Ladies and Gentlemen,
In Lee Kuan Yew's tiny Singapore island city state with no more than 5 million people of whom just 2 million are native born citizens, their Ministers and politicians are, strangely enough, the highest paid in the world.
90 year old Lee Kuan Yew and his son who is the Prime Minister are each paid $3.7 million a year and an equal amount in bonuses. So are all the other Ministers. If you add it up it would probably be $6 million that each of these Ministers get. Leaving aside the bonuses, each of them is paid about 5 times the salary of president Obama of the United States.
On an alternative assessment it amounts to the total amount of all the European presidents of the European Union. Check it out for yourself. These are facts.
At the same time, Singaporeans have no rights. The Constitutional provisions that guarantee human rights have all been denied. The freedom of speech and expression article has a clause inserted in it with requires a government permit to make a public speech.
The same restrictions apply to freedom of assembly. There is no freedom of the press which is state owned and controlled under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act. What you get to read is just what they want to tell you, nothing more. I can go on. Check it out for yourself by reading the Singapore Constitution and the Newspapers and printing Presses Act.
In the end it boils down to simply this. In Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore you live at his mercy.
Given the fact that Singaporeans, many of them, have a tertiary education, but still accept this sort of a life. A thinking man would have come to the obvious conclusion that this is wrong.
He would have tried to demand change. For his freedoms to be restored and to be free from having to live at Lee's mercy. But it appears the unique Singaporean specimen of a human being, for some unknown reason, does not think about these things.
So what sort of people are Singaporeans anyway, at least those who stay behind in Lee's one party state.
They are ones for whom none of these things matter. It is immaterial to them that Lee pays himself 5 times the salary of Obama and is more corrupt than President Mobutu who stole the diamonds.
It is immaterial that they are denied the human rights enjoyed by the citizens of the developed world such as Australia and happily live obeying the latest orders of the Lee family, whatever it happens to be.
Because loyalty and support for the Lee political party is a sure way to secure good well paying jobs and career promotions, Singaporeans make a bee line at Lee's political party organizations such as the Peoples Association and the Residents Committee to volunteer in the hope that they are seen, recognized and selected for high office.
It does not matter for any of them that their masters are corrupt and steal from them at the tune of $3.7 million a year, deny them their human rights and abuse the rule of law to silence dissent. All these injustices, it appears, is irrelevant to the citizen hopefuls lined up at Lee's offices to volunteer and be recognized. The monetary rewards is, it seems is all that matters and conscience or even logic or common sense doesn't count.
It is the same for their children. If you thought that an eduction is intended to make you think, you are wrong if you were in Singapore.
Thinking is the worst thing a Singapore child should do, in fact it could land him in big trouble. Imagine a curious intelligent student looking at the Constitution and finding out that every single human right is blacked out, and decided to stand on a soap box outside Lee Kuan Yew's palace and demand a remedy that very instant.
I think I know what would happen to him. First his parents would have rebuked and instructed him that it is bad to think such things. Second he would be arrested for doing it and sent to the mental hospital to have his head examined. Although anywhere else, he would be admired and respected for being an upright thinking citizen who followed his conscience, in Singapore he would be labeled a criminal, an idiot and a fool not to know which side of the bread is buttered.
A good student in Lee's Singapore is one who has the good sense to realize that thinking independently is dangerous and unwise. He is one who has the good sense to know that to merely follow his leaders in Lee Kuan Yew's government is always the best policy.
A good student is one that has all the right answers when confronted with the simple truth, such as, free speech is wrong because it upsets society, creates instability and the best way to live is to merely obey your rulers and be an obedient quiet boy.
In the end, what you have is an island comprised entirely of followers. People who go about their jobs without any thinking beyond it. Students who study science and physics but have no opinion about Lee Kuan Yew's $3.7 million salary or that you need a permit to make any speech along the street where you live!
The absolute right to think is held entirely by the Lee family. Lee Kuan Yew and his son are allowed to think on how to run the island. He will give the necessary orders to his minions to carry it out or he may have sessions with his minions to formulate policy.
As for the rest of Singaporeans, their lot is to quietly obey and get on with their lives. Regardless of how strongly you feel about Lee's million dollar salary or the denial of your freedoms, you simply should not take action to make it known. The good Singaporean is the quiet one who minds his business and does what he is told.
In Singapore's way of thinking, the worst people are men like myself, Gopalan Nair, who incessantly keep criticizing them. In order to make it known how bad a person I am, they jailed me for 3 months for writing a blog criticizing one of their corrupt judges Belinda Ang Saw Ean, fined me more that $3,000 or so for behaving in a disorderly manner and finally disbarred me from practicing law in their island.
Unfortunately for them, I have no intention of being a model Singaporean and simply accept their abuse of power lying down. It seems to me completely unacceptable for a man to live like this without complaining, unless he is a Yorkshire Terrier.
I am not an expert in psychology but if I had to guess, it a form of pack mentality, where everyone does like everyone else, and anyone who happens to think differently is some sort of a pervert needing to be beaten and straightened up.
My advice to Singaporeans is this. You don't have to live like this. You should either fight the system which obviously involves tremendous danger or simply get out and emigrate. Human beings, including even animals, cherish their freedom and their self respect. You will feel much better and happier in a free society. You can also tell Lee Kuan Yew and his son to stuff it up, if they knew where.
As for your children, you are doing them a great injustice by keeping them in Singapore. You are effectively raising a robot with some scientific or mathematical knowledge, not a thinking discerning human being. You should get them to live and study in a free society, not in Lee's Singapore. You are doing them the greatest injustice by leaving them in that island.
I am writing this from Fremont, California, USA near San Francisco. I can do this only because I am physically out of reach of Lee Kuan Yew's clutches. If I was in Singapore, I would not be able to write this. In fact the best thing I ever did was to leave Singapore for good. And the best thing I ever did was to bring my children to the US at a young age before their minds were permanently destroyed by the fear and repression in that island.
I am also aware that not all Singaporeans accept this nonsense. Many continue to leave the Singaporean shores for settlement abroad. They are doing the right thing. If you are reading this and have not left, you should, not only do it for yourself and but especially for your children.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Monday, December 30, 2013
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Lee Kuan Yew's government's open indifference to the people causes increasing disaffection
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There are many things terribly wrong with Singapore island, and it is indeed surprising that the government gets away with it.
For one thing, it is unacceptable for any ruler of a tiny island such as Singapore with a tiny population to openly admit that he takes $3.7 million a year and a lot more in bonuses and get away with it, but he does.
This is corruption.
In any other place there would have been a revolution and Lee Kuan Yew and his son would have been behind bars. But not in Singapore.
Singapore's leaders are no longer afraid to be openly be corrupt in this way. Over the years, they know that Singaporeans are so afraid of their government that they can simply do anything they want. In any other country, they wouldn't dare.
Then there are the other blatant violations of the Constitution. No free press, no freedom of speech, no right to peaceful assembly, rigged elections and no rule of law. Yet the people simply accept it lying down.
There are no revolutions but it does not mean that the people accept it. Native Singaporeans thanks to the Internet today are completely aware of these injustices. If they do not revolt, it is because Lee and his Son, the Prime Minister will arrest and jail them and throw away the key. They are afraid, naturally so; so they are quiet. But they viscerally hate this father and son government, no doubt about it.
What happens in Singapore is exactly what happens in North Korea or Cuba. There too the people hate their regime, but as in Singapore, they would be arrested and jailed for any resurrection. So they, like Singaporeans remain quiet and accept the servility under which they live.
But there is one big difference between North Korea, Cuba and Singapore; it is impossible to escape from North Korea and with great difficulty from Cuba because you cannot get an exit permit or a passport. If indeed North Koreans could leave, everyone there would have escaped and the country would be empty.
In North Korea and Cuba, although the people hate the dictatorships under which they live, where Kin Jong Un, like Lee Kuan Yew, who we reckon is probably richer than Bill Gates, also pays himself millions and drinks Hennesy out of golden cups, there is nothing they can do. They cannot leave North Korea and neither can they revolt. They simply live as best they can under the dictatorship.
But Singapore is different. For Singaporeans who despise Lee Kuan Yew and his son for their corruption in making millions and millions off their people, and denying them their rights under the Constitution, there is an avenue out. They can leave if they want. The Singapore passport is a very welcome piece of paper. They can go nearly anywhere they want almost entirely visa free.
This gives Singaporeans an alternative and a clear advantage. If you don't want to live in a country whose rulers are openly corrupt and pay themselves millions, deny you your rights and arrest you and jail you if you question them, you can leave.
You can pack up and leave with your family to Australia, the US, Canada or any other Western country which will take you where you don't have to live under a corrupt regime and where you are treated as human beings with rights.
And this is exactly what is happening now. As long as the government does not bring in legislation to stop people leaving, hundreds of thousands have already left and will continue to leave. Compared to it's small population size, there is a large and growing Singapore diaspora in Australia and other Western countries and growing fast.
Alarmed by the huge numbers leaving, in the recent decades we have seen repeated trips of senior Singapore ministers as well as his son visiting the main cities of Australia and the West begging Singaporeans to return to serve Singapore, appealing to their conscience and loyalty, but it appears they have decided to stop doing this for obvious reasons.
Singaporeans once having left it seems, do not want to go back. To quote Martin Luther King, I suppose Singaporeans have seen the light.
It appears they have had it with their former country and it is quite obvious why. For one thing, if you are determined to be corrupt and pay yourself millions but cannot tolerate anyone complaining by putting them in jail, I doubt anyone would want to come back.
The Australian government does not behave like this. I know two countries that do; North Korea and Singapore.
The consequence of this: the native Singaporean population continues to shrink. Although it is impossible to get the figures, native Singaporeans, by which I mean Singaporeans who are born in the island as well as their parents, should hardly amount to 1.5 million today or even less. This is occasioned by mounting emigration, rock bottom reproduction rates and an ageing population. And even this number continues to shrink into extinction.
In the past the government used to make a great deal of fuss about this; but it seems today they are silent. They no longer discuss the issue of diminishing native Singaporeans. I suppose there is nothing they can do, and it serves no purpose to discuss it anymore.
To replace them, the island government is dishing out citizenship to foreigners of Chinese ancestry at breakneck speed. Hundreds and thousands of Malaysian Chinese and a huge number of Chinese from Communist China are being brought in in planeloads and given citizenship.
Problem is, most of them are illiterate in English and are only capable of Mandarin Chinese. Lee Kuan Yew prefers Chinese immigration over other races because he believes that Chinese are a superior race to Malays or Indians.
Lately you must have noticed, 90 year old ethnic Chinese Lee Kuan Yew who is in a wheel chair is always seen in the Ming Emperor's robes costume.
Since the recently arrived instant citizen from China is probably a noodle seller or a Chinese organ grinder, he is unlikely to have heard anything about Plato's democracy, let alone the Constitution or worse the Magna Carta or the Bill of Rights.
As far as he is concerned Singapore is probably better than living in Chengdu, China or the outer reaches at the border of Mongolia. So he comes here for a bit more money and perhaps an education or the sort you get under teachers afraid of Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore.
At elections, he will dutifully vote for the Lee Kuan Yew's son and his PAP since they are the ones who brought him here, and as far s he is concerned, he cares 2 hoots whether Lee Kuan Yew pays himself $3 million a year or $35 million or whether you have human rights to speak or whether newspapers are free and independent or state owned.
Since the Lee Kuan Yew's recent arrival noodle seller from China has nothing too much in his head in the way of theories relating to freedoms or human rights, one way or another, he shouldn't worry about living in a democracy or otherwise. After all he didn't have any rights in his Communist China from which he came.
You can see the situation now. There are 2 huge torrent flows of people, one which are the native English speaking native Singaporeans out to the West and the other, the Chinese from China comprised of the noodle seller and Chinese organ grinder into the island.
Today, although there are no solid facts on the ground, at the rate at which the island has been morphing from a Singaporean one to a Communist Chinese one, Singapore island has probably completely changed. Singapore's culture, social norms, mannerisms, traditions and ethos molded after 50 years since independence is gone.
Today Singapore is a Chinese society similar to any Chinese city in China. I have never been to China, but Singaporeans would attest to the fact that it has changed. It must. If you change the population entirely from one people to another, it has to happen.
But the consequences are dire. Lee Kuan Yew and his son would probably not have any trouble continuing to be corrupt and pay themselves the $3.7 million year since these new Singaporeans or neo Peoples Republic of China Chinese are not going to complain.
Most of them are here for the opportunity, not because they are jingoistic or have any burning loyalty to the island. I suppose after a while, once they have made enough, they too will leave and be replaced by a fresh bunch of noodle sellers and Chinese organ grinders.
And in a few years, except for a handful of what I call native Singaporeans, you would have an entirely Communist China Singapore speaking Mandarin with a Chengdu accent. As for elections, I think Lee and his son have nothing to fear. All of them would vote for the Lee government or anyone else who happens to be around.
Finally the quality, and global competitiveness of Singaporeans will collapse. It's connection with England, other free developed countries, and the freedoms which Singaporeans were promised under the Constitution would become a dead letter.
An island like this may survive as sidekick to Communist China but it is not going to be anywhere as attractive as a place to live. It is going to the dogs.
The only reason why I can write this and not be instantly arrested and jailed is because I am physically in the USA. If I were to be write this from within Singapore, I would be, like in North Korea, instantly arrested.
Being in America I can speak my mind. A Singaporean within Singapore cannot do that. One obvious reason why he leaves.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email:nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
There are many things terribly wrong with Singapore island, and it is indeed surprising that the government gets away with it.
For one thing, it is unacceptable for any ruler of a tiny island such as Singapore with a tiny population to openly admit that he takes $3.7 million a year and a lot more in bonuses and get away with it, but he does.
This is corruption.
In any other place there would have been a revolution and Lee Kuan Yew and his son would have been behind bars. But not in Singapore.
Singapore's leaders are no longer afraid to be openly be corrupt in this way. Over the years, they know that Singaporeans are so afraid of their government that they can simply do anything they want. In any other country, they wouldn't dare.
Then there are the other blatant violations of the Constitution. No free press, no freedom of speech, no right to peaceful assembly, rigged elections and no rule of law. Yet the people simply accept it lying down.
There are no revolutions but it does not mean that the people accept it. Native Singaporeans thanks to the Internet today are completely aware of these injustices. If they do not revolt, it is because Lee and his Son, the Prime Minister will arrest and jail them and throw away the key. They are afraid, naturally so; so they are quiet. But they viscerally hate this father and son government, no doubt about it.
What happens in Singapore is exactly what happens in North Korea or Cuba. There too the people hate their regime, but as in Singapore, they would be arrested and jailed for any resurrection. So they, like Singaporeans remain quiet and accept the servility under which they live.
But there is one big difference between North Korea, Cuba and Singapore; it is impossible to escape from North Korea and with great difficulty from Cuba because you cannot get an exit permit or a passport. If indeed North Koreans could leave, everyone there would have escaped and the country would be empty.
In North Korea and Cuba, although the people hate the dictatorships under which they live, where Kin Jong Un, like Lee Kuan Yew, who we reckon is probably richer than Bill Gates, also pays himself millions and drinks Hennesy out of golden cups, there is nothing they can do. They cannot leave North Korea and neither can they revolt. They simply live as best they can under the dictatorship.
But Singapore is different. For Singaporeans who despise Lee Kuan Yew and his son for their corruption in making millions and millions off their people, and denying them their rights under the Constitution, there is an avenue out. They can leave if they want. The Singapore passport is a very welcome piece of paper. They can go nearly anywhere they want almost entirely visa free.
This gives Singaporeans an alternative and a clear advantage. If you don't want to live in a country whose rulers are openly corrupt and pay themselves millions, deny you your rights and arrest you and jail you if you question them, you can leave.
You can pack up and leave with your family to Australia, the US, Canada or any other Western country which will take you where you don't have to live under a corrupt regime and where you are treated as human beings with rights.
And this is exactly what is happening now. As long as the government does not bring in legislation to stop people leaving, hundreds of thousands have already left and will continue to leave. Compared to it's small population size, there is a large and growing Singapore diaspora in Australia and other Western countries and growing fast.
Alarmed by the huge numbers leaving, in the recent decades we have seen repeated trips of senior Singapore ministers as well as his son visiting the main cities of Australia and the West begging Singaporeans to return to serve Singapore, appealing to their conscience and loyalty, but it appears they have decided to stop doing this for obvious reasons.
Singaporeans once having left it seems, do not want to go back. To quote Martin Luther King, I suppose Singaporeans have seen the light.
It appears they have had it with their former country and it is quite obvious why. For one thing, if you are determined to be corrupt and pay yourself millions but cannot tolerate anyone complaining by putting them in jail, I doubt anyone would want to come back.
The Australian government does not behave like this. I know two countries that do; North Korea and Singapore.
The consequence of this: the native Singaporean population continues to shrink. Although it is impossible to get the figures, native Singaporeans, by which I mean Singaporeans who are born in the island as well as their parents, should hardly amount to 1.5 million today or even less. This is occasioned by mounting emigration, rock bottom reproduction rates and an ageing population. And even this number continues to shrink into extinction.
In the past the government used to make a great deal of fuss about this; but it seems today they are silent. They no longer discuss the issue of diminishing native Singaporeans. I suppose there is nothing they can do, and it serves no purpose to discuss it anymore.
To replace them, the island government is dishing out citizenship to foreigners of Chinese ancestry at breakneck speed. Hundreds and thousands of Malaysian Chinese and a huge number of Chinese from Communist China are being brought in in planeloads and given citizenship.
Problem is, most of them are illiterate in English and are only capable of Mandarin Chinese. Lee Kuan Yew prefers Chinese immigration over other races because he believes that Chinese are a superior race to Malays or Indians.
Lately you must have noticed, 90 year old ethnic Chinese Lee Kuan Yew who is in a wheel chair is always seen in the Ming Emperor's robes costume.
Since the recently arrived instant citizen from China is probably a noodle seller or a Chinese organ grinder, he is unlikely to have heard anything about Plato's democracy, let alone the Constitution or worse the Magna Carta or the Bill of Rights.
As far as he is concerned Singapore is probably better than living in Chengdu, China or the outer reaches at the border of Mongolia. So he comes here for a bit more money and perhaps an education or the sort you get under teachers afraid of Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore.
At elections, he will dutifully vote for the Lee Kuan Yew's son and his PAP since they are the ones who brought him here, and as far s he is concerned, he cares 2 hoots whether Lee Kuan Yew pays himself $3 million a year or $35 million or whether you have human rights to speak or whether newspapers are free and independent or state owned.
Since the Lee Kuan Yew's recent arrival noodle seller from China has nothing too much in his head in the way of theories relating to freedoms or human rights, one way or another, he shouldn't worry about living in a democracy or otherwise. After all he didn't have any rights in his Communist China from which he came.
You can see the situation now. There are 2 huge torrent flows of people, one which are the native English speaking native Singaporeans out to the West and the other, the Chinese from China comprised of the noodle seller and Chinese organ grinder into the island.
Today, although there are no solid facts on the ground, at the rate at which the island has been morphing from a Singaporean one to a Communist Chinese one, Singapore island has probably completely changed. Singapore's culture, social norms, mannerisms, traditions and ethos molded after 50 years since independence is gone.
Today Singapore is a Chinese society similar to any Chinese city in China. I have never been to China, but Singaporeans would attest to the fact that it has changed. It must. If you change the population entirely from one people to another, it has to happen.
But the consequences are dire. Lee Kuan Yew and his son would probably not have any trouble continuing to be corrupt and pay themselves the $3.7 million year since these new Singaporeans or neo Peoples Republic of China Chinese are not going to complain.
Most of them are here for the opportunity, not because they are jingoistic or have any burning loyalty to the island. I suppose after a while, once they have made enough, they too will leave and be replaced by a fresh bunch of noodle sellers and Chinese organ grinders.
And in a few years, except for a handful of what I call native Singaporeans, you would have an entirely Communist China Singapore speaking Mandarin with a Chengdu accent. As for elections, I think Lee and his son have nothing to fear. All of them would vote for the Lee government or anyone else who happens to be around.
Finally the quality, and global competitiveness of Singaporeans will collapse. It's connection with England, other free developed countries, and the freedoms which Singaporeans were promised under the Constitution would become a dead letter.
An island like this may survive as sidekick to Communist China but it is not going to be anywhere as attractive as a place to live. It is going to the dogs.
The only reason why I can write this and not be instantly arrested and jailed is because I am physically in the USA. If I were to be write this from within Singapore, I would be, like in North Korea, instantly arrested.
Being in America I can speak my mind. A Singaporean within Singapore cannot do that. One obvious reason why he leaves.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California, USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email:nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Friday, December 27, 2013
Singapore ethnic Malay spits at ethnic Chinese women. Incident could ignite inter racial riots
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On October 22, 2013 at Singapore's Woodlands bus interchange, after some sort of an argument, a Singapore Malay man spat at the faces of 2 Singaporean ethnic Chinese women. After a video of the spitting incident appeared on the Internet and going viral, the suspect was promptly arrested and now in court. Please see state owned news agency Straits Times report of Dec 28, 2013. The video can be seen here. http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/man-admits-spitting-bus-interchange-claims-it-was-only-once-20131228
But despite this precaution taken by the Singaporean authorities, the jam packed overcrowded island with a majority ethnic Chinese and small but significant Malay presence means that it is inevitable that racial violence may erupt.
There is no hiding the fact that the average Malay in Singapore is disaffected. Since the early days when they were the original inhabitants, the British and subsequently the Lee Kuan Yew ethnic Chinese government deliberately began increasing the Chinese proportion of the island leaving the Malays whose island it originally was, not only marginalized in numbers but also economically leaving them as bus boys for affluent Chinese. Surely this would cause resentment and it has.
It is indeed a surprise that for so long the Malays have kept quiet and accepted this discrimination against them in their own country. I am sure that this Malay suspect was motivated to spit at the Chinese women not only because of the misunderstanding at the bus stop, it was undoubetedly occasioned by the discrimination he continues to endure in his own island. I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that had the women in question been Malays, or even Indians, he would never have done that.
Although one cannot excuse such a disgraceful act regardless of who it was, at the same time one can understand the reasons for such acts as these as attributable to the years and years of blatant racial discrimination suffered by the Malays in the land of their birth as the original inhabitants of the island; a claim which they have far and above any Chinese or Indian who ever step foot there.
We cannot say when but it may be that Malays or Chinese who may want to rock the boat take advantage of incidents like this, and perhaps even with support from Malaysia or Indonesia, majority Muslim countries who feel eked by the blatant racial discrimination practiced against their kin, may decide it time to stoke the fire a little and create a little riot, like the one we saw on December 8, 2013 in Little India Singapore.
It is very easily accomplished.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
On October 22, 2013 at Singapore's Woodlands bus interchange, after some sort of an argument, a Singapore Malay man spat at the faces of 2 Singaporean ethnic Chinese women. After a video of the spitting incident appeared on the Internet and going viral, the suspect was promptly arrested and now in court. Please see state owned news agency Straits Times report of Dec 28, 2013. The video can be seen here. http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/man-admits-spitting-bus-interchange-claims-it-was-only-once-20131228
Juraimi Kamaludin, 48, accused for spitting on a woman face at Woodland
The report carefully omits to mention the ethnicity of the accused and that of the victims, an official practice in such cases not to stir the flames of inter racial hatred.
This sort of thing is especially incendiary in the multi racial island where it is no secret that the average Malay who are all Muslims hold a deep seated hatred against the Chinese for taking their island and denying them jobs, a sentiment which has on several occasions manifested in a deadly way with island wide riots of Chinese and Malays leaving several dead. The present government, despite their protestations of innocence, is not helping to assuage either side by their determined and established policy of racial discrimination.
This sort of thing is especially incendiary in the multi racial island where it is no secret that the average Malay who are all Muslims hold a deep seated hatred against the Chinese for taking their island and denying them jobs, a sentiment which has on several occasions manifested in a deadly way with island wide riots of Chinese and Malays leaving several dead. The present government, despite their protestations of innocence, is not helping to assuage either side by their determined and established policy of racial discrimination.
But despite this precaution taken by the Singaporean authorities, the jam packed overcrowded island with a majority ethnic Chinese and small but significant Malay presence means that it is inevitable that racial violence may erupt.
There is no hiding the fact that the average Malay in Singapore is disaffected. Since the early days when they were the original inhabitants, the British and subsequently the Lee Kuan Yew ethnic Chinese government deliberately began increasing the Chinese proportion of the island leaving the Malays whose island it originally was, not only marginalized in numbers but also economically leaving them as bus boys for affluent Chinese. Surely this would cause resentment and it has.
It is indeed a surprise that for so long the Malays have kept quiet and accepted this discrimination against them in their own country. I am sure that this Malay suspect was motivated to spit at the Chinese women not only because of the misunderstanding at the bus stop, it was undoubetedly occasioned by the discrimination he continues to endure in his own island. I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that had the women in question been Malays, or even Indians, he would never have done that.
Although one cannot excuse such a disgraceful act regardless of who it was, at the same time one can understand the reasons for such acts as these as attributable to the years and years of blatant racial discrimination suffered by the Malays in the land of their birth as the original inhabitants of the island; a claim which they have far and above any Chinese or Indian who ever step foot there.
We cannot say when but it may be that Malays or Chinese who may want to rock the boat take advantage of incidents like this, and perhaps even with support from Malaysia or Indonesia, majority Muslim countries who feel eked by the blatant racial discrimination practiced against their kin, may decide it time to stoke the fire a little and create a little riot, like the one we saw on December 8, 2013 in Little India Singapore.
It is very easily accomplished.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Singapore one party state. Signs of losing grip on power
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would have thought that any government expecting to remain in power must have the respect and mandate of the people. One that rules without legitimacy or law but by brute force, terror and repression may last a little while, but unlikely for long.
This is what Lee Kuan Yew's government is facing in Singapore. It is a government that relies on fear, threats and repression to rule. Not by force of law but by the misuse of it. Their grip on power is beginning to unravel. You already see the growing dissatisfaction brewing under the surface.
There have been increasing numbers of bloggers criticizing both the government and the judiciary causing them to react with increasing frequency of libel actions, contempt of court actions and criminal prosecutions. As more Singaporeans stand up to the injustice, they would have to prosecute even more people in the hope that criticism is somehow silenced, something we know will not happen. In fact history tells us, the more you repress your people, the more they rise.
For one thing, no people would be prepared to accept a government that is openly corrupt. In Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, his son and all cabinet ministers pay themselves millions of dollars which they call a salary. This is corruption and the people are angry. But if they complain they are sued, charged with criminal offenses and jailed. By the illegal use of force the people are prevented from stopping this corruption.
It is natural for people to criticize their legal system if it is seen as corrupt or their government is seen as incompetent. In Singapore however people are not allowed to exercise their natural human right to complain. If they criticize the legal system they are immediately charged for contempt of court for scandalizing the judiciary. If they complain about the government or any minister, they are sued for defamation and jailed or bankrupted. By the illegal use of power and law the people are prevented from exercising their lawful right to criticize.
It is natural for people to peacefully protest their grievances in public. There is nothing wrong with a man peacefully protesting what he feels is wrong and to make known to others his grievance. In Singapore he is denied the right to do this.
Under Singapore law, he can only protest at a particular location called Speakers Corner but it is useless to do this there, since you are not allowed to protest at the location of your grievance, thereby completely negating the purpose. For instance if you were dismissed from Sembawang Shipyard, you can only protest your dismissal at Speakers Corner, some 20 miles away!
The people have a right to have access to an independent press. In Singapore every single news media is state owned. Instead of reading news, in Singapore you get propaganda or carefully censored news. News which they feel is not in their interest is conveniently not published. On the other hand, they deliberately use the media to vilify and defame their critics.
The people have a right to free and fair elections. In Singapore the elections are rigged. Candidates representing the government invariably win. In fact the Workers Party which claims to be opposition is actually today nothing more like a branch of the government itself and works for the interests of the ruling party, not the opposition. As a result, effectively Singapore has no political opposition. It is a one party state.
People are threatened before elections not to vote for the opposition. The government secret security agencies all have information about each and every resident in the island who are carefully monitored and kept under surveillance. Before elections they are threatened to vote for the government or else. Big Brother is watching you.
The police have absolute powers and act purely at the orders of the government. They are poorly educated and the lower ranks are mostly comprised of poorly educated Malays. They have no knowledge of such things as the rule of law and willingly carry out any order of the government in the belief that it is their job.
The average person is not safe from police harassment and arrest. The law is easily misused to target anyone with views contrary to that of the ruling party. And when you are victimized and persecuted, you have no recourse under the law because the judges are corrupt and beholden to the ruling party. A known government critic knows even before he steps into the courtroom that he is guilty.
Singaporeans are under the Constitution entitled to an independent judiciary. Unfortunately the government has made sure that all judges are beholden to them and make decisions that always favor the government and are always against political opponents. This happens like clockwork. If the people complain and criticize these Kangaroo judges they are charged with scandalizing the judiciary and jailed.
Today Lee Kuan Yew's son is Prime Minister. But Singaporeans have no respect for him because they know he was simply put there by his father, not through free and fair elections. As a result he does not have the respect of his people. In fact many consider him effeminate like a woman, as shown in his mannerisms and ways, and some see his smile similar to that of a clown giving him the name Clown Prince.
All this is wrong and unacceptable. As a result of their actions the government of Singapore is simply illegitimate. They are not ruling according to law, but simply by brute force, fear, compulsion and repression. Singaporeans are supposed to have rights under their Constitution but the Lee Kuan Yew and Son government of today simply denies the people their rights.
As people become more educated and informed, as Singaporeans have become, they are beginning to question each of these wrongs. They are not prepared to allow their Ministers to get away with a salary of $3.7 million a year. This is downright corruption and they will not stand for this.
They are not prepared to remain silent when they see injustice. As a result more and more people are speaking up and criticizing the government and their judiciary and to stop this growing trend the government has began to charge and sue more and more people for their criticism.
The problem with this government is that they know that paying themselves millions is indeed corruption. They know that rigging elections is wrong. They know that people have a right to criticize. But since allowing legitimate criticism would also mean they would lose their control over Singaporeans, they have no alternative but to sue anyone who criticizes so that no one will, because as long as no one dares to criticize or protest against them openly, they would still, hopefully, be able to cling on to power.
Unfortunately for them, it is impossible to keep a population silent through repression and misuse of the law for too long. As long as the people know that the government is abusing their power as the Lee government is doing, they will, despite the danger of criticizing, still do it, because they have that right.
And with time, as the amount of criticism and protests will inevitably increase, the government would have to use more and more force and repression to silence them. This is obviously counter productive for the government. As they increase the repression, even more people would stand up against them.
The wheel towards more freedom is turning against this government. With time, you will see even more criticism, even more protests, even more agitation. The government should realize that what will save them is justice and doing the right thing. By abusing their power as they have been doing, the groundswell of agitation and criticism would only increase and result in their very early downfall. That much is certain.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
I would have thought that any government expecting to remain in power must have the respect and mandate of the people. One that rules without legitimacy or law but by brute force, terror and repression may last a little while, but unlikely for long.
This is what Lee Kuan Yew's government is facing in Singapore. It is a government that relies on fear, threats and repression to rule. Not by force of law but by the misuse of it. Their grip on power is beginning to unravel. You already see the growing dissatisfaction brewing under the surface.
There have been increasing numbers of bloggers criticizing both the government and the judiciary causing them to react with increasing frequency of libel actions, contempt of court actions and criminal prosecutions. As more Singaporeans stand up to the injustice, they would have to prosecute even more people in the hope that criticism is somehow silenced, something we know will not happen. In fact history tells us, the more you repress your people, the more they rise.
For one thing, no people would be prepared to accept a government that is openly corrupt. In Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, his son and all cabinet ministers pay themselves millions of dollars which they call a salary. This is corruption and the people are angry. But if they complain they are sued, charged with criminal offenses and jailed. By the illegal use of force the people are prevented from stopping this corruption.
It is natural for people to criticize their legal system if it is seen as corrupt or their government is seen as incompetent. In Singapore however people are not allowed to exercise their natural human right to complain. If they criticize the legal system they are immediately charged for contempt of court for scandalizing the judiciary. If they complain about the government or any minister, they are sued for defamation and jailed or bankrupted. By the illegal use of power and law the people are prevented from exercising their lawful right to criticize.
It is natural for people to peacefully protest their grievances in public. There is nothing wrong with a man peacefully protesting what he feels is wrong and to make known to others his grievance. In Singapore he is denied the right to do this.
Under Singapore law, he can only protest at a particular location called Speakers Corner but it is useless to do this there, since you are not allowed to protest at the location of your grievance, thereby completely negating the purpose. For instance if you were dismissed from Sembawang Shipyard, you can only protest your dismissal at Speakers Corner, some 20 miles away!
The people have a right to have access to an independent press. In Singapore every single news media is state owned. Instead of reading news, in Singapore you get propaganda or carefully censored news. News which they feel is not in their interest is conveniently not published. On the other hand, they deliberately use the media to vilify and defame their critics.
The people have a right to free and fair elections. In Singapore the elections are rigged. Candidates representing the government invariably win. In fact the Workers Party which claims to be opposition is actually today nothing more like a branch of the government itself and works for the interests of the ruling party, not the opposition. As a result, effectively Singapore has no political opposition. It is a one party state.
People are threatened before elections not to vote for the opposition. The government secret security agencies all have information about each and every resident in the island who are carefully monitored and kept under surveillance. Before elections they are threatened to vote for the government or else. Big Brother is watching you.
The police have absolute powers and act purely at the orders of the government. They are poorly educated and the lower ranks are mostly comprised of poorly educated Malays. They have no knowledge of such things as the rule of law and willingly carry out any order of the government in the belief that it is their job.
The average person is not safe from police harassment and arrest. The law is easily misused to target anyone with views contrary to that of the ruling party. And when you are victimized and persecuted, you have no recourse under the law because the judges are corrupt and beholden to the ruling party. A known government critic knows even before he steps into the courtroom that he is guilty.
Singaporeans are under the Constitution entitled to an independent judiciary. Unfortunately the government has made sure that all judges are beholden to them and make decisions that always favor the government and are always against political opponents. This happens like clockwork. If the people complain and criticize these Kangaroo judges they are charged with scandalizing the judiciary and jailed.
Today Lee Kuan Yew's son is Prime Minister. But Singaporeans have no respect for him because they know he was simply put there by his father, not through free and fair elections. As a result he does not have the respect of his people. In fact many consider him effeminate like a woman, as shown in his mannerisms and ways, and some see his smile similar to that of a clown giving him the name Clown Prince.
All this is wrong and unacceptable. As a result of their actions the government of Singapore is simply illegitimate. They are not ruling according to law, but simply by brute force, fear, compulsion and repression. Singaporeans are supposed to have rights under their Constitution but the Lee Kuan Yew and Son government of today simply denies the people their rights.
As people become more educated and informed, as Singaporeans have become, they are beginning to question each of these wrongs. They are not prepared to allow their Ministers to get away with a salary of $3.7 million a year. This is downright corruption and they will not stand for this.
They are not prepared to remain silent when they see injustice. As a result more and more people are speaking up and criticizing the government and their judiciary and to stop this growing trend the government has began to charge and sue more and more people for their criticism.
The problem with this government is that they know that paying themselves millions is indeed corruption. They know that rigging elections is wrong. They know that people have a right to criticize. But since allowing legitimate criticism would also mean they would lose their control over Singaporeans, they have no alternative but to sue anyone who criticizes so that no one will, because as long as no one dares to criticize or protest against them openly, they would still, hopefully, be able to cling on to power.
Unfortunately for them, it is impossible to keep a population silent through repression and misuse of the law for too long. As long as the people know that the government is abusing their power as the Lee government is doing, they will, despite the danger of criticizing, still do it, because they have that right.
And with time, as the amount of criticism and protests will inevitably increase, the government would have to use more and more force and repression to silence them. This is obviously counter productive for the government. As they increase the repression, even more people would stand up against them.
The wheel towards more freedom is turning against this government. With time, you will see even more criticism, even more protests, even more agitation. The government should realize that what will save them is justice and doing the right thing. By abusing their power as they have been doing, the groundswell of agitation and criticism would only increase and result in their very early downfall. That much is certain.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Monday, December 23, 2013
Singapore's property bubble; cause for alarm. HDB property owners beware
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an understatement to say property prices in the tiny island of Singapore is expensive. Very expensive. But it wasn't so a even a decade ago.
With the veneer of a vibrant successful city state, carefully orchestrated by the Joseph Goebbels of Singapore's state owned news agencies (mind you every single news media is state owned, the island propaganda machinery), we all thought and so did everyone else that it was nothing but boom town.
As a result the scarce land resources and a bursting at the seams population increase, brought about by instantly importing 3 million foreigners into the overcrowded tiny island, not to mention, all the good news being purveyed both within and without the island naturally made land prices shoot up not ten fold but 100 fold.
But if I knew the fundamental flaws of the regime, I would be very worried to say the least. I would in fact, had I been sitting on a property which has appreciated 100 fold, think the best think to do now is to sell and clear out as fast as I can.
This is why.
It is not very certain, in fact it is most unlikely that the island and it's economy would outlast the 90 year old dying Singaporean Superman, the All mighty and Omnipotent, Lee Kuan Yew for whom the sun rises, the birds sings and swallow appears in Spring (Sorry I forgot there is no Spring in Singapore, it is a tropical cauldron).
Unlike Australia, Hong Kong and every other vibrant democracy, there is no established manner for change of government. Today it is Lee Kuan Yew who rules, albeit through his son, but when he dies, the question is, does his son rule and if so why? After all his son was appointed Prime Minister by his father although the Constitution makes no provision for dynastic change. Don't forget we are not the Ming Dynasty.
And if son decides not to rule, what happens next? Does he simply appoint someone of his choosing and are we all simply to submit to whoever that person happens to be?
All this really does not make much sense. In fact let me put it straight.
When 90 year old gravely ill Lee Kuan Yew dies, which is going to happen soon, you are going to have chaos, simply because no one knows what is going to replace him. There is no established protocol in place unlike democracies of the world with respected judiciaries and the rule of law.
On the one hand we have a Constitution. But that constitution is simply ignored.
Instead of an independent judiciary, we have one which is corrupt and beholden to the dictatorship.
The people have lost all respect for their judiciary which is seen routinely charging bloggers for "scandalizing" them, a queer way of putting it, and contempt of court for any criticism however innocuous.
You have a police force which no one respects either.
Most of them are dummies with no more than 6th grade education who will go around arresting anyone whom they are ordered to. They are simply dummies or thugs. The people have no respect for them either. Unlike in the US where you need a college degree.
And then you have parliamentary elections which are routinely rigged. Qualified opposition candidates no longer dare to stand for elections because they fear defamation actions before Kangaroo court judges and instant impoverishment and bankruptcy.
And then you have the daily floods which are getting deeper and deeper day by day with climate change, warmer atmospheric temperature and heavier rainfall.
And as we speak, principally because of the Internet, and the fact Asians given a chance would want to further their education, you are creating more and more thinking individuals who for the first time realize that all that glitter is not necessarily gold and Singapore is really in a precarious position on the ledge and liable to collapse and break into smithereens like Humpty Dumpty. So they emigrate to Australia in droves and there is this unstoppable and mounting brain drain.
Remember when 90 year old Lee Kuan Yew dies which is going to happen pretty soon, and the certain uncertainty that will inevitably follow, a small island with a tiny population like Singapore completely reliant on foreign businesses, is unlikely to remain intact.
At the first sign of uncertainty, there will be investment outflow, and after that there will be panic.
And it does not take much to empty out an island with only 2 million locals and the remaining 3 million foreigners and foreign businesses. It is simply going to collapse.
My warning to property owners, and I mean this with all earnest, investors and anyone doing business or has interests in Singapore, think about what I have said.
For the vast majority of Singaporeans, in fact 99%, who all live in government built Housing and Development Board flats, their property value is usually their only asset. And what a pity if you lose it all.
And there is a good possibility that with Lee Kuan Yew's demise which, by the law of nature is going to happen very soon (he is 90 and gravely ill), there will be severe instability and a very good likelihood that HDB flats prices will come tumbling.
I fear this will happen. And this means of course that if you thought your flat could be sold for $400,000.00 it will probably go for just $40,000.
Perhaps it makes sense to be prudent and get out while you can. You will thank me for it.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
It is an understatement to say property prices in the tiny island of Singapore is expensive. Very expensive. But it wasn't so a even a decade ago.
With the veneer of a vibrant successful city state, carefully orchestrated by the Joseph Goebbels of Singapore's state owned news agencies (mind you every single news media is state owned, the island propaganda machinery), we all thought and so did everyone else that it was nothing but boom town.
As a result the scarce land resources and a bursting at the seams population increase, brought about by instantly importing 3 million foreigners into the overcrowded tiny island, not to mention, all the good news being purveyed both within and without the island naturally made land prices shoot up not ten fold but 100 fold.
But if I knew the fundamental flaws of the regime, I would be very worried to say the least. I would in fact, had I been sitting on a property which has appreciated 100 fold, think the best think to do now is to sell and clear out as fast as I can.
This is why.
It is not very certain, in fact it is most unlikely that the island and it's economy would outlast the 90 year old dying Singaporean Superman, the All mighty and Omnipotent, Lee Kuan Yew for whom the sun rises, the birds sings and swallow appears in Spring (Sorry I forgot there is no Spring in Singapore, it is a tropical cauldron).
Unlike Australia, Hong Kong and every other vibrant democracy, there is no established manner for change of government. Today it is Lee Kuan Yew who rules, albeit through his son, but when he dies, the question is, does his son rule and if so why? After all his son was appointed Prime Minister by his father although the Constitution makes no provision for dynastic change. Don't forget we are not the Ming Dynasty.
And if son decides not to rule, what happens next? Does he simply appoint someone of his choosing and are we all simply to submit to whoever that person happens to be?
All this really does not make much sense. In fact let me put it straight.
When 90 year old gravely ill Lee Kuan Yew dies, which is going to happen soon, you are going to have chaos, simply because no one knows what is going to replace him. There is no established protocol in place unlike democracies of the world with respected judiciaries and the rule of law.
On the one hand we have a Constitution. But that constitution is simply ignored.
Instead of an independent judiciary, we have one which is corrupt and beholden to the dictatorship.
The people have lost all respect for their judiciary which is seen routinely charging bloggers for "scandalizing" them, a queer way of putting it, and contempt of court for any criticism however innocuous.
You have a police force which no one respects either.
Most of them are dummies with no more than 6th grade education who will go around arresting anyone whom they are ordered to. They are simply dummies or thugs. The people have no respect for them either. Unlike in the US where you need a college degree.
And then you have parliamentary elections which are routinely rigged. Qualified opposition candidates no longer dare to stand for elections because they fear defamation actions before Kangaroo court judges and instant impoverishment and bankruptcy.
And then you have the daily floods which are getting deeper and deeper day by day with climate change, warmer atmospheric temperature and heavier rainfall.
And as we speak, principally because of the Internet, and the fact Asians given a chance would want to further their education, you are creating more and more thinking individuals who for the first time realize that all that glitter is not necessarily gold and Singapore is really in a precarious position on the ledge and liable to collapse and break into smithereens like Humpty Dumpty. So they emigrate to Australia in droves and there is this unstoppable and mounting brain drain.
Remember when 90 year old Lee Kuan Yew dies which is going to happen pretty soon, and the certain uncertainty that will inevitably follow, a small island with a tiny population like Singapore completely reliant on foreign businesses, is unlikely to remain intact.
At the first sign of uncertainty, there will be investment outflow, and after that there will be panic.
And it does not take much to empty out an island with only 2 million locals and the remaining 3 million foreigners and foreign businesses. It is simply going to collapse.
My warning to property owners, and I mean this with all earnest, investors and anyone doing business or has interests in Singapore, think about what I have said.
For the vast majority of Singaporeans, in fact 99%, who all live in government built Housing and Development Board flats, their property value is usually their only asset. And what a pity if you lose it all.
And there is a good possibility that with Lee Kuan Yew's demise which, by the law of nature is going to happen very soon (he is 90 and gravely ill), there will be severe instability and a very good likelihood that HDB flats prices will come tumbling.
I fear this will happen. And this means of course that if you thought your flat could be sold for $400,000.00 it will probably go for just $40,000.
Perhaps it makes sense to be prudent and get out while you can. You will thank me for it.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Singapore Little India riot deportations. A third Minister warns foreigners they will be summarily deported.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the aftermath of the Little India Singapore riots of Dec 8, 2013 when lowly paid and ill treated Indian foreign workers went on a riot in an area with the same name, about 25 of them have been arrested while 57 have been arbitrarily and summarily deported to India without giving them any chance to defend themselves.
Obviously this is a gross violation of civil liberties not to mention the laws governing United Nations but this one party police state of Singapore, which it is, if you know it as well as I do, doesn't seem to care what anyone else thinks.
And this time, this corrupt woman, by the way who is paid millions of tax payers money, is weighing in to argue that it is perfectly normal to simply pack away and deport any foreigner you do not like and this is a perfectly normal practice!
It may be normal practice in Nazi Germany but I certainly don't want it to be so in Singapore.
I wonder which other country would consider simply labeling a foreigner "a threat to national security" (it seems that is all what it takes) and then ship him off that minute, no questions asked! I know one other country that used to do that. You guessed it; Hitler's Nazi Germany. Now you know one other country considers doing that perfectly normal too, Singapore.
In an article which appeared in one of Singapore's state owned news agency, ChannelNewsAsia on Dec 21, 2013, she is reported to have said "Due process had been given to the 57 foreign workers who were repatriated following the Dec 8, riot at Little India" according to the Senior Minister for law and Education Indranee Rajah. Please see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/little-india-riot-due/930316.html
I wonder how she arrived at the conclusion that due process was given to them when we all know none of them were given any opportunity to defend themselves!
The police had conducted their own investigations in private and come to the conclusion that these individuals were to be deported and that was that!
I would have thought, and so would a rookie law student that due process, requires natural justice. And natural justice means the ability for the suspects to be given a chance to defend themselves before an independent tribunal open to the public.
Merely interrogating them, and very probably beating them too, because that is what Singapore police routinely do, in private and deciding that deportation was proper and shipping them off that very instant is certainly not what I understand by due process and I am sure, neither do you.
She says "repatriation orders fall under the executive function of the government", as if to say after pulling out the fingernails of a suspect under torture and when questioned simply say "pulling out fingernails under torture falls under executive function of the government"!
My dear woman, listen to this. It is simply not enough for you to say, this or that "falls under the executive function of the government" and simply abuse the rights of your people.
That is simply not enough. Your process should stand up to public scrutiny. And in this case it simply does not.
And then she says " the process had been carefully considered with extensive interviews and investigation". Very clever indeed!
Let me put it this way. Perhaps you know that the "process has been carefully considered" but how do we know that?
And I am absolutely sure that the deportee did not know that either because otherwise there wouldn't be this outpouring of outrage and indignation around the world against these summary deportations.
Let me out it you this way. A man passed a house with a dog which was viciously barking at him. The owner of the dog, noticing the alarm in the face of the man tells him not to worry because "barking dogs don't bite" to which the man very reasonably replies "You know that and so do I, but does the dog know that?"
We have the same problem here Senior Minister. No in this case I don't know that the process was carefully considered unless he had a right to a hearing.
But here is where her remarks become even more alarming. She says "Each country has the right to determine it's own laws. This is a system which we have chosen for Singapore. It has worked for the safety and security of Singaporeans which we place in paramount importance".
This statement should remind someone with any sense of history of Nazi Germany where Hitler tells his Germans that these laws which we have made for you are good for you because we know best! Sends the chill down the spine, I have to say.
Yes each country has the right to make their laws but the laws have to be just.
You can't simply do anything you please and say "you have the right to make your own laws".
This law of deporting people without a hearing in unjust and simply saying that you have a right to do it, does not make it right.
In fact under the law, you "don't" have the right to make such a law being ultra vires the Constitution.
And then I notice that throughout you use the word "we" and that "we" have done this and "we" have done that.
Who is the "we" that you are referring to? Is it the one party state's government to which you presently belong where the elections are rigged and critics removed through defamation actions, which conveniently allows you (the "we") to simply do anything you want?
No I am sorry, it is not good enough for you to say "we" have done this or that because the actions of "we" are not only contrary to the Constitution, "we" does not reflect the will of the people either and what is more, it is an affront to human decency.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
In the aftermath of the Little India Singapore riots of Dec 8, 2013 when lowly paid and ill treated Indian foreign workers went on a riot in an area with the same name, about 25 of them have been arrested while 57 have been arbitrarily and summarily deported to India without giving them any chance to defend themselves.
Obviously this is a gross violation of civil liberties not to mention the laws governing United Nations but this one party police state of Singapore, which it is, if you know it as well as I do, doesn't seem to care what anyone else thinks.
And this time, this corrupt woman, by the way who is paid millions of tax payers money, is weighing in to argue that it is perfectly normal to simply pack away and deport any foreigner you do not like and this is a perfectly normal practice!
It may be normal practice in Nazi Germany but I certainly don't want it to be so in Singapore.
I wonder which other country would consider simply labeling a foreigner "a threat to national security" (it seems that is all what it takes) and then ship him off that minute, no questions asked! I know one other country that used to do that. You guessed it; Hitler's Nazi Germany. Now you know one other country considers doing that perfectly normal too, Singapore.
In an article which appeared in one of Singapore's state owned news agency, ChannelNewsAsia on Dec 21, 2013, she is reported to have said "Due process had been given to the 57 foreign workers who were repatriated following the Dec 8, riot at Little India" according to the Senior Minister for law and Education Indranee Rajah. Please see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/little-india-riot-due/930316.html
I wonder how she arrived at the conclusion that due process was given to them when we all know none of them were given any opportunity to defend themselves!
The police had conducted their own investigations in private and come to the conclusion that these individuals were to be deported and that was that!
I would have thought, and so would a rookie law student that due process, requires natural justice. And natural justice means the ability for the suspects to be given a chance to defend themselves before an independent tribunal open to the public.
Merely interrogating them, and very probably beating them too, because that is what Singapore police routinely do, in private and deciding that deportation was proper and shipping them off that very instant is certainly not what I understand by due process and I am sure, neither do you.
She says "repatriation orders fall under the executive function of the government", as if to say after pulling out the fingernails of a suspect under torture and when questioned simply say "pulling out fingernails under torture falls under executive function of the government"!
My dear woman, listen to this. It is simply not enough for you to say, this or that "falls under the executive function of the government" and simply abuse the rights of your people.
That is simply not enough. Your process should stand up to public scrutiny. And in this case it simply does not.
And then she says " the process had been carefully considered with extensive interviews and investigation". Very clever indeed!
Let me put it this way. Perhaps you know that the "process has been carefully considered" but how do we know that?
And I am absolutely sure that the deportee did not know that either because otherwise there wouldn't be this outpouring of outrage and indignation around the world against these summary deportations.
Let me out it you this way. A man passed a house with a dog which was viciously barking at him. The owner of the dog, noticing the alarm in the face of the man tells him not to worry because "barking dogs don't bite" to which the man very reasonably replies "You know that and so do I, but does the dog know that?"
We have the same problem here Senior Minister. No in this case I don't know that the process was carefully considered unless he had a right to a hearing.
But here is where her remarks become even more alarming. She says "Each country has the right to determine it's own laws. This is a system which we have chosen for Singapore. It has worked for the safety and security of Singaporeans which we place in paramount importance".
This statement should remind someone with any sense of history of Nazi Germany where Hitler tells his Germans that these laws which we have made for you are good for you because we know best! Sends the chill down the spine, I have to say.
Yes each country has the right to make their laws but the laws have to be just.
You can't simply do anything you please and say "you have the right to make your own laws".
This law of deporting people without a hearing in unjust and simply saying that you have a right to do it, does not make it right.
In fact under the law, you "don't" have the right to make such a law being ultra vires the Constitution.
And then I notice that throughout you use the word "we" and that "we" have done this and "we" have done that.
Who is the "we" that you are referring to? Is it the one party state's government to which you presently belong where the elections are rigged and critics removed through defamation actions, which conveniently allows you (the "we") to simply do anything you want?
No I am sorry, it is not good enough for you to say "we" have done this or that because the actions of "we" are not only contrary to the Constitution, "we" does not reflect the will of the people either and what is more, it is an affront to human decency.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Singapore gives jobs to Filipino tourists while locals are unemployed
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have known all along Singapore's bizarre unexplainable neglect of their own citizens in employment preferring foreigners instead!
One of Singapore's state owned news agencies Straits Times reports on Dec 23, 2013 titled " Filipino professionals head to Singapore as tourists to seek jobs" http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/filipino-professionals-head-singapore-tourists-seek-jobs-20131223.
The story talks of Filipino national Mr. Ramz who came in March as a tourist to Singapore and candidly discloses that he came specifically to look for a job, not to visit.
In any other country Ramz would be treated as a visa violator, as his visa application as a tourist was fraudulent, having no intention of visiting Singapore but to seek employment.
But this sort of behavior is, totally acceptable for Singapore which appears to favor foreigners over locals for jobs.
It seems according to the report, he remained in the island for 4 months, having one meal a day to save money while he researched every job agency for employment finally obtaining one as a financial analyst at a salary of Singapore $2,800 a month.
No other country in the world allows this sort of thing.
In fact it is very probable that Ramz , like most other Filipinos, would have preferred to have got a job in the United States, Australia, New Zealand or Canada rather than Singapore which was his last choice.
In fact Ramz would not have even been allowed to step foot in any of these countries and probably not have been issued with any visa because there is a strong likelihood that, if allowed to enter the US, he will not return to Philippines.
Singapore it appears has very low standards and will allow anyone in, which is why, Ramz is not only given a visa to enter Singapore, he is able to get a job right away as well.
What is more, no one knows whether Ramz is a serial murderer in the Philippines as unlike other developed countries, Singapore does not require a background check before being given residence and employment.
This is an example of the poor quality of foreigners who are admitted into Singapore, a place that will accept anyone who wants to come in.
Locals always come first before foreigners in every other country.
This sort of total disregard for the interests of Singaporeans in their own country, is one reason why young Singaporean men and women should show no loyalty for Singapore.
When the island's million dollar ministers plead and beg asking their citizens to remain and not emigrate, they should be told their entreaties sound very hollow.
Why should any Singaporean in his right mind have to do national service and give up 2 years of his life to his country when he is treated worse than this Filipino who can simply walk in and find a job, totally regardless of how many Singaporeans are unemployed.
In every single country in the world, citizens have advantages over foreigners. Singapore is the only country in the world where, for jobs, it is the other way round.
Which is why young educated skilled Singaporeans should have no hesitation in refusing to do national service and packing off to Australia where he knows, when he becomes an Australian, his country would protect jobs for him and not give it to a Singaporean tourist.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
We have known all along Singapore's bizarre unexplainable neglect of their own citizens in employment preferring foreigners instead!
One of Singapore's state owned news agencies Straits Times reports on Dec 23, 2013 titled " Filipino professionals head to Singapore as tourists to seek jobs" http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/filipino-professionals-head-singapore-tourists-seek-jobs-20131223.
The story talks of Filipino national Mr. Ramz who came in March as a tourist to Singapore and candidly discloses that he came specifically to look for a job, not to visit.
In any other country Ramz would be treated as a visa violator, as his visa application as a tourist was fraudulent, having no intention of visiting Singapore but to seek employment.
But this sort of behavior is, totally acceptable for Singapore which appears to favor foreigners over locals for jobs.
It seems according to the report, he remained in the island for 4 months, having one meal a day to save money while he researched every job agency for employment finally obtaining one as a financial analyst at a salary of Singapore $2,800 a month.
No other country in the world allows this sort of thing.
In fact it is very probable that Ramz , like most other Filipinos, would have preferred to have got a job in the United States, Australia, New Zealand or Canada rather than Singapore which was his last choice.
In fact Ramz would not have even been allowed to step foot in any of these countries and probably not have been issued with any visa because there is a strong likelihood that, if allowed to enter the US, he will not return to Philippines.
Singapore it appears has very low standards and will allow anyone in, which is why, Ramz is not only given a visa to enter Singapore, he is able to get a job right away as well.
What is more, no one knows whether Ramz is a serial murderer in the Philippines as unlike other developed countries, Singapore does not require a background check before being given residence and employment.
This is an example of the poor quality of foreigners who are admitted into Singapore, a place that will accept anyone who wants to come in.
Locals always come first before foreigners in every other country.
This sort of total disregard for the interests of Singaporeans in their own country, is one reason why young Singaporean men and women should show no loyalty for Singapore.
When the island's million dollar ministers plead and beg asking their citizens to remain and not emigrate, they should be told their entreaties sound very hollow.
Why should any Singaporean in his right mind have to do national service and give up 2 years of his life to his country when he is treated worse than this Filipino who can simply walk in and find a job, totally regardless of how many Singaporeans are unemployed.
In every single country in the world, citizens have advantages over foreigners. Singapore is the only country in the world where, for jobs, it is the other way round.
Which is why young educated skilled Singaporeans should have no hesitation in refusing to do national service and packing off to Australia where he knows, when he becomes an Australian, his country would protect jobs for him and not give it to a Singaporean tourist.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean in Exile
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
