when will the singapore government (PAP) stop its bullying??

 

Our Great Leader, the Holy Prime Minister, successor to the Holy Father of our beloved Lee Dynasty – all praise and honour to Him – exposes his real nature last Sunday when he issued a legal letter to the editors of sociopolitical website, TR Emeritus (TRE), commanding them to withdraw an article which apparently accused the government of partiality (cronyism), when it appointed Our Great First Lady as head of the Asian investment firm, Temasek Holdings.

 

PM Lee sends lawyer’s letter to editors of TR Emeritus

 

The Great Leader, in the letter, reminded TRE of the government’s (the People’s Action Party) terrible and awesome powers, as was demonstrated by the numerous defamation suits it waged against international newspapers and periodicals, such as the Far Eastern Economic Review, and won.

 

And so our Great Leader warned TRE that a similar fate would await them unless they withdraw the article and post an apology on the website.

 

This is Singapore, my motherland and my home. An autocracy which masquerades as a democracy only in theory. Our people has no power at all in deciding how the country is run. Isn’t this what democracy is all about – power of the people? Although I do not suspect any foul play during vote counts, it does not take a rocket scientist to realise how disparate the arena is during election campaigns, with the ruling regime having an obvious advantage over the opposition by constantly fiddling with electoral boundaries as well as having more press and media coverage.

 

TRE has withdrawn the article although it has yet to post an apology, as our Alex Au had done in his blog, Yawning Bread, when a very insecure Minister decided to play the defamation game on him over some rumours about his moral indiscretions. Competent and intelligent as he is, the minister does not realise he is digging his own grave, at least in the eyes of netizens, by using the law to bully Yawning Bread into silence.

 

Dear PAP, if you are innocent, just say so – and debunk the allegations once and for all by speaking the truth. There is no need to emotionally and psychologically abuse and bully Singaporeans into withdrawing their comments. Where is civil discourse in all of this? Why the need to use the law to threaten and frighten us?

 

WHEN WILL THE RULING REGIME STOP ITS BULLYING TACTICS?? When will the PAP stop its thuggish ways on its people like a hysterical parent brandishing a chopper over mischievous children?

 

The Holy Father, peace be upon Him, claimed in the past that any political accusation against the government taints their reputation and as such a legal victory, via defamation suit, would always be the right thing to do as it vindicates the ruling regime. Besides, this is politics. Shouldn’t we be unscrupulous against our political “enemies”?

 

Our Holy Father thinks he is Cao Cao living in ancient China.

 

On the contrary, the megalomaniacal antics of the PAP has time and again allows itself to be exposed to the world as a strangely first world country with third world ethics.

 

Mature individuals pay attention to constructive criticism and simply ignore unwarranted and unjustified ones. One does not see the governments in the US or UK lash out against all the rude and critical comments made of them by the many newspapers and tabloids.

 

Human beings have the right to say anything they want, even if such speech is irresponsible and rude. This is life.

 

And it takes a mature and self-secure government to accept it.

 

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court allows proselytisation?

 

Last year, a federal court in the US allowed a christian pastor to distribute christian literature to muslims during the annual Arab International Festival which would be held in Michigan. The annual festival is a secular one, celebrating the arabic culture with numerous food booths, an interactive children’s stage, a large carnival, arabic merchandise, etc.

 

Court allows Pastor to distribute Christian literature to Muslims

 

The basis of the ruling is none other than US’ pet topic, the rights to free speech. It seems that because of the rights to free speech, christians in the US have the right to attempt proselytisation of people of other religious faiths, which include Islam.

 

In principle this might be the right thing to do although I sincerely suspect if the authorities would do the same for a muslim who wants to spread the knowledge of his religion in a christian event.

 

Anyhow, the basic human right to free speech and expression, in theory, is inviolable and proper. However, the implementation might be problematic as it leads to all sorts of social conflicts. Does the right to express oneself include irresponsible speech, unwarranted diatribe against authority, public displays of sexual intercourse, etc? Of course there are some countries in Europe that might consistently apply this so-called basic right to its logical extreme and allow its citizens to do whatever they want in the name of free speech; but is it the right thing to do?

 

We may have the right to express ourselves, but I do not believe that such a right includes unbridled irresponsibility – and this includes the “rights” of harmful religious cults who might practise animal sacrifice, self mutilation, rebellion against authority, etc. And thus I am ALL for the Singapore government to BAN “religions” like the Jehovah’s Witnesses (who oppose the military, salutation to the national flag and blood transfusion), Scientology, Satanism, Wicca and all of the other belief systems that run counter to national progress, peace and social stability.

 

The liberal democratic US and Europe can take their potshots at us anytime, criticising our leaders for their “draconian” and “autocratic” rule, but results speak for themselves, really. I don’t want to live in a society where riots and protests take place almost every other day, with scientologists and religious quacks running amok, attempting to brainwash my children with their rubbish and irresponsible atheists who, contrary to what they might verbally claim, are in all practical terms, trying to get rid of religion completely from society.

 

Okay, back to the christian pastor’s case. If such overt attempts at proselytising people of other religious traditions are allowed, it negates the very principle of religious plurality – the acceptance of other religions other than our own as our metaphysical equal. It is plausible if a christian expresses his beliefs and ideas to a personal friend or relative – but to do so in a public space is tantamount to inciting conflict. What if the community one is attempting to proselytise DOES NOT WANT to be handed out literature?

 

Singapore is incredibly wise in criminalising all attempts at instigating inter-religious conflict. Dialogue and discussion among religious groups is admirable and encouraged, but not debate and diatribe. Thank goodness open-air preaching is forbidden in Singapore. Thank goodness religious extremists like the evangelical christian women from Church of Our Saviour (COOS) who attempted to take over a woman’s rights organisation was somehow put down by the public. Thank goodness extremist faith healers like pastor Rony Tan from Lighthouse Evangelism was sanctioned by the society at large for putting down buddhism and taoism (besides, such an exclusivist view is actually the predominant view among christians in Singapore).

 

Anyway, let these liberal democracies be deceived by their own arrogance and delusion, and witness the corruption and downfall of their societies. Europe is now in economic tatters, and so is the US. And with all the rioting and the strikes, let’s see how these nations will continue to run. The more they criticise Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore, the more they will witness the flaws in their own ideologies.

 

It is sad that political loonies like Chee Soon Juan are so blinded by their love for Western cuisine that they seem to think that liberalism would be a better choice for Singapore.

 

Really?

 

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free expression?

 

This is what you get when free expression is the sacred cow of society, a sacred value that is enthroned at the expense of stability and security.

 

London Riots

 

This is nothing new really. You see this sort of uncivilised behaviour almost every other month in countries that are supposedly the enlightened “liberal” democracies – riots, protests, strikes, sporadic violence, irresponsible public remarks, etc.

 

There was one in France some time back.

 

And I suppose it is a common occurrence in the USA almost every other day. Any time someone is unhappy with something, he/she can simply hold up a placard like a goon and protest.

 

Freedom of speech, they say.

 

And then you will get rubbish like the Westboro Baptist Church and Scientology.

 

Liberal democracies love to criticise Singapore for her supposedly “draconian” government. But come on…we can go on with our lives without all the fuss and trouble that strikes and protests will offer. We have no Westboro Baptist Church to disturb our peace. We have no Scientologists to give us crap.

 

There is a price to pay for useless “freedoms” that are more like irresponsible crap. I know that many young and idealistic Singaporeans wish they have a society like the US or UK, but life is just too simplistic to them. When you get married and have children, you will thank God for a society and a government such as Singapore – where it is safe to go out almost anywhere at night without being mugged.

 

It is so commonplace in “Christian” America to be so afraid of going to certain places at night for fear of being mugged by some thug living on the streets.

 

Or to face racist taunts in certain places in the UK. And even Australia.

 

I hope I will not live to see the day Singapore becomes a two to three party government. Such a system is just not for Singapore.

 

I like the way it is now.

 

Besides, if an ignorant Westerner thinks that Singapore is all that “oppressive” as the loony Chee Soon Juan wants the public to believe – just explore the Internet forums a bit. You will notice how irresponsible many of our young people are in making ludicrous comments on Lee Kuan Yew, the government and almost any public figure in Singapore, for that matter.

 

But of course, Singapore is never like China, the motherland of all things crazy.

 

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