Will You Be Back Tomorrow?
Somehow, this Singapore Dissident, a former Singaporean, got himself arrested in Singapore for contempt against a public servant. Somehow, there was enough reserve of anger left in him, as he witnessed the spectacle of the Lee-Chee courtroom confrontation, to dangle himself as political bait to the Singapore Government. Regardless the fact that he was a former WP member, regardless the often muddied opposition delineations in Singapore. Regardless the fact that he has left Singapore and is living in relative comfort in the US. Regardless, this former Singaporean stood forth and issued another challenge aimed straight at that fragile weave-work known as Singapore’s defamation laws.
Sometime last night, he was arrested. He wanted arrest, he wanted a challenge and our Government, mindful of face to the last iota of political insensibility, reacted accordingly. This is the fatherly political reflex which has remained constant throughout the years of chimerical political development in Singapore. When faced with a political challenge, with a crossing of the political face of the ruling regime, the necessary reflex is a fatherly arrest, detention or lawsuit.
This is the political constant in Singapore. Despite all the rhetoric of opening up, allowing creativity, tolerating dissent. This is the cold basic stark political reality when you cross the invisible, shifting, convenient boundary defined by our political rulers.
The knocking on the door in the dead of night. The plainclothes police, the arrest, a scene replayed endlessly across the world in regimes sharing the cozy bed of tyranny.
For the dewy-eyed who continue to be able to dissect Singapore’s political system and extol or debate the virtues and merits of governance from the safe confines of political permissibility; this episode is but another transgression in an endless litany of political brutalities that will never disappear with this Government, this political party. Remember that. Talk about the relentless rising costs of living to an extent when you tap into the seething discontent of the dis-empowered and all the pretence of political paternalism, light touch, will vanish in that very instant you hear the cold hard slap of the shackles around you hands, your legs and your mouth.
This is our Singapore. When you really stand, you will be cut at your knees. When you really open your mouth, it will be sewn shut. And the hardest, most cruel reality is that no one will know. Or you will be ridiculed as deserving of this cutting, this silencing. You asked for it.
There is nothing in this political system that will protect you from this. And there are no brethren who will stand by your side. Because the system has ensured your total solitude when its existence, its rules, its rule is questioned.
Will any Singaporean stand forth and say nay, this arrest is political irresponsibility? No, because they will say that this Singapore dissident had it coming. He issued a challenge and he was answered. Snigger snigger.
Will any Singaporean stand forth and say nay, this arrest is blatantly political and an act to silence someone who is speaking up against what he perceives as gross injustice in our courts of law? No, instead they will say that this dissident is a quitter, that he has the protection of his US citizenship behind him. Snigger snigger.
We have been conditioned to think like this. Better these snide remarks, better these cynical insinuations, better these rational analyses than real full-blooded anger. Anger that makes you stand forth, makes you speak up to challenge the system to come to you.
This is our Singapore.
Quote of the Day –
Won't you come back tomorrow
Sometime last night, he was arrested. He wanted arrest, he wanted a challenge and our Government, mindful of face to the last iota of political insensibility, reacted accordingly. This is the fatherly political reflex which has remained constant throughout the years of chimerical political development in Singapore. When faced with a political challenge, with a crossing of the political face of the ruling regime, the necessary reflex is a fatherly arrest, detention or lawsuit.
This is the political constant in Singapore. Despite all the rhetoric of opening up, allowing creativity, tolerating dissent. This is the cold basic stark political reality when you cross the invisible, shifting, convenient boundary defined by our political rulers.
The knocking on the door in the dead of night. The plainclothes police, the arrest, a scene replayed endlessly across the world in regimes sharing the cozy bed of tyranny.
For the dewy-eyed who continue to be able to dissect Singapore’s political system and extol or debate the virtues and merits of governance from the safe confines of political permissibility; this episode is but another transgression in an endless litany of political brutalities that will never disappear with this Government, this political party. Remember that. Talk about the relentless rising costs of living to an extent when you tap into the seething discontent of the dis-empowered and all the pretence of political paternalism, light touch, will vanish in that very instant you hear the cold hard slap of the shackles around you hands, your legs and your mouth.
This is our Singapore. When you really stand, you will be cut at your knees. When you really open your mouth, it will be sewn shut. And the hardest, most cruel reality is that no one will know. Or you will be ridiculed as deserving of this cutting, this silencing. You asked for it.
There is nothing in this political system that will protect you from this. And there are no brethren who will stand by your side. Because the system has ensured your total solitude when its existence, its rules, its rule is questioned.
Will any Singaporean stand forth and say nay, this arrest is political irresponsibility? No, because they will say that this Singapore dissident had it coming. He issued a challenge and he was answered. Snigger snigger.
Will any Singaporean stand forth and say nay, this arrest is blatantly political and an act to silence someone who is speaking up against what he perceives as gross injustice in our courts of law? No, instead they will say that this dissident is a quitter, that he has the protection of his US citizenship behind him. Snigger snigger.
We have been conditioned to think like this. Better these snide remarks, better these cynical insinuations, better these rational analyses than real full-blooded anger. Anger that makes you stand forth, makes you speak up to challenge the system to come to you.
This is our Singapore.
Quote of the Day –
Won't you come back tomorrow
Won't you come back tomorrow
Won't you come back tomorrow
Can I sleep tonight
Outside
Somebody's outside
Somebody's knocking at the door
There's a black car parked
At the side of the road
Don't go to the door
Don't go to the door
I'm going out
I'm going outside mother
I'm going out there
Won't you be back tomorrow
Won't you be back tomorrow
Will you be back tomorrow
U2 Tomorrow
U2 Tomorrow
posted by xenoboysg at 7:51 AM
11 Comments:
Chilling, haunting .. cannot imagine living in a country like this
We live in constant fear in this tiny red dot.
This is a calculated political move using his newly acquired citizenship as capital. It is not just expressing a dissenter's view. He initiated the game and he has to be prepared to lose it.
Both sides will lose, but only the degree of loss differs.
the guy was a politician....he's also a lawyer...and now a us citizen by asylum
don't be naive to think it's all in the name of justice
there must be some mileage to be had for him deliberately creating such a big scene and having everybody know about his challenge and subsequent arrest
maybe a deal somewhere when he's back in the states lamblasting singapore in a tell-all book?
no sympathies from me
especially not to a blogger who didn't even allow comments on his blog / blogposts
How come everyone else is commenting anonymously?
What, are you people actually scared by this? You should be enraged!
No sympathies here either.
Trying to be smart to think he can hide behind his new American citizenship.
Let's see if Bush comes to his rescue. :-P
Note that he is charged under the Public Nuisance Act and not the Internal Security Act. Fitting. :-)
Kwayteowman
GN responded to MM challenge that he will sue if anyone were ti identify himself.
First he is a public nuisance because he spoke too much and challeneged them.
Now he is being charged under SA as well, which as many know is as good as the ISA.
Guess a lot of people are missing the forest fr the tree.
Collateral damage. I like.
Mate, how are you doing?
I think we've had this conversation before but what's your email address again?
Your MM Lee still acts as if he is in the era of "bare knuckle" Singapore politics circa 1950s and early 1960s!
He does not seem to realise that in this Internet age, his I-will-fix-you type of politics reflects badly on himself and the government of Singapore.
Phua Kai Lit
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