and to further their interest.
The WP, he says is "unlike the opposition parties in the west who come up with alternative policies for everything". He is wrong. Not just in the west, but also in the north the south and the east; throughout the world; good opposition parties come up with alternatives where they see the need. Not for everything. The man is engaging in rhetoric and nonsensical rhetoric at that.
Mr. Low is supposed to not only challenge government policies but if necessary, to throw them out and form a new government and not just "to improve on government policies". If that is all that he believes the work of the opposition is; he should step down immediately and stop being a spokesman for the Peoples Action Party.
He says 'the opposition should not shoot its mouth off and offer alternatives and policies on a whim'. I agree entirely and may I add that to my knowledge, no one has yet in Singapore behaved that way recently. The problem is that the opposition, like his, is not saying anything at all!
I am astonished at Mr. Low's statement that the opposition "should not offer alternative policies before it has reached a certain stage, until they have reached the stage of being able to replace the government and that WP is a long way off". Believe it or not, he is suggesting that the opposition or his version of it, should continue waiting and let the PAP do whatever they want because in all areas, the PAP have more experience than the WP. Is this not the chicken and the egg scenario. If the opposition does not challenge the PAP, they will not get the experience. And since they do not have the experience, they should not challenge the PAP! Is there not something patently wrong in his reasoning?
And what is worse " He believes that his party is not prepared to challenge the PAP in the near future, and that it will take a very long time". In that case, why did he stand for elections under the WP ticket anyway. Has he not misled his people?
In a few words, this man has let down his people. The Chinese speaking kway teow man in Hougang food court may not be aware of this, but an English speaking college graduate knows this very well.
Whether he likes it or not, he should be told that Singapore is a constitutional democracy. In other words there is a constitution. In it, the people have rights. These rights are inalienable. It is not up to the government's discretion to provide it or not. It is mandatory. These rights are being trodden upon. Right of Freedom of speech is being trodden upon. Right of assembly is trodden upon. Lee claims Singapore is first world. First world countries have these rights.
And finally Singapore is not Guandong or Beijing. Hu Jintao may sit with his Chinese Parliament in deciding how and what rights shall be denied. If he wants Chinese style democracy, then he should go there. What we are supposed to have in Singapore is a constitutional democracy, which had it's roots in Ancient Greece. Singapore is an English speaking country. Not a Teochew speaking country. The laws of Singapore are written in the English language. He should know this by now.
Originating from the ideas of Aristotle and Socrates.
Mr. Low does not appear to know the principles of government, and appears to have no inclination or desire to learn it now. Very sad.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
It is unfortunate that Singapore produces opposition politicians such as Low Thia Khiang. I have known him for 6 years while I was a member of the Workers Party, and this much I can say for him. He does not understand what a constitutional democracy is supposed to be; not forgetting that Singapore is, or at least is supposed to be a constitutional democracy.
He is very good in Hokkien and Teochew oratory to Chinese hawkers and grocery shop merchants in Hougang who do not know any English. For him to tell them that such and such policies are good or bad; get their support and enter Parliament to merely argue on policies is what he does. He does not have a sound education in English, let alone any understanding as to what a democracy is supposed to be. In fact, it appears to me that he does not believe in democracy but rather in the style of the Chinese politburo form of government; where the Chinese have no fundamental rights and the rulers decide on rules and laws which they feel would move the country forward; with or without freedom.
To the educated freedom is fundamental. Without it, there cannot be progress in this day and age. In any case, most educated people do not want progress if it comes with a denial of freedom. Low Thia Khiang does not understand any of this.
I am referring to his interview with the Chinese language press which was published in the Straits Times Nov 1, 2007.
He says "the term opposition is a legacy of the western parliamentary system and I have never believed that an opposition party should oppose for the sake of opposing or to shoot one's mouth off". He is wrong. Opposition derived from ancient Greece, ancient China and even ancient India where debate was encouraged so that, through consensus the best idea wins, and the country wins and progresses. It predated western parliamentary system by ions. Secondly he is wrong in "saying western opposition parties oppose for the sake of opposing or that they shoot one's mouth off". I wonder were he got such ideas, or is he saying these things because it pleases the PAP?
He then says "Politics should be responsible politics". Surely that is so. Is he suggesting that anyone would want it any other way? And we have no problem with his statement that "Opposition should be a watchdog, not a mad dog". That too we all agree. Why mention this. Or is he trying to say that the SDP is behaving otherwise?
He seems to be stating the obvious. "It is not the job of the opposition here to offer alternatives to all government policies". Yes Mr. Low. Here too we all agree. This is obvious.
He says "While the ruling party has specialists to study and research various issues, the opposition lacks the resources to come up with alternative issues". But Mr. Low, the ruling party uses taxpayers money to employ specialists. Similarly, when the opposition form the government, they will too. This does not prevent you to speak for the people; to defend their rights and to further their interest.
The WP, he says is "unlike the opposition parties in the west who come up with alternative policies for everything". He is wrong. Not just in the west, but also in the north the south and the east; throughout the world; good opposition parties come up with alternatives where they see the need. Not for everything. The man is engaging in rhetoric and nonsensical rhetoric at that.
Mr. Low is supposed to not only challenge government policies but if necessary, to throw them out and form a new government and not just "to improve on government policies". If that is all that he believes the work of the opposition is; he should step down immediately and stop being a spokesman for the Peoples Action Party.
He says 'the opposition should not shoot its mouth off and offer alternatives and policies on a whim'. I agree entirely and may I add that to my knowledge, no one has yet in Singapore behaved that way recently. The problem is that the opposition, like his, is not saying anything at all!
I am astonished at Mr. Low's statement that the opposition "should not offer alternative policies before it has reached a certain stage, until they have reached the stage of being able to replace the government and that WP is a long way off". Believe it or not, he is suggesting that the opposition or his version of it, should continue waiting and let the PAP do whatever they want because in all areas, the PAP have more experience than the WP. Is this not the chicken and the egg scenario. If the opposition does not challenge the PAP, they will not get the experience. And since they do not have the experience, they should not challenge the PAP! Is there not something patently wrong in his reasoning?
And what is worse " He believes that his party is not prepared to challenge the PAP in the near future, and that it will take a very long time". In that case, why did he stand for elections under the WP ticket anyway. Has he not misled his people?
In a few words, this man has let down his people. The Chinese speaking kway teow man in Hougang food court may not be aware of this, but an English speaking college graduate knows this very well.
Whether he likes it or not, he should be told that Singapore is a constitutional democracy. In other words there is a constitution. In it, the people have rights. These rights are inalienable. It is not up to the government's discretion to provide it or not. It is mandatory. These rights are being trodden upon. Right of Freedom of speech is being trodden upon. Right of assembly is trodden upon. Lee claims Singapore is first world. First world countries have these rights.
And finally Singapore is not Guandong or Beijing. Hu Jintao may sit with his Chinese Parliament in deciding how and what rights shall be denied. If he wants Chinese style democracy, then he should go there. What we are supposed to have in Singapore is a constitutional democracy, which had it's roots in Ancient Greece. Singapore is an English speaking country. Not a Teochew speaking country. The laws of Singapore are written in the English language. He should know this by now.
Originating from the ideas of Aristotle and Socrates.
Mr. Low does not appear to know the principles of government, and appears to have no inclination or desire to learn it now. Very sad.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
Friday, October 26, 2007
Singapore's "singspeak"
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If George Orwell were asked to write politically correct speech, which we can call "SINGSPEAK" on the lines of his futuristic novel "1984" for Singapore; a one party state, with a state controlled media, where licences are required to make public speeches, where licences are required to assemble, where political opponents are defamed jailed bankrupted and crushed, it would probably be on these lines:
1. Lee Kuan Yew is the founder of Singapore. It was he who transformed Singapore into a great nation.
2. Without Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore would be a back water. It will be another Batam.
3. We should all be grateful to our founding father Lee Kuan Yew.
4. Singapore is not suitable for western style democracy, because it is fractious and confrontational.What we need is unity and peace.
5. Protests should not be allowed because there is a likelihood of becoming rowdy.
6. Newspapers should be directed to be responsible and progressive. The Straits Times is a responsible newspaper. The New York Times is not.
7. Newspapers are an instrument of nation building.
8. Chewing gum should be banned because it gets stuck on train doors.
9. We should be wary of foreigners who are jealous of us, bent on destroying our peaceful lifestyle.
10. If the opposition wins the elections, foreign companies will all withdraw their investments from Singapore and go home.
11. It is better for people not to talk politics.
13. Those who criticise must be aware of the OB markers (Outward Boundary markers/ not international boundaries!)
14. Dr. Chee is a threat to the future of Singapore. He is a lair cheat and scoundrel. He cannot be trusted. He was convicted of stealing $8.
15. Mr. James Gomez lost his credibility. He is a liar cheat and charlatan. He lied about an election form!
16. Singapore is a global city.
17. There is nothing anyone cannot read in Singapore. There is total freedom of expression.
18. Lo Thia Khiang of the Workers Party unlike Dr. Chee is a responsible opposition politician.
19. Sylvia Lim, NCMP similarly is an excellent politician. Singapore needs more like her.
20. If Australians run Singapore, it will not last a day.
21. It is necessary for Lee Kuan Yew to sue Dr. Chee because he has to maintain his reputation.
22. It is necessary for Lee Kuan Yew to sue Far Eastern Economic Review because his reputation was tarnished.
23. Lee has a hatchet in his bag. If you challenge him, he will take you to a cul de sac and finish you off. You can call him "The Hatchet Man".
24. It is OK for there to be 1 or 2 opposition MPs. If there are 10 or 15 of them, Lee's son will not be able to govern because he will have to spend too much time fixing them and buying votes.
25. There is a symbiotic relationship between the trade union and the government.
26. If the pilots trade union asks for too much money, heads will be crushed. Lee Kuan Yew will do it.
27. Confucianism is best. Citizens are supposed to obey their rulers.
28. Singapore is now world education hub.
29. Singapore is now world arts hub.
30. Singapore legal system is best.
31. Singapore lawyers are best.
32. Singapore is bio tech hub.
33. Singapore is best.
34. Those who emigrate from Singapore are quitters.
35. 10,000 Singaporeans attended the Singapore connect overseas Singaporeans function in the Central Park, New York.
36. Overseas Singaporeans are dying to return to Singapore in such numbers that some have to be turned away.
37. JB Jeyaretnam is bad for Singapore. He is confrontational and destructive. Not like Lo Thia Khiang.
38. JB Jeyaretnam is bad because he is not confusion. He refuses to obey his rulers.
39. Singapore has rule of law. Why? Because Hong Kong based PERC, a consulting company, said so.
40. Lee Kuan Yew's only concern is to run Singapore. He does not care about what Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch or Freedom House thinks. They are a bunch of liars.
41. Lee has to pay himself and his friends $3 million each per year, because otherwise, they will all turn corrupt like Indonesians.
42. Singaporeans have the highest standard of living.
43. It is not true to say that poverty exists in Singapore.
44. Those who jump off tall buildings to their death, are merely engaging in a sporting activity. They may have forgotten to take parachutes.
And so on goes "SINGSPEAK" in that Orwellian, Lee Kuan Yew's one party state island. Singapore.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
If George Orwell were asked to write politically correct speech, which we can call "SINGSPEAK" on the lines of his futuristic novel "1984" for Singapore; a one party state, with a state controlled media, where licences are required to make public speeches, where licences are required to assemble, where political opponents are defamed jailed bankrupted and crushed, it would probably be on these lines:
1. Lee Kuan Yew is the founder of Singapore. It was he who transformed Singapore into a great nation.
2. Without Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore would be a back water. It will be another Batam.
3. We should all be grateful to our founding father Lee Kuan Yew.
4. Singapore is not suitable for western style democracy, because it is fractious and confrontational.What we need is unity and peace.
5. Protests should not be allowed because there is a likelihood of becoming rowdy.
6. Newspapers should be directed to be responsible and progressive. The Straits Times is a responsible newspaper. The New York Times is not.
7. Newspapers are an instrument of nation building.
8. Chewing gum should be banned because it gets stuck on train doors.
9. We should be wary of foreigners who are jealous of us, bent on destroying our peaceful lifestyle.
10. If the opposition wins the elections, foreign companies will all withdraw their investments from Singapore and go home.
11. It is better for people not to talk politics.
13. Those who criticise must be aware of the OB markers (Outward Boundary markers/ not international boundaries!)
14. Dr. Chee is a threat to the future of Singapore. He is a lair cheat and scoundrel. He cannot be trusted. He was convicted of stealing $8.
15. Mr. James Gomez lost his credibility. He is a liar cheat and charlatan. He lied about an election form!
16. Singapore is a global city.
17. There is nothing anyone cannot read in Singapore. There is total freedom of expression.
18. Lo Thia Khiang of the Workers Party unlike Dr. Chee is a responsible opposition politician.
19. Sylvia Lim, NCMP similarly is an excellent politician. Singapore needs more like her.
20. If Australians run Singapore, it will not last a day.
21. It is necessary for Lee Kuan Yew to sue Dr. Chee because he has to maintain his reputation.
22. It is necessary for Lee Kuan Yew to sue Far Eastern Economic Review because his reputation was tarnished.
23. Lee has a hatchet in his bag. If you challenge him, he will take you to a cul de sac and finish you off. You can call him "The Hatchet Man".
24. It is OK for there to be 1 or 2 opposition MPs. If there are 10 or 15 of them, Lee's son will not be able to govern because he will have to spend too much time fixing them and buying votes.
25. There is a symbiotic relationship between the trade union and the government.
26. If the pilots trade union asks for too much money, heads will be crushed. Lee Kuan Yew will do it.
27. Confucianism is best. Citizens are supposed to obey their rulers.
28. Singapore is now world education hub.
29. Singapore is now world arts hub.
30. Singapore legal system is best.
31. Singapore lawyers are best.
32. Singapore is bio tech hub.
33. Singapore is best.
34. Those who emigrate from Singapore are quitters.
35. 10,000 Singaporeans attended the Singapore connect overseas Singaporeans function in the Central Park, New York.
36. Overseas Singaporeans are dying to return to Singapore in such numbers that some have to be turned away.
37. JB Jeyaretnam is bad for Singapore. He is confrontational and destructive. Not like Lo Thia Khiang.
38. JB Jeyaretnam is bad because he is not confusion. He refuses to obey his rulers.
39. Singapore has rule of law. Why? Because Hong Kong based PERC, a consulting company, said so.
40. Lee Kuan Yew's only concern is to run Singapore. He does not care about what Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch or Freedom House thinks. They are a bunch of liars.
41. Lee has to pay himself and his friends $3 million each per year, because otherwise, they will all turn corrupt like Indonesians.
42. Singaporeans have the highest standard of living.
43. It is not true to say that poverty exists in Singapore.
44. Those who jump off tall buildings to their death, are merely engaging in a sporting activity. They may have forgotten to take parachutes.
And so on goes "SINGSPEAK" in that Orwellian, Lee Kuan Yew's one party state island. Singapore.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew family, their cronies and high level foreign talent enjoy prosperity. Not ordinary Singaporeans.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The state owned and controlled Singapore newspaper the Straits Times, just as all the other Singapore newspapers are; reports with pride the A380 Singapore Airlines aircraft made its first flight from Singapore to Sydney. Great. Should Singaporeans now go home and celebrate. Should they now open their champagne bottles; provided they can afford one? Or should they be asking what do they get out of it all? Nothing!
Don't forget, Lee Kuan Yew got Singapore Airlines with your money paid for through your CPF, by the ordinary Singaporeans; the taxi driver, the plumber and the hawker. Hard earned money, which Lee forcefully takes; I say forcefully, because it is illegal not to pay the government CPF and other forms of taxation such as HDB payments. Its your money which he uses to run his Singapore Airlines.
But who actually benefits from the success of the Airline which by the way is being run with your money? Not you, let me be clear. Not the average Singaporean worker. Here is who benefits.
First the directors of the airline who are comprised of Lee family members and his cronies and friends. Lee Kuan Yew and personal family members who pay themselves huge chunks of solid cash as directorship fees and salaries and dividends. Next come the high level executives, Lee Kuan Yew cronies, with mind boggling salaries which they take at will. Next comes the pilots, half or more of whom are foreigners, Australian, New Zealand, British and other nationalities, experienced pilots each with several thousand hours flight time. The other half are Singapore pilots. These you could say enjoy the benefits of the success of the world airline.
The vast majority of Singaporean employees, the ramp attendants, the cargo handlers, the traffic marshals, the cleaners and the grease monkeys do not. It does not matter how much the airline makes, these jobs will continue to be minimum wage jobs. And if the Singaporean is so stupid as to complain; the job will be taken away from him and immediately given to a recently arrived Chinese national from Harbin, who by the way is quite prepared to work for the peanuts!
So my dear Singaporean, don't let Lee Kuan Yew, deceive you as he appears very successful in doing. He has no plans to share the success of Singapore Inc with any one of you. He is happy that you are around to work and contribute your CPF monies to him, because he needs money. With your money, he will run Singapore Airlines intent on making profits. But the profits are not intended for you, mind you. He wants more and more money; and he needs you to be around to enable it.
And in doing this, in order to successfully deceive you; he has the help of his propaganda machine, the Straits Times, which will report on a daily basis to you that the company has done brilliantly, in Singapore, in London and all over the world; and they do this in the hope that you will feel a sense of gratification because of your airline's success. Please return to reality from somnolence, from your daydream and reverie. You are sleepwalking my friends. Realise that you are being deceived.
The truth of the matter is that the average Singaporean is worse off today than he was 10 years ago. There are many reports published on this. A380 may have made its maiden flight. But you are not on that aircraft. You may have a chance to clean it. But not more than that.
Take it from me. There is nothing in it for you. As for you, Lee Kuan Yew has one plan and it is not encouraging. He expects you to work at your job as a cargo handler until you drop dead, literally; as he has made it clear that he will not permit you to retire nor withdraw your CPF savings. You will work until you die. I am sorry but that is the plan. I have only tears for you.
It is the same with everything else in the country that they flaunt. The Port of Singapore Authority, the Formula I, Tumasek Holdings with assets all over the world, GIC trading with your money in Timbuktu, Republic of Mali? I do not know where, but they are all over the world. Singapore Inc International. All this buzz and activity carried out with the hard earned moneys of local Singaporeans CPF contributions, which Lee uses at his pleasure with totally no accountability. Not to you, not to me, not the world, not to anyone. He does whatever he wants, with your money. And what happens to the profits? Well, you know the answer. He and his family and friends eat that money. Nothing goes to you. As for you, just shut up, stop complaining and work until you drop dead.
Ordinary Singaporeans should know by now that they have no say in how their country is run. No say in where their money is going. No right to demand a share of the profits which is rightfully theirs, since it is their money that made these investments possible in the first place.
Making new malls, building new roads and building a new symphony orchestra will not make the average man feel any better because he cannot eat the new roads or the mall. Just looking at it gives him no satisfaction.
So next time my friend the average Singaporean reads in the state controlled local newspaper that Tumasek Holdings has made a billion dollars in profits, they should ask what is there in it for them? And if they do not get a satisfactory answer, it is about time to join Dr. Chee in his next protest and demand
"All right my boy, Lee Kuan Yew, congratulations. Now where is the bacon?"
as the huge Russian bear had asked Boris Yeltsin when he won the Russian elections; the bear balancing the diminutive Yeltsin in the palm of his hand; ready to be crushed at any moment. A caricature.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
The state owned and controlled Singapore newspaper the Straits Times, just as all the other Singapore newspapers are; reports with pride the A380 Singapore Airlines aircraft made its first flight from Singapore to Sydney. Great. Should Singaporeans now go home and celebrate. Should they now open their champagne bottles; provided they can afford one? Or should they be asking what do they get out of it all? Nothing!
Don't forget, Lee Kuan Yew got Singapore Airlines with your money paid for through your CPF, by the ordinary Singaporeans; the taxi driver, the plumber and the hawker. Hard earned money, which Lee forcefully takes; I say forcefully, because it is illegal not to pay the government CPF and other forms of taxation such as HDB payments. Its your money which he uses to run his Singapore Airlines.
But who actually benefits from the success of the Airline which by the way is being run with your money? Not you, let me be clear. Not the average Singaporean worker. Here is who benefits.
First the directors of the airline who are comprised of Lee family members and his cronies and friends. Lee Kuan Yew and personal family members who pay themselves huge chunks of solid cash as directorship fees and salaries and dividends. Next come the high level executives, Lee Kuan Yew cronies, with mind boggling salaries which they take at will. Next comes the pilots, half or more of whom are foreigners, Australian, New Zealand, British and other nationalities, experienced pilots each with several thousand hours flight time. The other half are Singapore pilots. These you could say enjoy the benefits of the success of the world airline.
The vast majority of Singaporean employees, the ramp attendants, the cargo handlers, the traffic marshals, the cleaners and the grease monkeys do not. It does not matter how much the airline makes, these jobs will continue to be minimum wage jobs. And if the Singaporean is so stupid as to complain; the job will be taken away from him and immediately given to a recently arrived Chinese national from Harbin, who by the way is quite prepared to work for the peanuts!
So my dear Singaporean, don't let Lee Kuan Yew, deceive you as he appears very successful in doing. He has no plans to share the success of Singapore Inc with any one of you. He is happy that you are around to work and contribute your CPF monies to him, because he needs money. With your money, he will run Singapore Airlines intent on making profits. But the profits are not intended for you, mind you. He wants more and more money; and he needs you to be around to enable it.
And in doing this, in order to successfully deceive you; he has the help of his propaganda machine, the Straits Times, which will report on a daily basis to you that the company has done brilliantly, in Singapore, in London and all over the world; and they do this in the hope that you will feel a sense of gratification because of your airline's success. Please return to reality from somnolence, from your daydream and reverie. You are sleepwalking my friends. Realise that you are being deceived.
The truth of the matter is that the average Singaporean is worse off today than he was 10 years ago. There are many reports published on this. A380 may have made its maiden flight. But you are not on that aircraft. You may have a chance to clean it. But not more than that.
Take it from me. There is nothing in it for you. As for you, Lee Kuan Yew has one plan and it is not encouraging. He expects you to work at your job as a cargo handler until you drop dead, literally; as he has made it clear that he will not permit you to retire nor withdraw your CPF savings. You will work until you die. I am sorry but that is the plan. I have only tears for you.
It is the same with everything else in the country that they flaunt. The Port of Singapore Authority, the Formula I, Tumasek Holdings with assets all over the world, GIC trading with your money in Timbuktu, Republic of Mali? I do not know where, but they are all over the world. Singapore Inc International. All this buzz and activity carried out with the hard earned moneys of local Singaporeans CPF contributions, which Lee uses at his pleasure with totally no accountability. Not to you, not to me, not the world, not to anyone. He does whatever he wants, with your money. And what happens to the profits? Well, you know the answer. He and his family and friends eat that money. Nothing goes to you. As for you, just shut up, stop complaining and work until you drop dead.
Ordinary Singaporeans should know by now that they have no say in how their country is run. No say in where their money is going. No right to demand a share of the profits which is rightfully theirs, since it is their money that made these investments possible in the first place.
Making new malls, building new roads and building a new symphony orchestra will not make the average man feel any better because he cannot eat the new roads or the mall. Just looking at it gives him no satisfaction.
So next time my friend the average Singaporean reads in the state controlled local newspaper that Tumasek Holdings has made a billion dollars in profits, they should ask what is there in it for them? And if they do not get a satisfactory answer, it is about time to join Dr. Chee in his next protest and demand
"All right my boy, Lee Kuan Yew, congratulations. Now where is the bacon?"
as the huge Russian bear had asked Boris Yeltsin when he won the Russian elections; the bear balancing the diminutive Yeltsin in the palm of his hand; ready to be crushed at any moment. A caricature.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com
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