Ladies and Gentlemen,
Over 50 years of Singapore's history, the ruling Lee Kuan Yew's PAP has systematically, relentlessly and with single-mindedness destroyed any semblance of democracy. With the recent elections of 2015 the death knell for any liberty was finally crushed. Since the 2011 elections where they got 60% of the votes, now they have 70% leaving them a path open to turning the island into a Stalinist Russia.
Today the island stands with no freedom of speech, no right to peaceful protest or assembly, no free press and no rule of law. The courts are merely a rubber stamp to legalize anything the state wants.
If you are prepared to live under such humiliating conditions, you can of course stay and live your slavish lives. But anyone who yearns to live as free men and not in a police state, there are only 2 options; either stand and fight for what is right or pack up and leave the island with your families for settlement in a freer society.
Standing and fighting would entail civil disobedience and civil unrest. The police of this state would arrest you and cause you all manner of hardship. In the hope that a momentum for freedom will take root, more Singaporeans agitation would turn the island into instability and uncertainty. Naturally this would mean a disruption of the economy, instability and loss of income. But I believe this is a price worth paying. Every dictatorship in the world was toppled causing a temporary disruption in the economy. But the island would recover from it and progress into a far better place, to an island with democracy and hope for all.
If you are not prepared to do this, then you must leave the island for the sake of yourselves and your children. A recent survey conducted in Australia on the Singaporean diaspora stated the main reason for leaving as their having no say in how the island is run. As you know the Singapore style government means they know everything and the people know nothing. Policies are decided daily and thrust upon the island's citizens over night without any input from the citizens. There can be no public criticism. It is as if the citizens are irrelevant and they alone decide what is best and how you should live. This leaves the average citizen no better than a 10 year old child only to be told what they should do next and what new laws are now in vogue.
The only ones to benefit from the island are the cronies and the elite who like the Chinese Mandarins of before are given supreme authority to decide anything and everything. The rest of the island are told simply to shut up and obey.
This sort of life is highly damaging to children. A child's education is not just to learn a set of rules but also the ability to think and form independent opinions. This is impossible in Singapore. Teachers are told to instill fear in the children for their government. They are told it is unwise to question authority and the best way to live is simply and obey and get in line. As a result children educated in Singapore have tertiary education and degrees, but they are incapable of independent thinking. Except for a life under Lee Kuan Yew's authoritarian Singapore, they are useless in any free society anywhere in the world because of their inability to think independently.
Let me give you an example. I live in San Francisco, Northern California. There are a few Singaporeans running around here. But you never hear of them. I presume they are all quietly working for either Singapore owned companies or for local companies. I suppose they do their jobs and quietly go home each day. They live uneventful lives. None of them make any waves. You never hear of them. I suppose you can imagine why. In order to succeed in a society such as the United States, you have to have certain qualities, such as courage, ability to think independently and to question authority. In other words to think outside the box. And this is precisely the department in which obedient Singaporeans who have lived lives prostrating under their masters fail miserably.
One striking fact that one notices of Singaporeans abroad is their inability to articulate. They are very poor speakers and shy and reluctant to stand out in public. I am sure you can see why. In a society such as Singapore where it is dangerous to stick out from the crowd, people tend to be silent instead of questioning. Indeed school teachers consider this a virtue. A good Singapore student is one who keeps his mouth shut, works hard and obeys authority. With such a character, you stand no chance in a competitive society such as the US where craziness can sometimes be a virtue.
A few days ago while driving and listening to the local public radio station KQED, I was surprised to hear some school teachers actually encouraging their students to fail. It went something like this. Students, they said should not be afraid to fail. In fact they should be encouraged to fail. They should fail as many times as they want, because the willingness to fail allows children to try new ideas, whereas fear of failure would prevent their taking risk. And risk is what drives society, not obedience. After all if you fail, you can always succeed since failure is not a sign of defeat for anyone.
I thought to myself, what brilliant advice this was. And I thought to myself that this was exactly what my life was. In Singapore I attended the elementary school now defunct Winstedt School 2 where I did brilliantly and went to Raffles Institution. In Raffles I thought I knew everything and completely ignored studies resulting in my failing the O levels very badly. I then did it again and did exceptionally well (Grade 1). I then went to A levels course but failed badly again. As a result I had to do it again in England where I did brilliantly. I then did the law studies at Hull University and barely passed. After than I did the Bar Finals in London and did brilliantly once more, securing a 14th place in order of merit among a class several hundred.
You see, you don't have to get it right the first time. If you want you can always get it right sooner or later.
But this is not the Singaporean mentality. If you don't get it right the first time, you are simply a dummy and deserve a life of everlasting mediocrity. Had I not left Singapore, I would be destined among the lowly classes eking out a living cleaning tables at food courts. Thanks to England, I have not only managed to become a lawyer, I have managed to stick at it for more than 30 years, 10 years in Singapore and 20 years in California and I hope to be at it for many more years. America gives one hope, Singapore drives you down to mediocrity and hopelessness.
If you care for yourselves and your children both the economic and mental outlook, leave the island for settlement abroad. There are many ways to do it. Today many first world democracies are looking for skilled workers. Students can secure places in foreign colleges and universities. But I would recommend not waiting until they reach college age but going when they are children. A child's mental outlook is molded at an early age when they are infants and teenagers. Once they reach college age, the damage caused by living in this one party police state greatly damages their mind permanently. It may be too late for them to cure themselves of this disease by the time they go to college.
In this day where the world is so connected, it doesn't really matter where one studies. You could easily study medicine in Poland and eventually work in the US by taking the necessary exams. A Singaporean graduate from France can easily work in Canada or every other country.
In order to do any of this both the parent and the child should have some courage and a sense of adventure. Unfortunately as these instincts are the very ones suppressed by the life under Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore, I fear sadly that there may not be many takers for any of this. But if you are one of the few citizens of the island still capable of thinking independently, then go for it and emigrate.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
Fremont, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
Friday, October 30, 2015
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Singapore General Elections 2015. A victory towards mediocrity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If Singapore's leaders of Lee Kuan Yew's Peoples Action Party are wallowing in their triumph, perhaps they should think again. Will their overwhelming triumph at the elections lead Singapore ahead or will it be their albatross around their necks to lead them backwards, not forwards?
For the last several decades, Lee Kuan Yew, the present Prime Minister's father had worked assiduously for one unwavering purpose, to turn the island into a total Fascist state, which it is now. The Constitution was carefully and meticulously dismantled. All the articles in them which guarantee civil liberties were all abrogated. Although there was freedom of speech, a separate section requires a police permit to speak thereby literally denying it. So was the case of the right to assembly, the right to peaceful protest and the right to demonstrate. Freedom of the press was taken away with the enactment of the Singapore Printing Presses Act requiring all newspapers to be licensed by the government literally turning the entire press to be state owned and controlled. News was effectively turned into state propaganda. The rule of law was denied turning the courts into rubber stamps for the government.
At the same time the Banking Act was amended to allow all kinds of money, both dirty and clean to flood into the island. It is home to the largest number of millionaires in the world turning the island into a haven for money launderers, drug smugglers and warlords from every corner of the world.
All this had a profound damaging effect on the people. Educated Singaporeans who were repulsed living in a fascist dictatorship where everything and everyone is state controlled began leaving the island in droves for settlement in the West. Some years ago it was reported that as many as a 1000 citizens emigrated abroad each year, a small number for a large country but a debilitating number for a tiny island. These were the cream of Singapore society, the professionals, the lawyers, doctors and scientists. We are not sure what the number is today but the recent election results no doubt will continue increasing the numbers leaving.
The abysmal low birth rate is literally turning the island local population into extinction. Despite huge amount of propaganda propping up the regime,. the locals simply refuse to procreate in sufficient numbers and it is believed that in a few decades, the island's local population will be reduced to zero. To counteract this slide to extinction, the government brings in planeloads of Chinese from mainland China, Indians from India and Filipinos to make up the numbers. These recent immigrants are totally economic migrants who have arrived in the island only because they were turned down by their preferred destinations of Australia, New Zealand Canada or the US. In other words second rate migrants who have no stake or even interest in the island except to make a buck and move on. They live and work in the island just because they have to, not because of the glory of the Republic of Singapore.
These destructive phenomena are entirely because of the island having gone into disrepute thanks to Lee Kuan Yew and now his son, the Prime Minister. Any discerning local citizen would find the very pillars of this government repulsive. Who would want to live in an island that punishes free speech through defamation actions in Kangaroo Courts? Where you can be arrested even though you peacefully stood at a street corner holding up a political placard. Where at the slightest indication of political opposition, you are liable to lose your job and eternally victimized in every aspect of your life. Where as an educated citizen, you are condemned to read nothing but state propaganda in the newspapers. Where success at any endeavor requires loyalty to Lee Kuan Yew's ruling PAP.
The 2015 elections has unwittingly sealed their fate towards mediocrity. Before the elections, the aspirations of the minority who believed democracy to be possible have been roundly dashed. The 70% vote of overwhelming victory for Fascism and dictatorship meant that there was no hope of the island ever achieving democracy in the foreseeable future. The majority of the islanders, it appears have willingly accepted their lives under the Fascist state.
What this means is dire and gloom. Even more local citizens would leave for democracy aboard. Which means even more Chinese mainlanders looking for fast buck will flood the island. Consequence, those with thought they had a stake in the island leave only to be replaced by temporary economic migrants. Realizing there is no hope of ever living in freedom and liberty, the island's birth rate will fall even lower and the path to extinction of the Singaporean race will speed up even more.
Educated and thinking Singaporeans would refuse to live this way and take their families and children for lives abroad.
What is going to happen very soon is a totally mindless society who have no choice to totally submit their minds and their actions to the ruling party philosophy. Just as in Nazi Germany the only way to survive was to completely espouse the philosophy of the Hitler's Nazi Party.
What is sad in this gloomy scenario is that the thinking and discerning opposition have no leaders whatsoever. Until recently the hope was in the Singapore's Democratic Party's Chee Soon Juan who showed some spine in the face of these unforgiving punishing rulers. But even he has succumbed and literally given up. Having been trounced at the recent elections, it appears he too has gone into hibernation.
I can see this overwhelming victory for these Fascists in authority only as the beginning of the slide to the island's mediocrity. No country that loses it's best and brightest where the only avenue to success is to be a card carrying government supporter can ever hope to achieve any greatness. Because this need to submit to authority dampens the human spirit, instills fear among the population, a cowardly society living in fear can never achieve innovation, invention, competition nor greatness. In effect their overwhelming victory has become the albatross around their neck.
Gopalan Nair
Formerly Singaporean
Fremont, California near San Francisco
If Singapore's leaders of Lee Kuan Yew's Peoples Action Party are wallowing in their triumph, perhaps they should think again. Will their overwhelming triumph at the elections lead Singapore ahead or will it be their albatross around their necks to lead them backwards, not forwards?
For the last several decades, Lee Kuan Yew, the present Prime Minister's father had worked assiduously for one unwavering purpose, to turn the island into a total Fascist state, which it is now. The Constitution was carefully and meticulously dismantled. All the articles in them which guarantee civil liberties were all abrogated. Although there was freedom of speech, a separate section requires a police permit to speak thereby literally denying it. So was the case of the right to assembly, the right to peaceful protest and the right to demonstrate. Freedom of the press was taken away with the enactment of the Singapore Printing Presses Act requiring all newspapers to be licensed by the government literally turning the entire press to be state owned and controlled. News was effectively turned into state propaganda. The rule of law was denied turning the courts into rubber stamps for the government.
At the same time the Banking Act was amended to allow all kinds of money, both dirty and clean to flood into the island. It is home to the largest number of millionaires in the world turning the island into a haven for money launderers, drug smugglers and warlords from every corner of the world.
All this had a profound damaging effect on the people. Educated Singaporeans who were repulsed living in a fascist dictatorship where everything and everyone is state controlled began leaving the island in droves for settlement in the West. Some years ago it was reported that as many as a 1000 citizens emigrated abroad each year, a small number for a large country but a debilitating number for a tiny island. These were the cream of Singapore society, the professionals, the lawyers, doctors and scientists. We are not sure what the number is today but the recent election results no doubt will continue increasing the numbers leaving.
The abysmal low birth rate is literally turning the island local population into extinction. Despite huge amount of propaganda propping up the regime,. the locals simply refuse to procreate in sufficient numbers and it is believed that in a few decades, the island's local population will be reduced to zero. To counteract this slide to extinction, the government brings in planeloads of Chinese from mainland China, Indians from India and Filipinos to make up the numbers. These recent immigrants are totally economic migrants who have arrived in the island only because they were turned down by their preferred destinations of Australia, New Zealand Canada or the US. In other words second rate migrants who have no stake or even interest in the island except to make a buck and move on. They live and work in the island just because they have to, not because of the glory of the Republic of Singapore.
These destructive phenomena are entirely because of the island having gone into disrepute thanks to Lee Kuan Yew and now his son, the Prime Minister. Any discerning local citizen would find the very pillars of this government repulsive. Who would want to live in an island that punishes free speech through defamation actions in Kangaroo Courts? Where you can be arrested even though you peacefully stood at a street corner holding up a political placard. Where at the slightest indication of political opposition, you are liable to lose your job and eternally victimized in every aspect of your life. Where as an educated citizen, you are condemned to read nothing but state propaganda in the newspapers. Where success at any endeavor requires loyalty to Lee Kuan Yew's ruling PAP.
The 2015 elections has unwittingly sealed their fate towards mediocrity. Before the elections, the aspirations of the minority who believed democracy to be possible have been roundly dashed. The 70% vote of overwhelming victory for Fascism and dictatorship meant that there was no hope of the island ever achieving democracy in the foreseeable future. The majority of the islanders, it appears have willingly accepted their lives under the Fascist state.
What this means is dire and gloom. Even more local citizens would leave for democracy aboard. Which means even more Chinese mainlanders looking for fast buck will flood the island. Consequence, those with thought they had a stake in the island leave only to be replaced by temporary economic migrants. Realizing there is no hope of ever living in freedom and liberty, the island's birth rate will fall even lower and the path to extinction of the Singaporean race will speed up even more.
Educated and thinking Singaporeans would refuse to live this way and take their families and children for lives abroad.
What is going to happen very soon is a totally mindless society who have no choice to totally submit their minds and their actions to the ruling party philosophy. Just as in Nazi Germany the only way to survive was to completely espouse the philosophy of the Hitler's Nazi Party.
What is sad in this gloomy scenario is that the thinking and discerning opposition have no leaders whatsoever. Until recently the hope was in the Singapore's Democratic Party's Chee Soon Juan who showed some spine in the face of these unforgiving punishing rulers. But even he has succumbed and literally given up. Having been trounced at the recent elections, it appears he too has gone into hibernation.
I can see this overwhelming victory for these Fascists in authority only as the beginning of the slide to the island's mediocrity. No country that loses it's best and brightest where the only avenue to success is to be a card carrying government supporter can ever hope to achieve any greatness. Because this need to submit to authority dampens the human spirit, instills fear among the population, a cowardly society living in fear can never achieve innovation, invention, competition nor greatness. In effect their overwhelming victory has become the albatross around their neck.
Gopalan Nair
Formerly Singaporean
Fremont, California near San Francisco
Monday, October 12, 2015
Singapore General Elections 2015. A Brief on Singapore politician Chee Soon Juan
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore elections have just been over. The voters have overwhelmingly voted for Lee Kuan Yew's son's party The Peoples Action Party (PAP) which has been ruling the island uninterrupted since 1959. This island government is for all intents and purposes Fascist.
There is no freedom of speech expression or assembly. The vast majority of Singaporeans either work for the government or in government linked companies. They fear retribution and loss of livelihood if seen to oppose the regime.
Even those working for private companies fear open opposition to the regime will result in retribution from the government. You have a judiciary which are simply Kangaroo judges in Kangaroo courts rubber stamping the wishes of the government.
All newspapers and media are state controlled. The elections are rigged so as to ensure the ruling party's victory. In these circumstances it must be abundantly clear especially for the mightily well read Chee Soon Juan that elections will take him nowhere.
I write about Chee because he is worth writing about. Among all the opposition politicians who are no better than helpless mice, at least he is seen to have the courage to stand up to the regime.
His career in opposition politics has been a life long tragedy. He has been at it for the last 25 years. During this entire time he has not managed to advance his party one inch. In fact his stewardship has in fact taken his party several steps back.
In this election he has reduced his support to a mere 2/3 of the electorate. Almost 75% of the voters voted against him and his party, a much worse result than in previous years. In other countries, such a devastating blow would have required his resignation but not so in Singapore His people are still with him, but to what purpose?
The fault with Chee is not the lack of knowledge. No one can dispute the fact that he is the most well read man in the entire island. Question is, with all that wisdom, why is he not able to make it happen?
I have personally known Chee during the short time I was in Singapore when they arrested me and threw me in jail for writing a blog post criticizing the judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean. I have also been following his activity for the last 25 years. This is what I can say of him.
What he lacks in not knowledge. He lacks the ability to understand his objectives and then the means to achieve it. Freedom House has quite rightly said that Singaporeans are incapable of changing their government through the ballot box. The Fascist regime is there to stay as long as the people simply contest elections and do no more.
What is needed is democracy first and then elections. What is needed is the right to freedom of speech, assembly and peaceful protest first. Because without these preconditions, elections are useless.
Chee has to ask himself the question whether he believes in democracy. Whether a democratic Singapore is ultimately for the good of the island. If that is decided, then he should do what is necessary to bring it about. Only then would elections means anything.
I have no doubt Chee believes this, that democracy is for the ultimate good of the island. Fascism is not. Why? Because with democracy the full potential of the human being can be released without fear of reprisals. New ideas means progress. It means competition. And progress and competition are good things to yearn for.
Chee's problem is that he is not master of his own will. He is swayed by what others tell him. For instance he has been told that the Chinese mentality, of which they are the majority in the island, are averse to confrontation and therefore not amenable to such things as civil disobedience.
He has been told that he would not have any support if he openly confronts the government through peaceful protests and demonstrations and therefore should do no more than contesting elections. But common sense would tell him that under these circumstances, when their very livelihood depends on the government, no one would dare openly challenge the government. Which explains why Hitler and Mussolini continued to receive universal support.
Although he initially had staged numerous protests and civil disobedience to demand justice, he gave it all up because he was told that it will not work. And he simply went along with it.
I am not sure if I am a good judge of human character but I will say this. Whether you are Chinese, Caucasian or Mulatto, we are all human beings. And human beings will ultimately support what is right and oppose what is wrong. And the other thing that Chee should know, which I believe he does, is that the majority do not always carry the day. It is justice that carries the day ultimately. And there is ample evidence in history to show that you don't need the masses to overthrow unjust regimes, it only takes a handful.
When Fidel Castro rose against Batista, he had only a handful of men. Over time it grew and he overthrew the mighty Batista. And why? Because he was right and Batista was wrong. You see this pattern repeated throughout the world in the millennium.
Despite Lee Kuan Yew's son putting food on the table, his regime is inherently unjust. Anyone with eyes can see that. Denying freedom of speech and peaceful assembly is wrong anywhere. And fighting for human freedoms is right, anywhere in the world, including Singapore.
My message to Chee is this. Use your head. You have a good head. Make up your mind what your objectives are. There is no doubt Chee's objectives are noble and honorable. Freedom is a good thing for the people of Singapore, there is no doubt about it. And since the regime is unwilling to give the freedom that people rightly deserve, you should demand it through every possible means, including civil disobedience protests strikes and every other means that you can think of.
As was seen in the overwhelming rallies during the elections, there are many Singaporeans who would be prepared to take the route of civil disobedience, since they have no other option under the Lee's overwhelming control over the island. They simply refuse to allow the citizens their fundamental rights.
During Mandela's trial at Rivonia, he admitted that he used violent means to overthrow the apartheid regime because had he played according to the rules then existing in South Africa, his people would never be able to gain their freedom.
I am not suggesting violent means like Mandela. I am advocating lawful peaceful means such as protests, demonstrations and civil disobedience. What you should do is to provoke the government and their police to act against you. When they do, the injustice becomes open to view. This means more people would see the injustice and more would join your ranks.
You should keep the clamor for freedom live on a daily basis on the streets for all to see. Provoking the issue in public on a daily basis. Forcing the government to use ever increasing repressive measures. And slowly turning the tide in your favor and against Lee's repression. Not simply going away and coming back in 2020 like all the other parties are going to do to contest elections and thereafter going away for another 5 years and reappearing.
In Cuba Castro's forces did not defeat the Batista regime in reality. Batista himself destroyed Batista. During the protests and agitation, the Cuban police became ever more brutal and their open brutality made the support of Castro to swell to such an extent that Batista collapsed under his own weight.
Chee should realize that he has no other option. If he waits for 2020 to try at the next elections, he would only lose once more. And he would be near 60. And he will leave politics leaving behind a wasted life, not having achieved nothing.
On the other hand if he decides on civil disobedience for democracy, he may have only a handful at first. But as Lee Kuan Yew's son uses force and more force to suppress the just aspirations of his people, his popularity would slowly grow and swell to numbers that will eventually destroy them. And even if what I say does not necessarily happen, what choice does Chee have anyway? Because if he simply waits to do the same thing in 2020, he knows he will fail again.
On the other hand if he wants to enter Parliament at any cost, then he should what the Workers Party does. An astute observer of Singapore would know that Workers Party did not win because they were good. They won because the Lee's party wanted them to win. It gives a much better impression to the world of Singapore if you had at least a few opposition members in Parliament.
And what better opposition can you get than the Workers Party who are in politics not to further the opposition cause but to further that of the ruling party. In fact it is well known that the PAP themselves had gone around urging people to vote the opposition as they dreaded the image of being a one party state with total control of the Parliament. So although they are in fact in total control, for international consumption, they can at least say that there is an opposition in Parliament.
So if Chee wants to be another Workers Party style politician, moderate your criticism of the rulers. Go once step further and praise them and hopefully they might admit you to the club.
Gopalan Nair
Fremont California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Singapore elections have just been over. The voters have overwhelmingly voted for Lee Kuan Yew's son's party The Peoples Action Party (PAP) which has been ruling the island uninterrupted since 1959. This island government is for all intents and purposes Fascist.
There is no freedom of speech expression or assembly. The vast majority of Singaporeans either work for the government or in government linked companies. They fear retribution and loss of livelihood if seen to oppose the regime.
Even those working for private companies fear open opposition to the regime will result in retribution from the government. You have a judiciary which are simply Kangaroo judges in Kangaroo courts rubber stamping the wishes of the government.
All newspapers and media are state controlled. The elections are rigged so as to ensure the ruling party's victory. In these circumstances it must be abundantly clear especially for the mightily well read Chee Soon Juan that elections will take him nowhere.
I write about Chee because he is worth writing about. Among all the opposition politicians who are no better than helpless mice, at least he is seen to have the courage to stand up to the regime.
His career in opposition politics has been a life long tragedy. He has been at it for the last 25 years. During this entire time he has not managed to advance his party one inch. In fact his stewardship has in fact taken his party several steps back.
In this election he has reduced his support to a mere 2/3 of the electorate. Almost 75% of the voters voted against him and his party, a much worse result than in previous years. In other countries, such a devastating blow would have required his resignation but not so in Singapore His people are still with him, but to what purpose?
The fault with Chee is not the lack of knowledge. No one can dispute the fact that he is the most well read man in the entire island. Question is, with all that wisdom, why is he not able to make it happen?
I have personally known Chee during the short time I was in Singapore when they arrested me and threw me in jail for writing a blog post criticizing the judge Belinda Ang Saw Ean. I have also been following his activity for the last 25 years. This is what I can say of him.
What he lacks in not knowledge. He lacks the ability to understand his objectives and then the means to achieve it. Freedom House has quite rightly said that Singaporeans are incapable of changing their government through the ballot box. The Fascist regime is there to stay as long as the people simply contest elections and do no more.
What is needed is democracy first and then elections. What is needed is the right to freedom of speech, assembly and peaceful protest first. Because without these preconditions, elections are useless.
Chee has to ask himself the question whether he believes in democracy. Whether a democratic Singapore is ultimately for the good of the island. If that is decided, then he should do what is necessary to bring it about. Only then would elections means anything.
I have no doubt Chee believes this, that democracy is for the ultimate good of the island. Fascism is not. Why? Because with democracy the full potential of the human being can be released without fear of reprisals. New ideas means progress. It means competition. And progress and competition are good things to yearn for.
Chee's problem is that he is not master of his own will. He is swayed by what others tell him. For instance he has been told that the Chinese mentality, of which they are the majority in the island, are averse to confrontation and therefore not amenable to such things as civil disobedience.
He has been told that he would not have any support if he openly confronts the government through peaceful protests and demonstrations and therefore should do no more than contesting elections. But common sense would tell him that under these circumstances, when their very livelihood depends on the government, no one would dare openly challenge the government. Which explains why Hitler and Mussolini continued to receive universal support.
Although he initially had staged numerous protests and civil disobedience to demand justice, he gave it all up because he was told that it will not work. And he simply went along with it.
I am not sure if I am a good judge of human character but I will say this. Whether you are Chinese, Caucasian or Mulatto, we are all human beings. And human beings will ultimately support what is right and oppose what is wrong. And the other thing that Chee should know, which I believe he does, is that the majority do not always carry the day. It is justice that carries the day ultimately. And there is ample evidence in history to show that you don't need the masses to overthrow unjust regimes, it only takes a handful.
When Fidel Castro rose against Batista, he had only a handful of men. Over time it grew and he overthrew the mighty Batista. And why? Because he was right and Batista was wrong. You see this pattern repeated throughout the world in the millennium.
Despite Lee Kuan Yew's son putting food on the table, his regime is inherently unjust. Anyone with eyes can see that. Denying freedom of speech and peaceful assembly is wrong anywhere. And fighting for human freedoms is right, anywhere in the world, including Singapore.
My message to Chee is this. Use your head. You have a good head. Make up your mind what your objectives are. There is no doubt Chee's objectives are noble and honorable. Freedom is a good thing for the people of Singapore, there is no doubt about it. And since the regime is unwilling to give the freedom that people rightly deserve, you should demand it through every possible means, including civil disobedience protests strikes and every other means that you can think of.
As was seen in the overwhelming rallies during the elections, there are many Singaporeans who would be prepared to take the route of civil disobedience, since they have no other option under the Lee's overwhelming control over the island. They simply refuse to allow the citizens their fundamental rights.
During Mandela's trial at Rivonia, he admitted that he used violent means to overthrow the apartheid regime because had he played according to the rules then existing in South Africa, his people would never be able to gain their freedom.
I am not suggesting violent means like Mandela. I am advocating lawful peaceful means such as protests, demonstrations and civil disobedience. What you should do is to provoke the government and their police to act against you. When they do, the injustice becomes open to view. This means more people would see the injustice and more would join your ranks.
You should keep the clamor for freedom live on a daily basis on the streets for all to see. Provoking the issue in public on a daily basis. Forcing the government to use ever increasing repressive measures. And slowly turning the tide in your favor and against Lee's repression. Not simply going away and coming back in 2020 like all the other parties are going to do to contest elections and thereafter going away for another 5 years and reappearing.
In Cuba Castro's forces did not defeat the Batista regime in reality. Batista himself destroyed Batista. During the protests and agitation, the Cuban police became ever more brutal and their open brutality made the support of Castro to swell to such an extent that Batista collapsed under his own weight.
Chee should realize that he has no other option. If he waits for 2020 to try at the next elections, he would only lose once more. And he would be near 60. And he will leave politics leaving behind a wasted life, not having achieved nothing.
On the other hand if he decides on civil disobedience for democracy, he may have only a handful at first. But as Lee Kuan Yew's son uses force and more force to suppress the just aspirations of his people, his popularity would slowly grow and swell to numbers that will eventually destroy them. And even if what I say does not necessarily happen, what choice does Chee have anyway? Because if he simply waits to do the same thing in 2020, he knows he will fail again.
On the other hand if he wants to enter Parliament at any cost, then he should what the Workers Party does. An astute observer of Singapore would know that Workers Party did not win because they were good. They won because the Lee's party wanted them to win. It gives a much better impression to the world of Singapore if you had at least a few opposition members in Parliament.
And what better opposition can you get than the Workers Party who are in politics not to further the opposition cause but to further that of the ruling party. In fact it is well known that the PAP themselves had gone around urging people to vote the opposition as they dreaded the image of being a one party state with total control of the Parliament. So although they are in fact in total control, for international consumption, they can at least say that there is an opposition in Parliament.
So if Chee wants to be another Workers Party style politician, moderate your criticism of the rulers. Go once step further and praise them and hopefully they might admit you to the club.
Gopalan Nair
Fremont California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Singaporeans living under a one party dictatorship have lost their ability to think rationally and common sense
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Unless the Singaporean is able to think rationally and exercise common sense as normal human beings, which they appear incapable of, they will forever live under a one party police state as they do now.
At the recent elections, the ruling Lee Kuan Yew's Peoples Action Party which has been running the island for the last 50 years uninterrupted, won again, this time, not surprisingly, with an increased majority. The reasons must appear obvious. Singaporeans have no constitutional rights whatsoever. No right to free speech, free assembly, peaceful protest, no means of challenging the ruling government whatsoever. Additionally there is no free press and no rule of law. The citizens are literally living as slaves and totally obedient to the ruling PAP.
They voted overwhelmingly for this one party state government under which they live with no rights at all! After all in reality, despite the elections, they have no real chance of voting for anyone else.
In Singapore where there is a total denial of human rights, the citizens have no opportunity to engage the government. Public speeches are disallowed. Anyone with a contrary opinion has no way either to make it known to the public, to engage the government or to have their views published in the media which is entirely state controlled. The opposition cannot engage the government on their views. Except for blogs and the social media, where even here, you can be sued for defamation, jailed and bankrupted, the citizens are simply prevented from expressing or promoting their views. The only time they are allowed to make speeches in public is a span of a mere 9 days in every 5 years during the elections, although even here, the speeches have to be muted and carefully moderated lest you are sued for defamation or worse arrested.
Surely anyone with common sense would know that such a system is either fascism or a dictatorship. And any right thinking person who wants to live a free man, like we all do would oppose this.
But the strange thing about the Singaporean is that he doesn't think this way, as a normal person anywhere else would. Through years of subjugation, his thought process is no longer normal. He is prepared to willingly accept these laws without question.
He simply obeys the law which prevents him from speaking publicly, although such a law is totally nonsensical.
Any other person in any other country would have looked at it this way. It is simply outrageous for any law to make it illegal for me to stand at a street corner and complain against the government. I am not hurting anyone by doing so and therefore a law which punishes me from doing something totally harmless is clearly wrong and no one needs obey. Therefore any ordinary rational foreigner would have no hesitation in breaking such a law but the Singaporean simply is incapable of acting in that fashion. He has undergone behavior training for so long and subjected to years of living under fear that his thought process has permanently shifted from the normal.
What harm am I doing anyone if I stood with a placard peacefully at Raffles Place at lunchtime with the words "Down Down PAP". No one is harmed by that and a law which makes it illegal is clearly an ass.
In Singapore it is illegal to assemble in a group in public even though you are entirely peaceful. What harm are you doing anyone else if 5 of you got together in a public place and held up anti- government posters, absolutely none. Yet Lee Kuan Yew's Son's government makes it illegal too and the people of Singapore on their part simply obey.
In Singapore even though the Constitution guarantees a free press, the entire press in the island is state controlled, yet the average Singaporean makes no complaint of this transgression.
What then happens as a result of these phenomena is the Singaporean during their entire lives are totally incapable and unable to exercise their right of self determination and are totally kept out of any participation in government. They allow the government to do entirely what they want by their complete inability to challenge the government even remotely their entire lives.
Singaporeans through years of living under such total control have lost their ability to think.
The recent elections in the island where the ruling party not only won as they have done for the past 50 years but had even increased their majority to 70% should have come as no surprise in an behavior trained island such as this.
Opposition political parties such as Chee Soon Juan's Singapore Democratic Party had worked very hard at the recent elections but had lost very badly. They got just 30%. I would have told them they had no chance at all and were simply wasting their time. What surprises me is this. Why does Chee Soon Juan, undoubtedly a man of immense wisdom is incapable of understanding this simple truth.
Chee Soon Juan would be not only wasting his time but that of his party if he continued in his merry way of waiting for 2020 to try his luck once more. In order to persuade the electorate, he should speak in public, make speeches, organize protests against government laws and policies and organize peaceful demonstrations if the state does not respond to his legitimate demands. These actions are necessary to put out his message to the public. And these actions, although perfectly legal under normally understood laws or morality, it so happens, are also crimes under Lee Kuan Yew's laws.
So until and unless Chee Soon Juan is prepared to break these laws, which are plainly illegal as they are, he would never be able to persuade his voters because he cannot get the message across effectively and will not be able to engage the government as he should.
What he has done so far is going from house to house asking for support. But why should they when he has not shown throughout his time as a citizen of Singapore any willingness to challenge the unjust policies by whatever lawful means necessary, which includes peaceful protests, public speeches and civil disobedience (disobedience to unjust laws). He should know that under the Constitution of Singapore, freedom of expression, assembly and protest are guaranteed Constitutional rights and the restrictions placed on them by this government are illegal.
Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party which is a party most representative of democracy in the island, should engage the government throughout the 5 years up till the next elections. Not just writing blogs and asking people to support him which is not enough; because no one need support him since he can do nothing for them.
There are several burning issues for which he has a huge support base, as was seen in his recent huge election rallies.
One such issue is immigration which is totally destroying the local population. Another is the lack of minimum wage and the plight of the poor.
Form the huge support he had at rallies, he knows he can garner huge numbers for protests for redress. These protests will also force the government to respond to these issues resulting in the government being held responsible for their actions, visibly in the public eye, throughout the 5 years, not just at election time. The trick lies in engaging the government throughout, not just during 9 days every 5 years.
Unless the people of Singapore and their leaders such as Chee Soon Juan are prepared to exercise their minds to rational thinking and do what is peaceful and just to challenge this government, not once in 5 years but throughout their lives in the island; unless the people of Singapore are able to use their common sense and thinking as rational normal human beings, Lee Kuan Yew's PAP will continue to rule over their lives in 2020 and beyond and they will continue to live as slaves as they do now.
And my advice to Chee Soon Juan is this. If you are going to do the same as you have done for the past 20 years, please leave politics and do something else to help yourself. And as for his supporters including the Dr. Paul Anand Thambiyah, I will say this. You are backing the wrong horse. You are wasting your time with Chee Soon Juan and his Singapore Democratic Party because he is leading you nowhere. You could spend your time better doing something useful, not something you know is going to fail again, 5 years time in 2020 and thereafter too. I strongly urge Chee Soon Juan to think rationally and logically, for once.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean by Birth
Now American citizen
San Francisco, California
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
Unless the Singaporean is able to think rationally and exercise common sense as normal human beings, which they appear incapable of, they will forever live under a one party police state as they do now.
At the recent elections, the ruling Lee Kuan Yew's Peoples Action Party which has been running the island for the last 50 years uninterrupted, won again, this time, not surprisingly, with an increased majority. The reasons must appear obvious. Singaporeans have no constitutional rights whatsoever. No right to free speech, free assembly, peaceful protest, no means of challenging the ruling government whatsoever. Additionally there is no free press and no rule of law. The citizens are literally living as slaves and totally obedient to the ruling PAP.
They voted overwhelmingly for this one party state government under which they live with no rights at all! After all in reality, despite the elections, they have no real chance of voting for anyone else.
In Singapore where there is a total denial of human rights, the citizens have no opportunity to engage the government. Public speeches are disallowed. Anyone with a contrary opinion has no way either to make it known to the public, to engage the government or to have their views published in the media which is entirely state controlled. The opposition cannot engage the government on their views. Except for blogs and the social media, where even here, you can be sued for defamation, jailed and bankrupted, the citizens are simply prevented from expressing or promoting their views. The only time they are allowed to make speeches in public is a span of a mere 9 days in every 5 years during the elections, although even here, the speeches have to be muted and carefully moderated lest you are sued for defamation or worse arrested.
Surely anyone with common sense would know that such a system is either fascism or a dictatorship. And any right thinking person who wants to live a free man, like we all do would oppose this.
But the strange thing about the Singaporean is that he doesn't think this way, as a normal person anywhere else would. Through years of subjugation, his thought process is no longer normal. He is prepared to willingly accept these laws without question.
He simply obeys the law which prevents him from speaking publicly, although such a law is totally nonsensical.
Any other person in any other country would have looked at it this way. It is simply outrageous for any law to make it illegal for me to stand at a street corner and complain against the government. I am not hurting anyone by doing so and therefore a law which punishes me from doing something totally harmless is clearly wrong and no one needs obey. Therefore any ordinary rational foreigner would have no hesitation in breaking such a law but the Singaporean simply is incapable of acting in that fashion. He has undergone behavior training for so long and subjected to years of living under fear that his thought process has permanently shifted from the normal.
What harm am I doing anyone if I stood with a placard peacefully at Raffles Place at lunchtime with the words "Down Down PAP". No one is harmed by that and a law which makes it illegal is clearly an ass.
In Singapore it is illegal to assemble in a group in public even though you are entirely peaceful. What harm are you doing anyone else if 5 of you got together in a public place and held up anti- government posters, absolutely none. Yet Lee Kuan Yew's Son's government makes it illegal too and the people of Singapore on their part simply obey.
In Singapore even though the Constitution guarantees a free press, the entire press in the island is state controlled, yet the average Singaporean makes no complaint of this transgression.
What then happens as a result of these phenomena is the Singaporean during their entire lives are totally incapable and unable to exercise their right of self determination and are totally kept out of any participation in government. They allow the government to do entirely what they want by their complete inability to challenge the government even remotely their entire lives.
Singaporeans through years of living under such total control have lost their ability to think.
The recent elections in the island where the ruling party not only won as they have done for the past 50 years but had even increased their majority to 70% should have come as no surprise in an behavior trained island such as this.
Opposition political parties such as Chee Soon Juan's Singapore Democratic Party had worked very hard at the recent elections but had lost very badly. They got just 30%. I would have told them they had no chance at all and were simply wasting their time. What surprises me is this. Why does Chee Soon Juan, undoubtedly a man of immense wisdom is incapable of understanding this simple truth.
Chee Soon Juan would be not only wasting his time but that of his party if he continued in his merry way of waiting for 2020 to try his luck once more. In order to persuade the electorate, he should speak in public, make speeches, organize protests against government laws and policies and organize peaceful demonstrations if the state does not respond to his legitimate demands. These actions are necessary to put out his message to the public. And these actions, although perfectly legal under normally understood laws or morality, it so happens, are also crimes under Lee Kuan Yew's laws.
So until and unless Chee Soon Juan is prepared to break these laws, which are plainly illegal as they are, he would never be able to persuade his voters because he cannot get the message across effectively and will not be able to engage the government as he should.
What he has done so far is going from house to house asking for support. But why should they when he has not shown throughout his time as a citizen of Singapore any willingness to challenge the unjust policies by whatever lawful means necessary, which includes peaceful protests, public speeches and civil disobedience (disobedience to unjust laws). He should know that under the Constitution of Singapore, freedom of expression, assembly and protest are guaranteed Constitutional rights and the restrictions placed on them by this government are illegal.
Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party which is a party most representative of democracy in the island, should engage the government throughout the 5 years up till the next elections. Not just writing blogs and asking people to support him which is not enough; because no one need support him since he can do nothing for them.
There are several burning issues for which he has a huge support base, as was seen in his recent huge election rallies.
One such issue is immigration which is totally destroying the local population. Another is the lack of minimum wage and the plight of the poor.
Form the huge support he had at rallies, he knows he can garner huge numbers for protests for redress. These protests will also force the government to respond to these issues resulting in the government being held responsible for their actions, visibly in the public eye, throughout the 5 years, not just at election time. The trick lies in engaging the government throughout, not just during 9 days every 5 years.
Unless the people of Singapore and their leaders such as Chee Soon Juan are prepared to exercise their minds to rational thinking and do what is peaceful and just to challenge this government, not once in 5 years but throughout their lives in the island; unless the people of Singapore are able to use their common sense and thinking as rational normal human beings, Lee Kuan Yew's PAP will continue to rule over their lives in 2020 and beyond and they will continue to live as slaves as they do now.
And my advice to Chee Soon Juan is this. If you are going to do the same as you have done for the past 20 years, please leave politics and do something else to help yourself. And as for his supporters including the Dr. Paul Anand Thambiyah, I will say this. You are backing the wrong horse. You are wasting your time with Chee Soon Juan and his Singapore Democratic Party because he is leading you nowhere. You could spend your time better doing something useful, not something you know is going to fail again, 5 years time in 2020 and thereafter too. I strongly urge Chee Soon Juan to think rationally and logically, for once.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean by Birth
Now American citizen
San Francisco, California
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
A satire on Singapore's one party nanny state
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore picture's as a nanny state where nannies (Lee Kuan Yew's son and his selected friends known as the PAP) are the rulers and the citizens, 5 year old children who live in a nursery (the island of Singapore).
The nannies have complete control over the children who are not allowed freedom of speech or openly criticize their nannies. One such child, Roy Ngerng who criticized the chief nanny, Lee Kuan Yew's son, was recently sued and will soon be made a bankrupt. No child in the Chief Nanny's nursery is allowed to openly criticize any nanny.
The children are never allowed to protest publicly, organize speeches or write anything critical in newspapers of general circulation. All newspapers and Media are owned and controlled by the nannies.
In effect the children throughout their lives are totally controlled by their nannies. They have no say in how the nannies run their lives. However the nannies allow the children one privilege. They are allowed once in 5 years to form political parties, provided the nannies give permission and stand for elections against the nannies.
But the children have no chance of ever of beating the nannies as every child lives in apartments owned by the nannies, they work in companies owned by them and if they show any attempt of a challenge, would immediately be arrested and thrown in jail. For fear of losing their jobs and livelihood, the children always vote for the nannies. In any case, since the children have no experience whatsoever in government their entire lives, since the nannies never give them a chance, the children would rather vote for the nannies rather than the inexperienced children.
A week ago, the nannies held their elections where the nannies obtained an overwhelming 70% of the votes. As the children have no means of realistically challenging the nannies under these circumstances it is certain the nannies will always win. What the nannies want is for the children to do their jobs without complaining and allow the nannies to provide for them. The nannies have promised to provide jobs, housing and all necessities of life for the children provided they are obedient and quietly do their jobs and live their lives. The nannies get upset if you complain too much as this, they say, affects their ability to serve the children in the best way possible.
After the latest elections, many children have written their views on why the nannies have got a large percentage. Some children attribute this to the nannies being more attentive to the children needs. Some children have accused the nannies of not taking care of the public transport system due to repeated breakdowns. The nannies have promised that next time they would take better care of the transport. The children have also complained to the nannies that they are allowing too many foreigners into the island and the nannies have promised to take care of that too. In fact the Chief nanny has promised that he will take good care of the children with better housing better jobs and more money and expects even more children to vote for the nannies and whoever the nannies place in positions of authority.
Many children feel their lives have got better because of their nannies. When the Chief nanny's father Lee Kuan Yew died recently, there was outpouring of grief for him being the greatest and kindest nanny of all. How sad they were to have lost a nanny like him.
The children in the nursery are overwhelming happy to live under the compassionate loving care of such nannies. In fact the children voted a whopping 70% for the nannies at the recent elections. They look forward to many years of good life under such kind and loving nannies who will build roads for them, build the schools and provide jobs. There are some children in the nursery who are disobedient and had to punished. One such wayward child was Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party. This child made all sorts of accusations against the nannies and challenged the nannies at the recent elections. The overwhelming majority of children who are all grateful to the nannies trounced this wayward recalcitrant Chee Soon Juan at the elections by giving him even less than a quarter of the votes. The evidence shows the majority of the children detest this child Chee Soon Juan and would hope he would go away.
Since the elections, as always, things are going on as normal. The children have since stopped talking about the recent elections anymore and have gotten down to life as usual in the nursery. The trains are running, the buses are running, the people are working, the clocks are ticking and the children in the nursery have gone back to their daily lives under the kind and loving care of their nannies.
In five years time, in 2020, the children will be given another chance at the elections. In the meantime, they should not complain, openly criticize their nannies, form peaceful protests and not ask embarrassing questions and generally be quiet and obedient. The nannies will feed house clothe and take care of them as they have always done. The nannies have promised that the lives of the children will be even better than it ever was. As for the children, they are so happy to have such kind caring and loving nannies.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean by birth
Now American citizen
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email : nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
Singapore picture's as a nanny state where nannies (Lee Kuan Yew's son and his selected friends known as the PAP) are the rulers and the citizens, 5 year old children who live in a nursery (the island of Singapore).
The nannies have complete control over the children who are not allowed freedom of speech or openly criticize their nannies. One such child, Roy Ngerng who criticized the chief nanny, Lee Kuan Yew's son, was recently sued and will soon be made a bankrupt. No child in the Chief Nanny's nursery is allowed to openly criticize any nanny.
The children are never allowed to protest publicly, organize speeches or write anything critical in newspapers of general circulation. All newspapers and Media are owned and controlled by the nannies.
In effect the children throughout their lives are totally controlled by their nannies. They have no say in how the nannies run their lives. However the nannies allow the children one privilege. They are allowed once in 5 years to form political parties, provided the nannies give permission and stand for elections against the nannies.
But the children have no chance of ever of beating the nannies as every child lives in apartments owned by the nannies, they work in companies owned by them and if they show any attempt of a challenge, would immediately be arrested and thrown in jail. For fear of losing their jobs and livelihood, the children always vote for the nannies. In any case, since the children have no experience whatsoever in government their entire lives, since the nannies never give them a chance, the children would rather vote for the nannies rather than the inexperienced children.
A week ago, the nannies held their elections where the nannies obtained an overwhelming 70% of the votes. As the children have no means of realistically challenging the nannies under these circumstances it is certain the nannies will always win. What the nannies want is for the children to do their jobs without complaining and allow the nannies to provide for them. The nannies have promised to provide jobs, housing and all necessities of life for the children provided they are obedient and quietly do their jobs and live their lives. The nannies get upset if you complain too much as this, they say, affects their ability to serve the children in the best way possible.
After the latest elections, many children have written their views on why the nannies have got a large percentage. Some children attribute this to the nannies being more attentive to the children needs. Some children have accused the nannies of not taking care of the public transport system due to repeated breakdowns. The nannies have promised that next time they would take better care of the transport. The children have also complained to the nannies that they are allowing too many foreigners into the island and the nannies have promised to take care of that too. In fact the Chief nanny has promised that he will take good care of the children with better housing better jobs and more money and expects even more children to vote for the nannies and whoever the nannies place in positions of authority.
Many children feel their lives have got better because of their nannies. When the Chief nanny's father Lee Kuan Yew died recently, there was outpouring of grief for him being the greatest and kindest nanny of all. How sad they were to have lost a nanny like him.
The children in the nursery are overwhelming happy to live under the compassionate loving care of such nannies. In fact the children voted a whopping 70% for the nannies at the recent elections. They look forward to many years of good life under such kind and loving nannies who will build roads for them, build the schools and provide jobs. There are some children in the nursery who are disobedient and had to punished. One such wayward child was Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party. This child made all sorts of accusations against the nannies and challenged the nannies at the recent elections. The overwhelming majority of children who are all grateful to the nannies trounced this wayward recalcitrant Chee Soon Juan at the elections by giving him even less than a quarter of the votes. The evidence shows the majority of the children detest this child Chee Soon Juan and would hope he would go away.
Since the elections, as always, things are going on as normal. The children have since stopped talking about the recent elections anymore and have gotten down to life as usual in the nursery. The trains are running, the buses are running, the people are working, the clocks are ticking and the children in the nursery have gone back to their daily lives under the kind and loving care of their nannies.
In five years time, in 2020, the children will be given another chance at the elections. In the meantime, they should not complain, openly criticize their nannies, form peaceful protests and not ask embarrassing questions and generally be quiet and obedient. The nannies will feed house clothe and take care of them as they have always done. The nannies have promised that the lives of the children will be even better than it ever was. As for the children, they are so happy to have such kind caring and loving nannies.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean by birth
Now American citizen
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email : nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
After the recent elections Singapore is on course to self destruct
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Although Singapore started off as an intended democracy replete with Constitutional rights of free speech expression assembly and the rule of law, it has been transformed over the entire 50 years of its history to a total dictatorship run by the Lee family and their PAP assisted by highly paid willing collaborators. Today it has no free speech, expression or assembly or the rule of law with the rulers totally corrupt paying themselves millions which they conveniently call a salary.
As a result there is a mounting brain drain which was reported as much as 1000 per year of the most highly educated and skilled among it's population all making a bee line to the West. This report of a 1000 was some years ago. Today we can expect the number to be several times that. With the results of the recent elections which gave the ruling dictators an even greater majority of votes, those yearning to be free have given up all hope and we can expect the brain drain to multiply several fold.
It is natural that with an increasingly educated English speaking population, they would want to have more freedom and a right to self determination and freedom of thought and action. No one would want to live in a society which totally controls their lives where in order to survive, one has to totally submit to the powers above.
As a result of the ongoing brain drain, the government is left with no option but to bringing in increasing numbers from the nearby impoverished countries to take up the slack. As a result of the increasing rate of immigration the society is being transformed into entirely something else. As the largest number of these recent immigrants are from China, the society is being transformed into a society where the ethos, norms and culture of the island is that of any city in China, no longer Singaporean. And as even more foreigners come in to live among native Singaporeans, they find this uncomfortable thereby pushing even more to escape to the West.
This dissatisfaction resulting from the lack of freedom and democracy is manifest in other ways too. The island has the lowest birth rate in the world, 1.2%, which means that births do not even replace those dying. The rate of marriage is extremely low too. The state's answer to this is simply to increase immigration into the country thereby alienating even more of the educated population.
As more people leave they bring in even more and the vicious cycle continues.
And then the elections are a complete farce. With the electorate prevented from organizing, forming individual opinions and ideas and engaging in any form of political activity, the government conducts elections once ever 5 years. Naturally the government will win all the seats since the electorate has been denied any chance to engage in political activity.
On top of that the government has a wide intelligence apparatus, to rival even the Soviet KGB or the East German Stasi, watching every move of its citizens resulting a blanket of fear in the society to engage in any activity seen contrary to that of the government. As the people live in fear of their government, there is no means for them to redress any of their grievances while the government continues to win every single elections every 5 years.
Another reason for the abysmally lack of childbirth or marriages is the fact that there is absolutely no safety net provided by the government for the disadvantaged. There are no minimum wage laws, no social security and those in financial straits are simply left to fend for themselves. One can in a large agricultural country at least move to the country side and live off the land. This is not possible in a tiny island with only concrete buildings.
The result of this sort of control over the entire island would mean, even more people would leave, the birth rate would continue to decline and the government's only option would be to do the same, which is to bring even more foreigners to replace those who keep leaving.
Today even the most loyal and patriotic among Singaporeans see no other alternative but to leave. Remaining would be to continue living under the yoke of this totalitarian regime. The 70% victory at the recent polls would mean that the local Singaporeans who want to live in a democracy have simply no hope of achieving it. The Internet which was rife and awash with criticism of the government has become totally silent after the PAP's victory as they know that it is simply a waste of time to clamor for democracy, an aim which is virtually unattainable.
Today it is reported that as much as 40% of the population are made up of recent arrivals who were the main cause of this high election support for the government, since new immigrants in any society, not having any stake in the country would naturally support whichever government is in power. With even more immigrants in the society, who would vote for the PAP, it is certain that the island would be turned into another Communist China where the entire country supports one political party in power.
With the local citizens finding themselves without any recourse to redress of grievances, one could possibly imagine serious upheaval and violent protests as a means to redress their plight. In the not too distant past there have been numerous instances of young Singaporeans vandalizing government property with graffiti and property damage and the government's response has always been a harsh suppression. There may come a time when the minority demanding political space would be pushed to a mass riot or mass violence. This is the natural reaction in any society where the state does not provide any grievance procedure for those disadvantaged.
Swiftly you are going to see an entire island of foreign Chinese displacing every single local while locals are all living in Australia and the West. This would also mean the losing of the island's competitive advantage with an island populated entirely with mindless conformists who trade their freedom for survival under Lee's PAP.
The recent elections should make the fact that it is impossible to introduce democracy through the ballot box. The only way to achieve it is through massive civil unrest, peaceful protests and demonstrations. The path to democracy in Singapore is through the streets, not through the ballot box. For those out there who yearn for freedom, this fact should be crystal clear by now. Waiting for 2020 for the next elections is hopeless; you would not only lose but thanks to the overwhelming majority of foreigners in the island who have no stake in their country, the vote for this totalitarian one party state would be 90%, not 70% as now.
My opinion for those who wish to live in a democracy and who wish to save their island or what is left of it, you have no choice but to take the bit between your teeth now. You have to engage in massive peaceful protests, even if it means being arrested and jailed. If you are not prepared to do that, the only other option is to pack up and leave Singapore. Either way the island is headed to self destruction.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean by birth
Now American citizen
San Francisco, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
Although Singapore started off as an intended democracy replete with Constitutional rights of free speech expression assembly and the rule of law, it has been transformed over the entire 50 years of its history to a total dictatorship run by the Lee family and their PAP assisted by highly paid willing collaborators. Today it has no free speech, expression or assembly or the rule of law with the rulers totally corrupt paying themselves millions which they conveniently call a salary.
As a result there is a mounting brain drain which was reported as much as 1000 per year of the most highly educated and skilled among it's population all making a bee line to the West. This report of a 1000 was some years ago. Today we can expect the number to be several times that. With the results of the recent elections which gave the ruling dictators an even greater majority of votes, those yearning to be free have given up all hope and we can expect the brain drain to multiply several fold.
It is natural that with an increasingly educated English speaking population, they would want to have more freedom and a right to self determination and freedom of thought and action. No one would want to live in a society which totally controls their lives where in order to survive, one has to totally submit to the powers above.
As a result of the ongoing brain drain, the government is left with no option but to bringing in increasing numbers from the nearby impoverished countries to take up the slack. As a result of the increasing rate of immigration the society is being transformed into entirely something else. As the largest number of these recent immigrants are from China, the society is being transformed into a society where the ethos, norms and culture of the island is that of any city in China, no longer Singaporean. And as even more foreigners come in to live among native Singaporeans, they find this uncomfortable thereby pushing even more to escape to the West.
This dissatisfaction resulting from the lack of freedom and democracy is manifest in other ways too. The island has the lowest birth rate in the world, 1.2%, which means that births do not even replace those dying. The rate of marriage is extremely low too. The state's answer to this is simply to increase immigration into the country thereby alienating even more of the educated population.
As more people leave they bring in even more and the vicious cycle continues.
And then the elections are a complete farce. With the electorate prevented from organizing, forming individual opinions and ideas and engaging in any form of political activity, the government conducts elections once ever 5 years. Naturally the government will win all the seats since the electorate has been denied any chance to engage in political activity.
On top of that the government has a wide intelligence apparatus, to rival even the Soviet KGB or the East German Stasi, watching every move of its citizens resulting a blanket of fear in the society to engage in any activity seen contrary to that of the government. As the people live in fear of their government, there is no means for them to redress any of their grievances while the government continues to win every single elections every 5 years.
Another reason for the abysmally lack of childbirth or marriages is the fact that there is absolutely no safety net provided by the government for the disadvantaged. There are no minimum wage laws, no social security and those in financial straits are simply left to fend for themselves. One can in a large agricultural country at least move to the country side and live off the land. This is not possible in a tiny island with only concrete buildings.
The result of this sort of control over the entire island would mean, even more people would leave, the birth rate would continue to decline and the government's only option would be to do the same, which is to bring even more foreigners to replace those who keep leaving.
Today even the most loyal and patriotic among Singaporeans see no other alternative but to leave. Remaining would be to continue living under the yoke of this totalitarian regime. The 70% victory at the recent polls would mean that the local Singaporeans who want to live in a democracy have simply no hope of achieving it. The Internet which was rife and awash with criticism of the government has become totally silent after the PAP's victory as they know that it is simply a waste of time to clamor for democracy, an aim which is virtually unattainable.
Today it is reported that as much as 40% of the population are made up of recent arrivals who were the main cause of this high election support for the government, since new immigrants in any society, not having any stake in the country would naturally support whichever government is in power. With even more immigrants in the society, who would vote for the PAP, it is certain that the island would be turned into another Communist China where the entire country supports one political party in power.
With the local citizens finding themselves without any recourse to redress of grievances, one could possibly imagine serious upheaval and violent protests as a means to redress their plight. In the not too distant past there have been numerous instances of young Singaporeans vandalizing government property with graffiti and property damage and the government's response has always been a harsh suppression. There may come a time when the minority demanding political space would be pushed to a mass riot or mass violence. This is the natural reaction in any society where the state does not provide any grievance procedure for those disadvantaged.
Swiftly you are going to see an entire island of foreign Chinese displacing every single local while locals are all living in Australia and the West. This would also mean the losing of the island's competitive advantage with an island populated entirely with mindless conformists who trade their freedom for survival under Lee's PAP.
The recent elections should make the fact that it is impossible to introduce democracy through the ballot box. The only way to achieve it is through massive civil unrest, peaceful protests and demonstrations. The path to democracy in Singapore is through the streets, not through the ballot box. For those out there who yearn for freedom, this fact should be crystal clear by now. Waiting for 2020 for the next elections is hopeless; you would not only lose but thanks to the overwhelming majority of foreigners in the island who have no stake in their country, the vote for this totalitarian one party state would be 90%, not 70% as now.
My opinion for those who wish to live in a democracy and who wish to save their island or what is left of it, you have no choice but to take the bit between your teeth now. You have to engage in massive peaceful protests, even if it means being arrested and jailed. If you are not prepared to do that, the only other option is to pack up and leave Singapore. Either way the island is headed to self destruction.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
A Singaporean by birth
Now American citizen
San Francisco, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
Monday, September 14, 2015
Singapore Democratic Party's Chee Soon Juan should lead his people
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Singapore's Chee Soon Juan and his opposition Singapore Democratic Party has lost yet again at the polls with a further reduced margin. Under his leadership for 2 decades, they have not won a single seat. If he goes on with the way he has, he will not win the next election. Or even ever win any elections.
It is not for lack of trying. God knows he tried. But it is what he is doing that is the question.
Singapore is not a democracy. It is a Fascist dictatorship. Every aspect of life in the island is state controlled. People live in government housing. Their retirement funds are government controlled. Being the largest employer, the state controls their livelihood. There is no rule of law and judges are appointed to carry out government orders. Freedom of speech, assembly, peaceful protest are all denied. Critics are inevitably sued for defamation, bankrupted and thrown out of their jobs. Except for once in 5 years at election time, public speeches are prohibited. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to challenge government policies in a democratic way.
Chee Soon Juan knows this. Yet he complies with these unjust laws, spends his entire time as a boffin reading books, formulating ideas, giving speeches at foreign universities, and occasionally makes his rounds at public hawker centers asking people to vote for him, and every 5 years contests elections which he inevitably loses, like clockwork.
There is a glaring flaw in what he does. When the state controls their entire lives, simply writing blogs and asking people to support you makes no sense. Why should anyone support you just because you say so, when it is the government that gives you housing, puts food on the table and decides whether you should get a taxi license or not.
What I am trying to say is this. If Chee wants to be a leader, he should behave like one. From this recent elections, he knows there are serious faults with this government. For one the government's massive inflow of foreign labor has not only thrown thousands of locals out of jobs, it has seriously suppressed wages. So now he has a ready made audience in these oppressed Singaporeans. He should organize protests for these citizens to demand that the government listens.
Another burning issue is the rising cost of living literally pushing locals below the poverty line. So what should he do? He should champion the cause of these poor people by organizing protests and demonstrations to demand that the government make sure there is a minimum wage so people can at least survive.
Like this, through first hand knowledge from the elections, he knows there are crippling issues crying out for a leader to speak for them on the streets to demand justice. And when I mean speak for them, I don't mean writing blogs and learned treatises that Chee does. Instead he should engage in real activism on the ground, through peaceful protests and demonstrations to demand his people's rights.
If I could ask Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Fidel Castro or Che Guevara as to what they would do, I am sure they would say, just that. And mind you they all fought governments that were similar to that of today's Fascist dictatorial Singapore; they did not rise in free and democratic societies.
I know that any mention of peaceful protests in Singapore would immediately attract criticism with such claims as "Singaporeans do not like to protest", or "the Chinese do not like confrontation" etc., and immediately the idea is dampened. And unfortunately despite Chee's great wisdom, he goes along with this, just because that is the going mantra in the island.
Let me tell you that the Chinese or Singaporeans are no different from anyone else. We are all human beings and we will act like human beings, whether white man, black man, Mongoloid or Mulatoo.
And then of course there is the danger of what will befall Chee if he does this. It is certain that he will be arrested and imprisoned and so would his supporters. And it is also likely that his supporters would simply leave and he would be left alone or with just a handful. It is very likely that Chee's Singapore Democratic Party which he has nurtured cultivated and grown would disintegrate.
But then so what? The principle should be that one should do what is right, not what is popular. Even if Chee is imprisoned and his party disintegrates, in the end, no one can question that his action was the right one. And I have always believed that the path of the truth will eventually always prevail even it it takes longer. And the other advantage of this course of action is the people whom he supports would consider him their champion and his popularity on the ground can only increase over time because people will know that here is a man they could turn to who will take action for their rights. Not just a person who writes blogs and meets them occasionally asking for their support.
The other advantage is the fact that the demand for democracy would be kept alive thought the 5 years instead of silence for 4 years and 20 days and then 9 days of political rallies. This is what Chee Soon Juan is doing now and this is why he is not getting anywhere.
I am not suggesting that protests and demonstrations on behalf of his people would get him anywhere soon. But it will build his base, and garner real support, support that is personal that people can relate to, not just arguments and ideas.
He can also provide social services. Volunteer time to give free tuition classes. Provide financial assistance and groceries. Defend them against unjust court actions through volunteer legal services. I can imagine a great many other things he could do. He could demonstrate outside the government housing agency HDB when poor Joe Blokes is facing eviction. He could harass and corral the government into a corner unable to defend their unjust policies. He will come out a hero, even if a battered hero. He will become Singapore's Gandhi. And as Gandhi he will enter Parliament. But even if he does not enter Parliament, he will nevertheless be a Gandhi.
It will take time and a great deal of pain. But eventually I have no doubt that the unrelenting demand for his people's rights would begin to make a dent in Lee's Fascist dictatorial regime and they would have to concede their actions.
There is no problem in Chee getting sufficient supporters for a protest against massive immigration denying the citizen's jobs and income. There is no problem in Chee getting sufficient numbers to protest against the rising cost of living. Of course I know that such protests are illegal under Singapore's unjust laws. But then there are laws and there are laws. Chee should be ready and willing to break these unjust laws and by breaking them he will be seen as a true leader who is not afraid to stand his ground. Gandhi and Mandela would.
I have written several blogs about Chee Soon Juan. I believe that Chee is the only politician who has sufficient wisdom and experience to be a leader of his people. As for the others who have stood for elections, they are not worth even mentioning. They are just opportunists who crop up once every 5 years. As for Loh Thia Khiang, he is just another version of the ruling PAP. As for those who ran this time, you are not going to hear anymore of them until 5 years at the next elections.
I hope Chee reads this blog. I am afraid that if he complies with these rules that do not allow any political participation in the island, he will not only loose the next elections, he will go into oblivion. I do believe the axiom, when you are in a hole, stop digging.
I am keeping watch on Chee Soon Juan because only he can ensure that one day I can return to Singapore because as long as this Fascist government is in place, I am afraid for my liberty and well being if I ever step in there. But I do believe that I will one day return to Singapore, which can happen only if Chee succeds. I will tell you a story. Many years ago, when I was about 16 and living in Singapore, I was walking along Serangoon Road when I met a fortune teller on the street, seated on a sidewalk and reading your palm. Even then I always wanted to go abroad to Europe. So I asked him to read my palm. I asked him if I would ever go abroad to which he said I will travel to many countries. I then asked him where will I die thinking that I might die in Europe or America. To my astonishment he said I will die in Singapore! I think therefore, Chee Soon Juan might win after all since only through his victory can I ever possibly return!
* No anonymous comments please.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
Singaporean by birth
American citizen
San Francisco, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
Singapore's Chee Soon Juan and his opposition Singapore Democratic Party has lost yet again at the polls with a further reduced margin. Under his leadership for 2 decades, they have not won a single seat. If he goes on with the way he has, he will not win the next election. Or even ever win any elections.
It is not for lack of trying. God knows he tried. But it is what he is doing that is the question.
Singapore is not a democracy. It is a Fascist dictatorship. Every aspect of life in the island is state controlled. People live in government housing. Their retirement funds are government controlled. Being the largest employer, the state controls their livelihood. There is no rule of law and judges are appointed to carry out government orders. Freedom of speech, assembly, peaceful protest are all denied. Critics are inevitably sued for defamation, bankrupted and thrown out of their jobs. Except for once in 5 years at election time, public speeches are prohibited. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to challenge government policies in a democratic way.
Chee Soon Juan knows this. Yet he complies with these unjust laws, spends his entire time as a boffin reading books, formulating ideas, giving speeches at foreign universities, and occasionally makes his rounds at public hawker centers asking people to vote for him, and every 5 years contests elections which he inevitably loses, like clockwork.
There is a glaring flaw in what he does. When the state controls their entire lives, simply writing blogs and asking people to support you makes no sense. Why should anyone support you just because you say so, when it is the government that gives you housing, puts food on the table and decides whether you should get a taxi license or not.
What I am trying to say is this. If Chee wants to be a leader, he should behave like one. From this recent elections, he knows there are serious faults with this government. For one the government's massive inflow of foreign labor has not only thrown thousands of locals out of jobs, it has seriously suppressed wages. So now he has a ready made audience in these oppressed Singaporeans. He should organize protests for these citizens to demand that the government listens.
Another burning issue is the rising cost of living literally pushing locals below the poverty line. So what should he do? He should champion the cause of these poor people by organizing protests and demonstrations to demand that the government make sure there is a minimum wage so people can at least survive.
Like this, through first hand knowledge from the elections, he knows there are crippling issues crying out for a leader to speak for them on the streets to demand justice. And when I mean speak for them, I don't mean writing blogs and learned treatises that Chee does. Instead he should engage in real activism on the ground, through peaceful protests and demonstrations to demand his people's rights.
If I could ask Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Fidel Castro or Che Guevara as to what they would do, I am sure they would say, just that. And mind you they all fought governments that were similar to that of today's Fascist dictatorial Singapore; they did not rise in free and democratic societies.
I know that any mention of peaceful protests in Singapore would immediately attract criticism with such claims as "Singaporeans do not like to protest", or "the Chinese do not like confrontation" etc., and immediately the idea is dampened. And unfortunately despite Chee's great wisdom, he goes along with this, just because that is the going mantra in the island.
Let me tell you that the Chinese or Singaporeans are no different from anyone else. We are all human beings and we will act like human beings, whether white man, black man, Mongoloid or Mulatoo.
And then of course there is the danger of what will befall Chee if he does this. It is certain that he will be arrested and imprisoned and so would his supporters. And it is also likely that his supporters would simply leave and he would be left alone or with just a handful. It is very likely that Chee's Singapore Democratic Party which he has nurtured cultivated and grown would disintegrate.
But then so what? The principle should be that one should do what is right, not what is popular. Even if Chee is imprisoned and his party disintegrates, in the end, no one can question that his action was the right one. And I have always believed that the path of the truth will eventually always prevail even it it takes longer. And the other advantage of this course of action is the people whom he supports would consider him their champion and his popularity on the ground can only increase over time because people will know that here is a man they could turn to who will take action for their rights. Not just a person who writes blogs and meets them occasionally asking for their support.
The other advantage is the fact that the demand for democracy would be kept alive thought the 5 years instead of silence for 4 years and 20 days and then 9 days of political rallies. This is what Chee Soon Juan is doing now and this is why he is not getting anywhere.
I am not suggesting that protests and demonstrations on behalf of his people would get him anywhere soon. But it will build his base, and garner real support, support that is personal that people can relate to, not just arguments and ideas.
He can also provide social services. Volunteer time to give free tuition classes. Provide financial assistance and groceries. Defend them against unjust court actions through volunteer legal services. I can imagine a great many other things he could do. He could demonstrate outside the government housing agency HDB when poor Joe Blokes is facing eviction. He could harass and corral the government into a corner unable to defend their unjust policies. He will come out a hero, even if a battered hero. He will become Singapore's Gandhi. And as Gandhi he will enter Parliament. But even if he does not enter Parliament, he will nevertheless be a Gandhi.
It will take time and a great deal of pain. But eventually I have no doubt that the unrelenting demand for his people's rights would begin to make a dent in Lee's Fascist dictatorial regime and they would have to concede their actions.
There is no problem in Chee getting sufficient supporters for a protest against massive immigration denying the citizen's jobs and income. There is no problem in Chee getting sufficient numbers to protest against the rising cost of living. Of course I know that such protests are illegal under Singapore's unjust laws. But then there are laws and there are laws. Chee should be ready and willing to break these unjust laws and by breaking them he will be seen as a true leader who is not afraid to stand his ground. Gandhi and Mandela would.
I have written several blogs about Chee Soon Juan. I believe that Chee is the only politician who has sufficient wisdom and experience to be a leader of his people. As for the others who have stood for elections, they are not worth even mentioning. They are just opportunists who crop up once every 5 years. As for Loh Thia Khiang, he is just another version of the ruling PAP. As for those who ran this time, you are not going to hear anymore of them until 5 years at the next elections.
I hope Chee reads this blog. I am afraid that if he complies with these rules that do not allow any political participation in the island, he will not only loose the next elections, he will go into oblivion. I do believe the axiom, when you are in a hole, stop digging.
I am keeping watch on Chee Soon Juan because only he can ensure that one day I can return to Singapore because as long as this Fascist government is in place, I am afraid for my liberty and well being if I ever step in there. But I do believe that I will one day return to Singapore, which can happen only if Chee succeds. I will tell you a story. Many years ago, when I was about 16 and living in Singapore, I was walking along Serangoon Road when I met a fortune teller on the street, seated on a sidewalk and reading your palm. Even then I always wanted to go abroad to Europe. So I asked him to read my palm. I asked him if I would ever go abroad to which he said I will travel to many countries. I then asked him where will I die thinking that I might die in Europe or America. To my astonishment he said I will die in Singapore! I think therefore, Chee Soon Juan might win after all since only through his victory can I ever possibly return!
* No anonymous comments please.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
Singaporean by birth
American citizen
San Francisco, California USA
Tel: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/singapore.dissident
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