Lee's Singapore an arbitrary country. Arbitrary rules, arbitrary policies, arbitrary laws and arbitrary justice

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What are the criteria for a world class first world country? Such a country has the rule of law, laws which tell a citizen exactly what the rules are, what the policies are and who fails and who qualifies for any benefit.

A first world country which is transparent, where one knows regardless of race, creed, religion, membership of a group or political opinion exactly where one stands at any point of time. It is a country that has the courage to treat everyone equally under the law and the courage to uphold what is written in the Constitution.

Countries such as the UK, USA, Australia or Europe; even small countries such as Finland, Denmark, are such countries. All of these countries are governed by laws which are religiously equally applied to everyone. Where you know exactly where you stand if you applied to emigrate there, exactly where you stand if you applied for housing, exactly where you stand if you were arrested. These are countries which mean what they say. Countries which have the courage to criminalize racial discrimination, countries which are required to provide equal opportunity for all regardless of who you are.

For instance, if I were to be brought before a British court, I would feel much safer than if I were before a Singapore court; not because of the crime I committed but because of who I am. I don’t have to worry about that before a British judge because I know I will be treated equally regardless of who I was or what my political opinion is. Why, because the British has the courage to do what is right; while the Singaporean one is afraid of the Lee Ruling Family.

Singapore is not like the proud free countries of the world. Singapore would be no better than a third world country, no different from the dictatorships of Central Asia or Africa which govern on the dictates of the rulers at any one time.  

Singapore is a tiny island with a tiny population; 2.5 million local and 2.5 million foreigners (5 million in all).

For example Singapore immigration does not publicly state its requirements, such as the points system of Australia. Instead they provide broad generalizations; where the government does not have a duty to be fair in their judgment.

Recently at a student seminar, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister ( I understand Singapore has several Deputy Prime Ministers), when asked why they did not have a point system for immigration like Canada and Australia gave the lame excuse that they could not because they were a multi racial society. The questioner should have asked why, since Australia is also a multi racial society.

In the end, although different persons may have the same qualifications and skills, the ones chosen for settlement are those who are docile timid and unlikely to question the Lee Ruling Party. Also, totally devoid of any fairness, the vast majority of those selected are from Communist China, primarily because the Lees would prefer Chinese over Malays or Indians to populate Singapore, a racist immigration policy.

What this means in the end is that those denied immigration unfairly are going to return to their countries and condemn Singapore among others as nothing more than a banana republic, where the immigration laws are entirely arbitrary. I remember a highly qualified American professor who was denied permanent residence; undoubtedly because they were afraid he would question the Lee Ruling Family’s fascist government.

Housing policies, government employment recruitment and every other government agency are not governed by any publicly known rules and regulations but simply on what the government decides in any particular case. For example, anyone seen to have opposition political tendencies or views would be denied public employment, public housing, or if given housing given the worst of them, refused scholarships and generally discriminated and victimized entirely at the whim of the Lee Ruling Family.

Children in schools are unjustly given bad scores if known to have opposition political views or have parents or relatives who are opposition sympathizers. Also such children are refused admission in Singapore colleges to prevent them from receiving an education. Unless they are sufficiently rich to go abroad for an education, they end up without tertiary education, the fear being that educating such students would endanger the Lee Ruling Family’s position.

Moreover all government agencies never give any reasons for their decisions. Regardless of whether you were denied housing, a job, or immigration or any other government benefit, the standard answer we get, which we all know by heart which we have seen millions of times is

"having considered your application carefully, we regret to inform you that your application is denied".

The funny thing is that ever if you responded to this standard letter asking reasons, you will still get the same response

"having considered your application carefully, we regret to inform you that your application is denied".

The government feels they have no responsibility to justify their actions to their citizens.

As for Lee Kuan Yew's courts of Singapore the laws are unevenly applied to different people. For instance, a foreign bank manager who beat up a taxi driver is usually let off without arrest. Foreign Caucasian males, who sexually molest Singapore Chinese women in bars and nightclubs are allowed to pay a fine (usually $5,000) to the woman, apologize and let off.

If any of these crimes were committed by local Singaporeans, whom the government does not very much care for, the penalty is usually a considerable time in jail.

Extreme punishments, victimization and harassment are reserved for those who stand up to the Lee regime. In this category fall persons like Chee Soon Juan and I. How it is done is like this. First they publicize your identity and picture widely in the local newspapers so that everyone will see who you are. From that point, you are denied every possible benefit that others receive.

If I was in Singapore, no hotel would want to put me up, none would give me a job and no government office would provide any service. From that point, Singaporeans would feel as if it was a patriotic duty to refuse any service to me.

In my case, I was put in jail for criticizing the Kangaroo Judge Ang Saw Ean, disallowed from practicing law in Singapore and prohibited from even entering the island.

What happens then, in an arbitrary island such as this, is for people not only in Singapore but all over the world to disrespect the country, and consider it nothing more than a banana republic, run at the whim and fancy of the Lee Ruling Family who run it.

Because of the large numbers of citizens who emigrate to the west as a result of a total disgust at they way Lee's island is run, Singapore has no choice but to bring in foreigners. But their make up shows the double standards it's rulers employ because they fear people who may have the courage to stand up to this nonsense.

So, many of the professionals who do high level work from Australia and Europe are usually only permanent residents and not citizens. In any case, I don't think people from Western democracies would want to take up citizenship in such as police state anyway, as they have more pride than that. And as for the government, they are reluctant to give them citizenship for fear that Westerners, accustomed to living in democracies, would not be prepared to take such nonsense from this tin pot dictator.

On the other hand most given citizenship are Chinese from Communist China. Why, because just as they lived in their home country, they are very much at home under a dictator; in China the Chinese Communist Party and in Singapore the Lee Ruling Family. Therefore they are ideal citizens to simply submit to authority, which is what the Lee Ruling Family wants. They have no idea of freedom or anything as serious as that, and quiet happy to have their 3 meals and go hone to watch a Chinese soap opera on TV; people who are very suitable candidates for Lee Ruling Family's Singapore.

In the end the West retains its pride and its reputation for being countries that one can trust; where one can live free. Whereas Singapore is a country where you will get along provided Lee Kuan Yew takes a liking to you, and you are not about to question him.

It is nothing more than an arbitrary country, with arbitrary rules, arbitrary policies, arbitrary laws and arbitrary justice.

Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
Fremont, California
Tel: 510 657 6107 or 510 491 4375