Ladies and Gentlemen,
The island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean once had the Dodo bird, which the islanders hunted into extinction. Today that extinct bird is the island's national symbol.
Singapore's original inhabitants were the Malays, while the British colonists brought into the island huge numbers of Chinese and Indians workers. The Malays who should have protested this overrunning of their island instead did nothing to complain. Today the Malays are not quite the Dodo birds of Mauritius but they are almost extinct, marginalized, discriminated and neglected. Today, there are no more than 13% of them in the island who primarily work as office boys and coolies for the Chinese who have become their masters, a tragic irony in the island which had initially belonged to them. Not too distant in the future, the fate of the Dodo bird may well befall them too. And perhaps, after they are extinct, they too, like the Mauritian bird, can be made the symbol of Singapore.
And it is the same with democracy, the most important asset that Singaporeans should cherish and protect. But over the years with the Lee Kuan Yew regime, we see the gradual erosion of democracy in the island, which is the right of the people enshrined in the Constitution.
But today, as the government takes away the right to free speech, the right to free press, the right to assembly and the right to peaceful protest, no one complains, while the country slowly descends into an utter police state. The Singapore Democratic Party, the only organization with any credibility for standing up for freedom does nothing substantial, except to write never ending articles in their newspaper the Singapore Democrats which Lee Kuan Yew promptly ignores. They have a lot of valuable information in their website and periodically hold rallies and make speeches at Hong Lim Park, the one place which Lee Kuan Yew permits for public speaking, rallies which are invariably attended to by a handful of the usual suspects.
And this regular boring round of activities goes on ad nasuem. The website articles, the speeches and rallies at Hong Lim Park and nothing more. The government on their part, does whatever they want towards further tightening the laws against their people, and publish their actions in their state controlled press. The Singapore Democratic Party similarly regularly condemns these transgressions over their rights, which Lee Kuaan Ye promptly ignores.
And then we hear of a handful of young men and women from the Singapore Democratic Party sent overseas for democracy training exercises in collaboration from those of other countries. And then these young men, having been wiser by their experience, make even more speeches which the public promptly ignores.
And then we are back to square one again.
At least I have something to say about Dr. Chee's Singapore Democratic Party. As for the others, they are simply dead, who will come alive just before the elections and immediately thereafter become dead again.
I am sure the reader will see the frustration in my writing. I am sure you are aware of the following, which is, the SDP is also completely aware of the disadvantage of doing nothing to challenge the dictatorship; they are aware that merely making speeches and holding rallies at Hong Lim Park is not going to do it, and they are aware that some other drastic action has to be taken to make the change.
One thing I know is that there are a number of people in Singapore who want change. And change does not need millions of people to bring it about, all it takes is a handful to break these unjust laws and openly protest inviting arrest. The arrests will publicize the cause and the others who are equally yearning for change will follow. And when the few more join hands, then the multitude will also follow.
We have to provoke Lee Kuan Yew's government to retaliate and use violence on us, and when we are arrested, more will follow and then there will be the unstoppable flood. And then there has to be change. This has to be done from within Singapore not outside. And when the violence and repression becomes known to the world, others around the world can join in to eventually topple this regime.
At this moment all I can do is to write and keep this blog alive and a thorn on Lee Kuan Yew's side. I want to see change in the island and it pains me to see nothing happening. Speeches and more speeches is not going to do the trick. Provoking the Singapore government into violence will.
As for the elections, don't hold your breath. Lee Kuan Yew and friends will win again, by hook or by crook.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Singapore. A call worldwide for protestors
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The cry of freedom and liberty is no longer confined within a country's borders, it is international. The injustice done to the Palestine is as much a concern of the Palestinians as they are for an Englishman, a German an Australian or anyone else anywhere in the world, as we see instances of Americans protesting on the streets of Tel Aviv or Haifa for their cause or in Istanbul defending the cause of the Kurds.
And that is why I ask those around the world to lend a hand to those oppressed in Singapore through the denial of their fundamental human rights. Singapore is well known for it's almost non existence of human rights; no freedom of speech, expression or assembly and where the entire media is owned and controlled by the government's "propaganda department".
We also know that the people of Singapore are incapable of speaking up against this injustice fearing a legendary swift and punishing retaliation, resulting in the dissident suffering persecution their entire lives.
Only 2 days ago, we read of an recently formed organization's application to the government for a permit to walk from Hong Lim Park to Parliament House on World Democracy Day, a distance no more than 1 kilometer, turned down with a totally lame excuse that it may cause public disorder. As for the organization whose rights have been so blatantly denied, other than to file an appeal, which they know will be denied again, they have no plans for any other action.
This is the sort of fear under which Singaporeans live today. The government can simply deny any right you may have, and you are powerless to do anything about it.
And that is why, I call upon freedom loving people all over the world to lend a hand to the Singaporeans who are afraid to resist. Australians Englishmen or anyone else should enter Singapore to conduct public protests and civil disobedience. If arrested our foreign friends are unlikely to face any serious punishment other than a swift drive to the airport and deportation. If they did prosecute, it would turn out to be another instance of very bad publicity for the dictatorial regime. Either way, such public protests is plus for the universal cause of freedom by the free people of the world.
If human rights organizations and groups around the world are reading this, please come to Singapore in groups, or even singly, to publicly protest the lack of basic human rights. I am sure the oppressed in Singapore would appreciate what you do for them which they themselves are incapable of doing, while it may turn out to be the catalyst that emboldens Singaporeans to do the same.
Though your help, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for these Singaporeans who struggle under the yoke of this authoritarian government.
So for those from the free world reading this, combine your next visit to Singapore into an action for civil disobedience against the human rights violations there. If you did this, and it became more frequent, the government would be forced to rethink their hard line stance over their people.
Today this regime simply bull dozes their way over their citizens, knowing they are too weak to resist. It only takes a few concerned foreigners to put them in their place.
And a big thank you to the readers around the world and hope you would would ponder a thought about this plan, which I believe is an important tool in the quest for democracy in Singapore.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
The cry of freedom and liberty is no longer confined within a country's borders, it is international. The injustice done to the Palestine is as much a concern of the Palestinians as they are for an Englishman, a German an Australian or anyone else anywhere in the world, as we see instances of Americans protesting on the streets of Tel Aviv or Haifa for their cause or in Istanbul defending the cause of the Kurds.
And that is why I ask those around the world to lend a hand to those oppressed in Singapore through the denial of their fundamental human rights. Singapore is well known for it's almost non existence of human rights; no freedom of speech, expression or assembly and where the entire media is owned and controlled by the government's "propaganda department".
We also know that the people of Singapore are incapable of speaking up against this injustice fearing a legendary swift and punishing retaliation, resulting in the dissident suffering persecution their entire lives.
Only 2 days ago, we read of an recently formed organization's application to the government for a permit to walk from Hong Lim Park to Parliament House on World Democracy Day, a distance no more than 1 kilometer, turned down with a totally lame excuse that it may cause public disorder. As for the organization whose rights have been so blatantly denied, other than to file an appeal, which they know will be denied again, they have no plans for any other action.
This is the sort of fear under which Singaporeans live today. The government can simply deny any right you may have, and you are powerless to do anything about it.
And that is why, I call upon freedom loving people all over the world to lend a hand to the Singaporeans who are afraid to resist. Australians Englishmen or anyone else should enter Singapore to conduct public protests and civil disobedience. If arrested our foreign friends are unlikely to face any serious punishment other than a swift drive to the airport and deportation. If they did prosecute, it would turn out to be another instance of very bad publicity for the dictatorial regime. Either way, such public protests is plus for the universal cause of freedom by the free people of the world.
If human rights organizations and groups around the world are reading this, please come to Singapore in groups, or even singly, to publicly protest the lack of basic human rights. I am sure the oppressed in Singapore would appreciate what you do for them which they themselves are incapable of doing, while it may turn out to be the catalyst that emboldens Singaporeans to do the same.
Though your help, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for these Singaporeans who struggle under the yoke of this authoritarian government.
So for those from the free world reading this, combine your next visit to Singapore into an action for civil disobedience against the human rights violations there. If you did this, and it became more frequent, the government would be forced to rethink their hard line stance over their people.
Today this regime simply bull dozes their way over their citizens, knowing they are too weak to resist. It only takes a few concerned foreigners to put them in their place.
And a big thank you to the readers around the world and hope you would would ponder a thought about this plan, which I believe is an important tool in the quest for democracy in Singapore.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Singapore's opposition should buy that lottery ticket
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me start by telling you a joke which explains what I am about to say.
A Jew prayed everyday without fail at the Wailing Wall for years, asking God to help him win the Lottery. An Angel felt sorry for him, and asked God if he could help him. God's reply was that he was well aware of this man, and would have loved to help him, if only he would buy a Lottery ticket!
And this is exactly the situation the opposition is in Singapore.
Here you have a situation where the PAP rigs the elections, controls the press, uses the judiciary to punish dissidents, discriminates against you if you are not a supporter, denies you the right to speech or protest and in every other way prevents you from ever winning the elections. It should have been clear to them by now that contesting the elections is not going to achieve anything. It can be a corollary to other actions, but doing it alone is not going to get you anywhere.
And as was the case with the Jew and the Lottery ticket, surely the Singapore opposition should by now realise that they have to buy that ticket, which is, they have to do something. They have to break the law unjustly imposed by the dictatorship and go out and peacefully protest the injustices. This would of course be breaking the law, but in Singapore this has to be done. Now, sad to say, they are in the same position as the Jew who simply refuses to buy that Lottery ticket.
So to Singapore's opposition I say this, buy that Lottery ticket. Break the law. Conduct peaceful protests, speeches, parades and walks all over Singapore, not just in Hock Lim Park but throughout the island.
Otherwise like that Jew, you would be praying for a change of government all your lives, but it simply will not happen.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Let me start by telling you a joke which explains what I am about to say.
A Jew prayed everyday without fail at the Wailing Wall for years, asking God to help him win the Lottery. An Angel felt sorry for him, and asked God if he could help him. God's reply was that he was well aware of this man, and would have loved to help him, if only he would buy a Lottery ticket!
And this is exactly the situation the opposition is in Singapore.
Here you have a situation where the PAP rigs the elections, controls the press, uses the judiciary to punish dissidents, discriminates against you if you are not a supporter, denies you the right to speech or protest and in every other way prevents you from ever winning the elections. It should have been clear to them by now that contesting the elections is not going to achieve anything. It can be a corollary to other actions, but doing it alone is not going to get you anywhere.
And as was the case with the Jew and the Lottery ticket, surely the Singapore opposition should by now realise that they have to buy that ticket, which is, they have to do something. They have to break the law unjustly imposed by the dictatorship and go out and peacefully protest the injustices. This would of course be breaking the law, but in Singapore this has to be done. Now, sad to say, they are in the same position as the Jew who simply refuses to buy that Lottery ticket.
So to Singapore's opposition I say this, buy that Lottery ticket. Break the law. Conduct peaceful protests, speeches, parades and walks all over Singapore, not just in Hock Lim Park but throughout the island.
Otherwise like that Jew, you would be praying for a change of government all your lives, but it simply will not happen.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Singapore's Loh Sze On Quentin's office unattended!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I just called Loh Sze On Quentin's, Lee Kuan Yew's judge's office today at Tel 63321270, the number which appears on the government website which has Arneda Jasman, presumably a Malay woman, as his secretary. She was not here. The response message mysteriously said that I had reached another number Tel 91850955. A woman when I called this number said, Arneda is on leave and this is her cell phone and that she was secretary to someone else. When I asked whom ,the call was disconnected.
You might want to try these numbers and have some fun. It seems to me that with so many people up in arms about his judgement in the Alan Shadrake case, both he and his secretary have decided to disappear!
Gopalan Nair
Fremont, CA
I just called Loh Sze On Quentin's, Lee Kuan Yew's judge's office today at Tel 63321270, the number which appears on the government website which has Arneda Jasman, presumably a Malay woman, as his secretary. She was not here. The response message mysteriously said that I had reached another number Tel 91850955. A woman when I called this number said, Arneda is on leave and this is her cell phone and that she was secretary to someone else. When I asked whom ,the call was disconnected.
You might want to try these numbers and have some fun. It seems to me that with so many people up in arms about his judgement in the Alan Shadrake case, both he and his secretary have decided to disappear!
Gopalan Nair
Fremont, CA
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew treating us as fools
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In my blog "Singapore says Social network working" Dec 03, 2010, I had pointed out how false Lee Kuan Yew's son, whom he appointed Prime Minister was when he said, in his state controlled paper, Straits Times, that the Singapore's disadvantaged are being taken care of, when in fact there is no social welfare to speak of, with many having to live in terrible poverty.
Even though every other Singaporean knows this is a lie, but because he controls all the newspapers, there is nothing that anyone can do to rebut it.
Another example of this appears in Singapore Democratic Party's website, of Dec 06, 2010, headed "Stage protests in ballrooms, really". In it, Dr. Chee Soon Juan writes about what transpired in the high Court, at his appeal hearing for his conviction for peaceful protest. Even though Article 14 of the Constitution, specifically guarantees freedom of assembly, the Singapore government deputy public prosecutor, Nor Ashikin Samdin, a local Singapore Malay woman, in her astonishing argument says, Dr. Chee should have had his protest in a private ballroom!
This unbelievable statement from Singapore's so called deputy public prosecutor raises some very disturbing issues. For one, it appears she does not understand the Constitution, perhaps never heard of it. Second she probably does not know any constitutional law, the backbone for a provision that guarantees free speech and assembly.
Singapore has had a limited form of self government in 1959 and independence in 1965 based on a Constitution that guarantees democracy, which is the basis for such fundamental rights as free speech and expression. From what this woman appears to say, she appears to think Singapore is none other than a dictatorship under Lee Kuan Yew and since he does not like people publicly criticizing him, they should all do it in private ballrooms!
And this is what happens under a dictatorial regime, like Singapore. People reach a point where they simply find living under a system where you are forced to listen to rubbish or propaganda daily, where the Media is completely controlled, simply intolerable. This sort of a system insults the people's intelligence, making the able and capable simply leave the country for the West.
What is left in the island is simply incompetence and ignorance, such as this woman arguing in a court of law that Dr. Chee should go on and hold a public protest in a private ballroom, when we know that she would never have uttered such nonsense had she known even the basics of constitutional law, politics or history.
We know that for decades Singapore's legal profession has been shrinking not expanding, even though the population has burgeoned to 5 million. It has today no more than, believe it or not, 3,000 lawyers a number completely inadequate. So what the government does to carry on, is to give jobs to women such as Nor Ashikin Samdin, who has no law at all in her head to pretend to act as Deputy Public Prosecutors.
I always have believed, as I do now, that surely this situation is untenable and cannot last. We have heard K Shanmugam, Lee Kuan Yew's Minister for Law claiming to increase the number of lawyers in Singapore but up till now, there has been nothing. Of course, he can say anything he wants in their state controlled papers since no one would be permitted a rebuttal, but the fact that he has to know is this; Singapore has a bad name as a place that uses the law to silence dissent. With a bad reputation like that, you will not only fail in getting locals to enter the profession, no foreigner with any qualifications would want to come.
Lee should realize that he is not only weakening himself and his government by this refusal to allow democracy in his island. If you had a free press in Singapore today, not just I but thousands of people would be pointing out the stupidity and incompetence of this woman, but today, except for a handful of people, no one can or dare criticize this woman and expose the pathetic state of the Singapore legal system.
The State Controlled Media will not publish any rebuttals, leaving the handful of critics who dare to criticize, no other option but to use the Internet. But even so, in Singapore even to do that entails great danger.
But the good news is this. If Lee Kuan Yew has to use women such as this to prosecute their cases, they have hit rock bottom in legal recruitment and the dearth of legal talent itself will bring them down. And second, I am sure, with increasing Internet use, while the government continues to use an iron grip to criminalize free speech or an independent press, there will come a breaking point very soon. It has to be. We will see 10 or more people breaking these unjust laws and protesting on the streets, which will open the floodgates. And we will see the fall of the dictatorship.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
In my blog "Singapore says Social network working" Dec 03, 2010, I had pointed out how false Lee Kuan Yew's son, whom he appointed Prime Minister was when he said, in his state controlled paper, Straits Times, that the Singapore's disadvantaged are being taken care of, when in fact there is no social welfare to speak of, with many having to live in terrible poverty.
Even though every other Singaporean knows this is a lie, but because he controls all the newspapers, there is nothing that anyone can do to rebut it.
Another example of this appears in Singapore Democratic Party's website, of Dec 06, 2010, headed "Stage protests in ballrooms, really". In it, Dr. Chee Soon Juan writes about what transpired in the high Court, at his appeal hearing for his conviction for peaceful protest. Even though Article 14 of the Constitution, specifically guarantees freedom of assembly, the Singapore government deputy public prosecutor, Nor Ashikin Samdin, a local Singapore Malay woman, in her astonishing argument says, Dr. Chee should have had his protest in a private ballroom!
This unbelievable statement from Singapore's so called deputy public prosecutor raises some very disturbing issues. For one, it appears she does not understand the Constitution, perhaps never heard of it. Second she probably does not know any constitutional law, the backbone for a provision that guarantees free speech and assembly.
Singapore has had a limited form of self government in 1959 and independence in 1965 based on a Constitution that guarantees democracy, which is the basis for such fundamental rights as free speech and expression. From what this woman appears to say, she appears to think Singapore is none other than a dictatorship under Lee Kuan Yew and since he does not like people publicly criticizing him, they should all do it in private ballrooms!
And this is what happens under a dictatorial regime, like Singapore. People reach a point where they simply find living under a system where you are forced to listen to rubbish or propaganda daily, where the Media is completely controlled, simply intolerable. This sort of a system insults the people's intelligence, making the able and capable simply leave the country for the West.
What is left in the island is simply incompetence and ignorance, such as this woman arguing in a court of law that Dr. Chee should go on and hold a public protest in a private ballroom, when we know that she would never have uttered such nonsense had she known even the basics of constitutional law, politics or history.
We know that for decades Singapore's legal profession has been shrinking not expanding, even though the population has burgeoned to 5 million. It has today no more than, believe it or not, 3,000 lawyers a number completely inadequate. So what the government does to carry on, is to give jobs to women such as Nor Ashikin Samdin, who has no law at all in her head to pretend to act as Deputy Public Prosecutors.
I always have believed, as I do now, that surely this situation is untenable and cannot last. We have heard K Shanmugam, Lee Kuan Yew's Minister for Law claiming to increase the number of lawyers in Singapore but up till now, there has been nothing. Of course, he can say anything he wants in their state controlled papers since no one would be permitted a rebuttal, but the fact that he has to know is this; Singapore has a bad name as a place that uses the law to silence dissent. With a bad reputation like that, you will not only fail in getting locals to enter the profession, no foreigner with any qualifications would want to come.
Lee should realize that he is not only weakening himself and his government by this refusal to allow democracy in his island. If you had a free press in Singapore today, not just I but thousands of people would be pointing out the stupidity and incompetence of this woman, but today, except for a handful of people, no one can or dare criticize this woman and expose the pathetic state of the Singapore legal system.
The State Controlled Media will not publish any rebuttals, leaving the handful of critics who dare to criticize, no other option but to use the Internet. But even so, in Singapore even to do that entails great danger.
But the good news is this. If Lee Kuan Yew has to use women such as this to prosecute their cases, they have hit rock bottom in legal recruitment and the dearth of legal talent itself will bring them down. And second, I am sure, with increasing Internet use, while the government continues to use an iron grip to criminalize free speech or an independent press, there will come a breaking point very soon. It has to be. We will see 10 or more people breaking these unjust laws and protesting on the streets, which will open the floodgates. And we will see the fall of the dictatorship.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Singapore Judge Loh Sze On Quentin, a pariah among the world's legal fraternity
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If there is one man, who completely turned himself and his reputation (if he ever had one) into an instant worldwide disgrace, it has to Singapore Judge Loh Sze On Quentin who jailed the English author Alan Shadrake, last month, for writing a book critical of Singapore's legal system and it's judiciary.
Today more and more countries are realizing that democracy is the answer for success, not fascism or dictatorship, and democracy's principle tool is freedom of speech. The right to criticize one's leaders, one's legal system and one's judges is one of the most important rights that people have, and a right which the courts themselves around the world uphold.
Alan Shadrake's Book "Once a Jolly Hangman" did not contain obscenities or intemperate language against judges, it merely pointed out that Singapore's legal system is biased against the poor, the disadvantaged and the politically unconnected, a book which would be protected in any other legal system in the world, except North Korea, Burma or in this case Singapore.
Loh Sze On Quentin, this local Chinese Singaporean judge with an English name, is not fooling himself or anyone by his judgement, a judgement which is itself based on lies and half truths and sometimes complete falsities. The judgement he claims is based on English Common Law of Contempt of court which is part of the law of Singapore; yet he does not say that in England itself no one has been convicted of a case like this for nearly a century!
The truth is Loh Sze On Quentin, is under orders from his master Lee Kuan Yew who runs Singapore and everything in it, who is unfortunately finding it increasingly difficult to govern with an increasingly questioning electorate. Therefore the only thing he can think of is to continue the old Chinese trick of killing a monkey to frighten the Singaporean chickens.
This judge has now suddenly become internationally notorious as that shameless spineless opportunist who is in truth a fascist politician, who has just sent an English writer to jail, because he offended Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew. With a label like that, I don't think he is going get any international awards for jurisprudence any time soon!
Had I been him, I would be seriously regretting not only my legal decision but also my decision to accept a judgeship when Lee Kuan Yew the strongman upon whom everything depends in that island, is just about to die, being 88. He would have been much better off remaining as that small time lawyer which he was, in his former firm Cooma Low and Loh, licking Lee Kuan Yew's boots. Let this be a lesson to everyone not to succumb to greed and avarice, as it always turns out bad.
PS I have just sent this post to Loh Sze On Quentin's court. I don't think he is in a position to do anything about it. This is an example of a frog who thinks he is king in his well.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
If there is one man, who completely turned himself and his reputation (if he ever had one) into an instant worldwide disgrace, it has to Singapore Judge Loh Sze On Quentin who jailed the English author Alan Shadrake, last month, for writing a book critical of Singapore's legal system and it's judiciary.
Today more and more countries are realizing that democracy is the answer for success, not fascism or dictatorship, and democracy's principle tool is freedom of speech. The right to criticize one's leaders, one's legal system and one's judges is one of the most important rights that people have, and a right which the courts themselves around the world uphold.
Alan Shadrake's Book "Once a Jolly Hangman" did not contain obscenities or intemperate language against judges, it merely pointed out that Singapore's legal system is biased against the poor, the disadvantaged and the politically unconnected, a book which would be protected in any other legal system in the world, except North Korea, Burma or in this case Singapore.
Loh Sze On Quentin, this local Chinese Singaporean judge with an English name, is not fooling himself or anyone by his judgement, a judgement which is itself based on lies and half truths and sometimes complete falsities. The judgement he claims is based on English Common Law of Contempt of court which is part of the law of Singapore; yet he does not say that in England itself no one has been convicted of a case like this for nearly a century!
The truth is Loh Sze On Quentin, is under orders from his master Lee Kuan Yew who runs Singapore and everything in it, who is unfortunately finding it increasingly difficult to govern with an increasingly questioning electorate. Therefore the only thing he can think of is to continue the old Chinese trick of killing a monkey to frighten the Singaporean chickens.
This judge has now suddenly become internationally notorious as that shameless spineless opportunist who is in truth a fascist politician, who has just sent an English writer to jail, because he offended Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew. With a label like that, I don't think he is going get any international awards for jurisprudence any time soon!
Had I been him, I would be seriously regretting not only my legal decision but also my decision to accept a judgeship when Lee Kuan Yew the strongman upon whom everything depends in that island, is just about to die, being 88. He would have been much better off remaining as that small time lawyer which he was, in his former firm Cooma Low and Loh, licking Lee Kuan Yew's boots. Let this be a lesson to everyone not to succumb to greed and avarice, as it always turns out bad.
PS I have just sent this post to Loh Sze On Quentin's court. I don't think he is in a position to do anything about it. This is an example of a frog who thinks he is king in his well.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Singapore says, Social Safety Net "Working"
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore's state owned and controlled newspaper the Straits Times Online edition of Dec 2, 2010 has this story "Social safety net "working"". The Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew's son, whom he appointed Prime Minister, has ordered his paper, to say that the poor are not neglected by his government, a statement which has not an iota of truth in it. Of course in a country where he controls every single newspaper, he can say anything he wants and not be any worse for it.
He says "Singapore's social safety net is working well" and "the Government will keep finding ways to improve it".
The fact is, if you knew Singapore like I do, it completely neglects it's poor, and the justification they use is to say, we are a "meritocratic society", which again is a completely false statement. Lee Kuan Yew cronies being given top jobs and anyone else asked to fend for themselves, is not meritocracy. There is another word for it. It is nepotism.
The truth is this. If you are lucky to have had an education and the willingness to shut your mind to any thing political, or the willingness to crawl, you would be able to make some sort of a living. On the other hand, if you were incapable of studying or you were stupid enough to go against the Big Man, you are in very serious trouble. You would probably be unemployed and without any help from friends and relatives, would just about starve. To live, you would have to completely demean yourself for any help, almost begging for a handout from the government, which in turn destroys your self respect, which in turn destroys your spirit, which in turn destroys you.
The whole basis of Singapore's approach to social welfare is wrong. It is based on a distrust of their own people, on a false justification that if ever you showed the slightest of generosity to the disadvantaged, you will immediately open the flood gates of a crutch mentality and every one would become lazy and Singapore as we know would collapse tomorrow.
So with this false premise in mind, the government, although well able to afford it, go out of their way to demand their poor to almost be dying before they are even given a crumb. The entire process of it is not only demeaning, it is dehumanizing.
Instead of the government working out a minimum amount of income necessary for a citizen based on family size, which is realistic, rather than expecting someone to live on bread and water; giving them a means test and paying out what is due with respect and dignity, Singapore has a system which in effect requires the poor to literally beg.
Although there is some sort of calculation to decide what one gets, it is actually way way below what is needed to survive as an ordinary human being. We hear many stories in blogs and the Internet of families living in the dark because they are unable to afford electricity, of people having to sit on the floor because they cannot afford furniture, of people having to live on one meal a day, and just drinking coffee and bread for supper.
And when this sort of life becomes unbearable, they can try, with no guarantee, to get some more help, but this requires standing in line outside their Lee Kuan Yew Minister or Member of Parliament's office for many hours, and begging for some more help, which usually turns out to be no more than a bag of rice, some cooking oil and soya sauce.
My question to Lee Kuan Yew and his son is this, why do you have to make your citizens crawl so low and even so they don't even receive the basics? Why can't you trust your people, care for them, and treat them well? Why do you have this obsession of thinking that the moment you are nice, your people would turn on you? And since you yourself take a salary of several millions a year, which turns out to be 6 times what President Obama gets and what the incomes of all the European ministers combined, which you know is theft or corruption, why can't you give a little for your fellow Singaporeans?
Lee Kuan Yew's son should know that generous social welfare, instead of creating a crutch mentality, in fact has the completely opposite effect. In Europe today, Germany has one of the best social welfare schemes. It has also almost free education, where almost everyone not only has gone to school, almost everyone has tertiary education; a large proportion of them with PhDs. Despite the free or subsidised universal education and a comfortable social welfare net, Germany continues to be most successful economy in Europe and it's largest exporter, with Germans enjoying one of the highest standards of living in Europe. And the reason for this, which Lee Kuan Yew's son does not understand, is the realization by the government that Germans care for their government and a realization by the people that their government cares for them.
Today in Singapore, many look upon me with envy, because I have managed to move to the United States. In fact, a survey not too long ago revealed that 3 out of 4 young people surveyed had said, if given a chance they would emigrate to the West.
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew should realize that a little caring for the disadvantaged, at least to a level necessary for normal life, has benefits which far outweigh anything undesirable. For one, their children have better lives and education, which results in better skilled future citizens. They appreciate what their country does for them and in turn reciprocate by doing what they can for their country. With their appreciation, Singapore no longer becomes a bad dream, and instead something they can be proud about. And as for the children who become the future adults in Singapore, they would probably do better than their parents who did not have it so good. Caring for your people can only be a win win situation, which Lee Kuna Yew nor his son do not appear to understand.
And as for the argument that Singapore would no longer be competitive if there is a decent social welfare in place, this argument has been disproved throughout the world. Everywhere you look, a decent welfare system in fact makes the country more competitive, not less. And this is because, the human spirit is such that it would find ways to re invent the wheel, to find alternative policies and ways to make a living and improve, but it can only do so, if there is mutual trust and respect, by the government for the people and the people for the government.
Singaporeans today hate their government and their government in turn is afraid of them. This accounts for the fact that emigration rates continue to mount, Singaporeans do not reproduce themselves and no one is getting married.
And one of the major problems the government has today is getting skilled English speaking workers. It is almost impossible to find any.
In this atmosphere of mutual distrust in Singapore, productivity can only fall, not improve, as shown by Singapore's falling productivity levels. And this proves the very point that I am trying to make, which is, a caring society has it's benefits.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
Singapore's state owned and controlled newspaper the Straits Times Online edition of Dec 2, 2010 has this story "Social safety net "working"". The Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew's son, whom he appointed Prime Minister, has ordered his paper, to say that the poor are not neglected by his government, a statement which has not an iota of truth in it. Of course in a country where he controls every single newspaper, he can say anything he wants and not be any worse for it.
He says "Singapore's social safety net is working well" and "the Government will keep finding ways to improve it".
The fact is, if you knew Singapore like I do, it completely neglects it's poor, and the justification they use is to say, we are a "meritocratic society", which again is a completely false statement. Lee Kuan Yew cronies being given top jobs and anyone else asked to fend for themselves, is not meritocracy. There is another word for it. It is nepotism.
The truth is this. If you are lucky to have had an education and the willingness to shut your mind to any thing political, or the willingness to crawl, you would be able to make some sort of a living. On the other hand, if you were incapable of studying or you were stupid enough to go against the Big Man, you are in very serious trouble. You would probably be unemployed and without any help from friends and relatives, would just about starve. To live, you would have to completely demean yourself for any help, almost begging for a handout from the government, which in turn destroys your self respect, which in turn destroys your spirit, which in turn destroys you.
The whole basis of Singapore's approach to social welfare is wrong. It is based on a distrust of their own people, on a false justification that if ever you showed the slightest of generosity to the disadvantaged, you will immediately open the flood gates of a crutch mentality and every one would become lazy and Singapore as we know would collapse tomorrow.
So with this false premise in mind, the government, although well able to afford it, go out of their way to demand their poor to almost be dying before they are even given a crumb. The entire process of it is not only demeaning, it is dehumanizing.
Instead of the government working out a minimum amount of income necessary for a citizen based on family size, which is realistic, rather than expecting someone to live on bread and water; giving them a means test and paying out what is due with respect and dignity, Singapore has a system which in effect requires the poor to literally beg.
Although there is some sort of calculation to decide what one gets, it is actually way way below what is needed to survive as an ordinary human being. We hear many stories in blogs and the Internet of families living in the dark because they are unable to afford electricity, of people having to sit on the floor because they cannot afford furniture, of people having to live on one meal a day, and just drinking coffee and bread for supper.
And when this sort of life becomes unbearable, they can try, with no guarantee, to get some more help, but this requires standing in line outside their Lee Kuan Yew Minister or Member of Parliament's office for many hours, and begging for some more help, which usually turns out to be no more than a bag of rice, some cooking oil and soya sauce.
My question to Lee Kuan Yew and his son is this, why do you have to make your citizens crawl so low and even so they don't even receive the basics? Why can't you trust your people, care for them, and treat them well? Why do you have this obsession of thinking that the moment you are nice, your people would turn on you? And since you yourself take a salary of several millions a year, which turns out to be 6 times what President Obama gets and what the incomes of all the European ministers combined, which you know is theft or corruption, why can't you give a little for your fellow Singaporeans?
Lee Kuan Yew's son should know that generous social welfare, instead of creating a crutch mentality, in fact has the completely opposite effect. In Europe today, Germany has one of the best social welfare schemes. It has also almost free education, where almost everyone not only has gone to school, almost everyone has tertiary education; a large proportion of them with PhDs. Despite the free or subsidised universal education and a comfortable social welfare net, Germany continues to be most successful economy in Europe and it's largest exporter, with Germans enjoying one of the highest standards of living in Europe. And the reason for this, which Lee Kuan Yew's son does not understand, is the realization by the government that Germans care for their government and a realization by the people that their government cares for them.
Today in Singapore, many look upon me with envy, because I have managed to move to the United States. In fact, a survey not too long ago revealed that 3 out of 4 young people surveyed had said, if given a chance they would emigrate to the West.
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew should realize that a little caring for the disadvantaged, at least to a level necessary for normal life, has benefits which far outweigh anything undesirable. For one, their children have better lives and education, which results in better skilled future citizens. They appreciate what their country does for them and in turn reciprocate by doing what they can for their country. With their appreciation, Singapore no longer becomes a bad dream, and instead something they can be proud about. And as for the children who become the future adults in Singapore, they would probably do better than their parents who did not have it so good. Caring for your people can only be a win win situation, which Lee Kuna Yew nor his son do not appear to understand.
And as for the argument that Singapore would no longer be competitive if there is a decent social welfare in place, this argument has been disproved throughout the world. Everywhere you look, a decent welfare system in fact makes the country more competitive, not less. And this is because, the human spirit is such that it would find ways to re invent the wheel, to find alternative policies and ways to make a living and improve, but it can only do so, if there is mutual trust and respect, by the government for the people and the people for the government.
Singaporeans today hate their government and their government in turn is afraid of them. This accounts for the fact that emigration rates continue to mount, Singaporeans do not reproduce themselves and no one is getting married.
And one of the major problems the government has today is getting skilled English speaking workers. It is almost impossible to find any.
In this atmosphere of mutual distrust in Singapore, productivity can only fall, not improve, as shown by Singapore's falling productivity levels. And this proves the very point that I am trying to make, which is, a caring society has it's benefits.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.
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