A bit of grousing - cheap Starhub and Associates

It has come to the end of my patience. These days many things test my patience.

I do not normally wish to embarass anyone in my blog but since it is commonplace that blogs are used for venting frustrations and I do not think i have any other alternative.

My mobile service provider is starhub. Upon renewing my contract several months ago, i discovered that i am being billed for items which i do not recall using.

Despite my first discovery of the same and calling up both Starhub and the SMS company to cancel it. Months have passed and if not for the fact that i chose to open my starhub bill this morning instead of chucking it into the bin, i would not have discovered that Starhub is still allowing a billing of an addtional S$16 to my phone bill at $4 per SMS.

As to how many months this has been going on - God knows.

Does Starhub consciously choose to make money unscrupulously in conjunction with Third Parties in this manner?

Starhub, i have already called customer service to and whatever number you have referred to do all i can to cancel this service which i had never asked for. Now that i have come to the end of my patience. I hope this little bad publicity can wake up your company a bit.

i don’t know what works on you if this does not. Good luck to your company
If this carries on. When the contract ends. Goodbye to you.

The Reflection of the Moon

When i was young, i had a number of recurring dreams.

Many of the dreams did not make much sense, probably a mixture of fact and fiction enmeshed together by a subconscious imagination and left to play when the psychological conditions permit.

As i grew older these dreams disappeared. Probably hidden by being thrust into adulthood. Little time left to think and maybe to sleep. These dreams disappeared. These days sleep is a rare commodity.

I never thought i would be reminded of one of those dreams until last night when I had a “development” of that same dream. Not so much of a sequel to the dream but to borrow a term from the creators of Star Wars - a Prequel.

My recurring dream is of me being the subject of a picturesque scene - an old man on a little boat out in the middle of the lake. In the darkness of the night. There were no stars in the sky. With only a beautiful, full and round moon and its reflection on the lake.

There was a stillness. As if the old man was unwilling to row his boat. Afraid to disturb the tranquility of the lake. Content just to drift. Just to be still. Just to float there. I also recall that the old man was looking at the lake intently. Admiring the beauty of the moon.

I had always wondered what all that meant to me. I was always struck by that scene. I had been wondering whether or not that was a premonition of my retirement days. Of being in the wilderness with nature. Nothing to rush about for. Just content to be with nature.

I came to have a different interpretation last night.

After a long 34 years, i was blessed with the Prequel of that dream.

I realised that i had been admiring the moon for a long time from the edge of the lake. I had my tripod. i had my telescope. Looking through the telescope, i sought the closeness with the beauty of the moon.

Now the moon had by its reflection presented itself to be closer to me than the object far up in the sky. It beckoned me to approach. Not content to be admiring it through the telescope, i decided to take my chances of getting closer to the reflection by leaving the bank.

I found a boat by the edge. It was a filmsy one. There was no oar.

Dismantling the tripod, i left my telescope and my gear on the bank. Removing my heavy jacket and boots to lessen the weight. i stepped into the waters’ edge to push the boat forward. I used the tripod as an oar.

When i reached the middle of the lake. The reflection of the moon was still there. There were however a few things that became different.

Coming up close, i realised the reflection was often disturbed by the ripples of each paddle stroke. The shimmering of the surface disturbed the reflection. I then decided to stop rowing. Crouching by the edge of the boat, face close to the water just being with the moon’s reflection.

This inaction in the middle of the lake was what had been recurring in my dreams from my young age.

Looking at the reflection, i began to realise that things are not so much within my control. The tranquility of the lake and its surroundings could only do so far as to preserve the reflection of the moon. Despite my not rowing, my controlled breathing. my determination to remain still on the boat so as not to create any ripples, things were still not going my way.

Under the surface were fishes which created ripples from their swimming. Tiny as they were, they still caused ripples. And the moon’s reflection shimmered as if with disapproval.

I prayed for the fishes to go. At times they did. At times they were naughty, they did not.

Then came the wind. The wind blew across the lake. The fetch they call it. The entire surface was disturbed. The entire surface shimmered with ripples and little waves. No long was it the calm and undisturbed and beautiful moon which i saw when i was on the bank.

I could restrain myself from moving. I could stop rowing. I could also control my breathing. BUT there was little i could do about the wind. AND yet the moon’s reflection showed its disapproval. This went on for a prolonged period of time.

It went on and on. The reflection did not seem to have the same willingness to understand. As each gust blew. The reflection was disturbed. There was nothing that i could do to prevent it.

Then came a realisation. Perhaps i was wrong. The moon’s reflection wasn’t really beckoning to me. It was merely open there for all to admire. BUT NOT TO APPROACH.

As the shimmering of the reflection on the fetch when the wind blew would not have been visible to a man standing on the edge, that was a meeting of each other’s expectations. I could have been safe and warm on the bank. Feet dry and with my gear with me. With all the prospect of being able to turn around and head back for home at my fancy.

BUT now when the level of committment has been escalated, the distance of the gap reduced, the adulation increased, the reflection instead seems to waver. AND waver at every gust of the wind.

I realised then that i was caught in the cold. In the middle of the lake. Without my jacket. Without my boots. my feet were muddied and wet. The boat was flimsy. I did not have a proper oar.

And there i was all alone in the middle of the deep deep lake. Cold and handicapped. Was the moon to blame? Why did she beckon me? But the moon had always been there. It would have been free for me to admire from the distance. Take gazes at the moon from the telescope in the safety of being on the bank.

It was the moon’s reflection that beckoned me. Or did i misread her? Maybe she did not want me to approach, maybe she preferred the distance to remain.

But it might not have been due to her alone. There were these naughty fishes in the water. There was also this cold and horrible wind. But all these affected the reflection. And that reflection’s disturbance affected me.

There was this feeling that i had been had. That it was all only a game. That one needed to be non-committed and to have a certain level of nonchalance to remain in a position of strength to stay in the game.

Now i really had no one to blame except myself. i had in the naivety of the moment chosen to abandon the known for an unknown, I was the one who abandoned my gear. my telescope, my jacket and boots what kept me from the cold. And i denigrated my own tripod to that of a makeshift oar.

No one else was really responsible for this plight. I looked into the darkness and realised that it would be impossible to return to the edge and to be able to find my gear in the darkness in the tall grass.

The situation then opens up the prospect of the choice of sticking by the whimsical shimmering surface or leaving the dream and making a painful return back to shore, cold and wet.

Till a greater clarity dawns upon myself and a revelation of sorts is achieved, there is only one way to ensure that one does not jump from the frying pan and into the fire - that is to stay on the boat and hope for moments of tranquility what i had bargained for to come more often.

That is, only for as long as the boat does not start to take in water and i have not yet reached the end of my tether.

In the distance, the shore beckons.

Hi all! I am back! :)

Juggling law, politics, activism, human rights is never easy. At least that is what i found out.

I was facing from 02 June 08 onwards an almost daily appearance in Court for a number of matters involving Dr. Chee Soon Juan and Gopalan Nair. The cases had peppered my entire court schedule and ate into my free time, rest time and professional time.

I was so tired out by the number of relentless court appearances - which took up an inordinately large amount of my time. On one of the weeks i was in court perpetually the entire week. Even innocuous matters took up half a morning just by their very nature. This does not take into account the time spent on discussion and preparation.

Eventuallym when a family court judge got her PA to breathe down my neck for my long overdue submissions, i knew something had to go. So out went my retainer for Gopalan (for the time being).

For Gopalan’s trial for disorderly behaviour, i was scheduled hearings in full days and 1/2 days imagine appearing in one court for one matter in a morning and returning to another court for a trial hearing in the afternoon. Vice versa. There was simply no let up.

In fact, the District Judge who gave me the dates was most helpful, he gave me such dates as early as possible (not as comfortable as possible) so much so that i had to tell Gopalan to try to represent himself.True as an advocate as he was, Gopalan rose to the occasion and took the trials himself. I discharged myself in the process and got down to clearing my backlog.

A similar thing happened for my retainer for Dr. Chee’s trial of the 3rd and 4th charges for making an address without a permit more than 2 years after they occurred. They occurred before the 2006 General Elections anyway. These were only the 3rd and 4th charges, there are at least 4 more to go.

Upon settling myself down to normal paid work. I found myself a new client who instructed me on 2 appeals to go before the High Court. Having had only less than 8 days to get both Petitions of Appeal ready, I kissed my audio system and my remaining dog goodbye on 23rd July 2008 and never looked back since.

Completing the two Petitions of Appeal on time was a feather in the cap. I never knew i could still worked like that. I had thought that i had grown old and that my stamina and concentration had deteriorated. Preparing for the two appeals stretched my limits. Not to mention i had another Appeal hearing before a High Court Judge in Chambers in the midst of it all. All these added together only proved one thing, that i had gotten a little soft over the past years.

The appeal preparations difficult as they were, were indeed tests of my ability to sit through with discipline when i am on the point of fatigue. I did not find them easy. Accordingly, i did feel a sense of relief and accomplishment when they were submitted on time.

Preparing for the hearing was also an eye opener. Imagine completing the draft of one appeal and opening the file of another to begin preparations for written submissions for the next day’s hearing of another matter. That was not easy. I remember being incoherent on the phone when a friend called me a little late the night before. Positive Exhaustion does wonders to your ability to sleep with your eyes open and holding a phone with one hand and standing up.

The appeal hearing was (i felt) naughtily fixed by the registry before Justice Lai Siu Chiu. Yes the one that Gopalan Nair had criticised I had a little surprise when i saw the hearing lists in court. What a coincidence! Anyway i had a fair hearing before Justice Lai and there is nothing better than to test your ability to detach yourself from the cases that you advocate and argue. This again was a test of my professionalism.

In any event, the appeals are now down for now. Till the next step that is required of me under the rules of procedure - hi all boys and girls, readers of this blog. I am back!

Oh where does the time go? Does anyone know?

These days, in the midst of scrambling left right centre, all over the place, a tune keeps playing in my head, Julia Fordham’s “Where does the time go? Does anyone know?” drones on and on and on.

I cannot help it if that particular verse in the chorus keeps calling out to me, especially so when I have been wondering, i am busy all the time, but i cant seem to be getting peak productivity. This is even so after frivolous activities of leisure have been cut down to the bone.

I sleep early at night. Wake up early in the morning to lengthen the day but somehow, it still does not make it. I try to make a rather naughty blog post and end up editing its direction a couple of times and then i realise. Its fatigue!

The fatigue from running the court cases flowing from involvement with Gopalan Nair, Dr. Chee Soon Juan and other protestors are taking a toll. Especially for Gopalan’s mentions, all of which seem to involve so much time including the stand downs which makes things so much more draggy.

The mention for Gopalan Nair in court 26 on Monday 14th July 2008 was an example. Prosecution appeared in Court dealing with all 4 charges. I was only instructed on 2 and i have not had time to consider whether or not to take up the other 2. I needed just a little time to speak to Nair. The Court wanted to stand the matter down by 1.5 hours to 11am. Luckily i had the mind to insist that i needed just a moment and a stand down to 11 am was not required. I spent 10 minutes with Gopalan Nair and then i was ready to address the Court. Not wanting to wait for a PTC on 24th July 2008, we ended up with another PTC on 16th July 2008.

This meant that my entire week had been fixed with one court appearance for either Dr. Chee, Nair or myself every single day.

So much so that it seems that i have fallen a little behind on my professional obligations. On Wednesday itself after obtaining Mr. Nair’s trial dates (24th July Full day , 28th July AM, 29th July PM, 30th July PM, 31st July Full day, 6th August Full day) which were fixed in the midst of my having to appear in other courts for other matters, I having received news that a District Judge had been chasing me for my long overdue submissions for another matter and i realised what i had to do. 

I realised that i had also opted to write this blogpost because i wanted to avoid that mental grind needed to get the original post publishable. As of now, i might have spent a total of 2-3 solid weeks of running around those cases which naturally meant 2 - 3 weeks of time less from my professional obligations over the last 1.5 months. No wonder i am feeling the strain.

I have been fortunate as Dr. Chee is very much willing to handle his trial in the Subordinate Courts himself. Dr. Chee’s trial was supposed to start from 14th July 2008 till 8th August 2008.

And since that i have now also found out that Mr. Gopalan Nair is willing as well, I will have my little breather to find that point of balance again.

I guess i should be much more effective in a couple of weeks when my professional obligations are fully discharged. This might also leave me with a little time for some music.

Now where did that Julia Fordham compact disc disappear to?

Letter to Law Society of Singapore

The 19 Accused

C/o 24 Peck Seah Street

#05-09/11 Nehsons Building

Singapore 079314

16^th July 2008

Mr. Michael Hwang

President, Law Society of Singapore

Dear Sir,

APPEAL FOR PRO BONO LEGAL REPRESENTATION

We are the 19 Singaporeans charged for allegedly participating in an assembly and procession without permit near Parliament House on 15th March 2008.

We had as citizens claimed our right to peaceful assembly and presented ourselves before Parliament House to speak out against the multitude of ill-timed price hikes initiated by the Government, which have exacerbated the inflationary situation and cost of living for Singaporeans.

On 11th July 2008, we were all charged each with one count of assembly without a permit and one count of procession without a permit.

In light of the price hikes further initiated from the 15th March 2008 till today, it is clear that this Government remains unwilling to take active steps to make life less unbearable for all Singaporeans.

In the light of the decision to charge us for speaking up as citizens, it is clear that this Government will not hesitate to silence citizens by discouraging citizens from exercising the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

Any stifling of civil and political expression by citizens is unhealthy for Singapore and it breeds contempt of the citizenry by the Executive which in turn leads to brazen disregard of citizens’ welfare in the policies practiced.

A government must be subservient to the People. This government cannot act unchallenged when it tries to restrict the fundamental liberties of Singaporeans.

The Laws of a country should be enacted to further the interests of the People and cannot be used to throttle civil and political expression.

Citizens have rights only slaves have no rights. Singapore Citizens are entitled by citizenship to fundamental liberties guaranteed by our constitution.

In view of the above, the Law Society of Singapore, being the body that represents our defenders of justice must assist citizens who are prosecuted by the State for exercising their fundamental liberties and cannot just stand idly by and be content to do nothing.

We hereby urge the Law Society of Singapore to step forth to arrange for legal representation for the 19 of us.

Yours faithfully

Chia Ti Lik

For and on behalf of the 19 Accused:

Chee Soon Juan

Chee Siok Chin

John Tan Liang Joo

Ghandhi s/o Karrupiah Ambalam

Jeffery George Seelan s/o Palay

Muhammad Jufri Bin Mohd Salim

Lim Teck Hee Sylvester

Chong Kai Xiong

Surayah Binte Akbar

Lang Chin Kah Carl Coca

Ng E-Jay

Francis Yong Chu Leong

Chia Ti Lik

Go Hui Leng

Mohamed Jufrie Bin Mahmood

Govinda Rajan s/o Surian

Yap Keng Ho

Muhammad Shafi’ie Syahmi Bin Sariman

Press Statement from the 19 charged in Court today

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT from the 19 Accused:

 

Chee Soon Juan                           Chee Siok Chin                   John Tan Liang Joo

Ghandhi s/o Karrupiah Ambalam       Jeffery George                   Seelan s/o Palay

Muhammad Jufri Bin Mohd Salim      Lim Teck Hee Sylvester       Chong Kai Xiong       

Surayah Binte Akbar                     Lang Chin Kah Carl Coca      Ng E-Jay

Francis Yong Chu Leong                Chia Ti Lik                         Go Hui Leng

Mohamed Jufrie Bin Mahmood         Govinda Rajan s/o Surian     Yap Keng Ho

Muhammad Shafi’ie Syahmi Bin Sariman                                  

 

 

THE TAK BOLEH TAHAN CAMPAIGN

THE PROTEST ON 15^th March 2008 World Consumers’ Rights’ Day

Before Parliament House Singapore

 

We are the 19 Singaporeans summoned to Court for allegedly participating in an assembly and procession without permit near Parliament House on 15^th March 2008 – this event is also known as the Tak Boleh Tahan Protest.

 

The term “Tak Boleh Tahan” is colloquial Malay for “We can’t take it anymore”.

The Tak Boleh Tahan Protest was meant to speak out against the multitude of ill-timed price hikes initiated by the Government, directly and indirectly in areas ranging from GST, public transport to education and healthcare, which have exacerbated the inflationary situation and made it much harder for Singaporeans to cope with the increased cost of living.

 

Despite rumblings from the ground, the Government had been unwilling to take real steps to reduce the cost of living for the majority of Singaporeans and the poor and lower income groups have been the hardest hit. When we presented ourselves in front of Parliament House on 15th March 2008, we did so because we felt that the protest would send a strong message on behalf of our countrymen to the Government not to make life any more difficult for Singaporeans.

On 15^th March 2008, 12 of us were arrested on the spot. Subsequently, another 7 were called up and questioned. By this morning, all 19 of us have been formally charged in Court 23, each with one count of assembly without a permit and one count of procession without a permit.

In light of the price hikes further initiated from the 15th March 2008 till today, it is clear that the Government remains unwilling to take active steps to make life less unbearable for all Singaporeans. We are now all the more convinced that the protest was needed and justified and simply had to be done. We are further convinced that our claim as citizens to the right of assembly and freedom of expression was timely and proper. Therefore, we would wish to claim trial to the charges brought against us.

I am the only lawyer in the entire group. But since I am now also a co-accused, I am unable to act as legal counsel for the group. Therefore the group at present is in need of legal representation. We make an appeal for Singaporean lawyers to come forward to represent us in these proceedings.

 

 

Chia Ti Lik

The Act of Wrongful Accusation

Being in the heat of the action brings up issues. The stress and pressure to keep to timelines, address questions from the people around you, the constant thinking and strategizing required of the mind, the need to measure up and perform and yet be up to date and aware of the events surrounding you throws up past issues and matters into the present day limelight.

I remember someone close had once described this to me as pottery being thrown into the oven or furnace to be fired. The heat of the fire not only burns and consumes. It also changes our constitution - in this case it changes the state of our psychology and mind.

I also remembered a time when i was younger but noticeably aware of what was happening around. It should be my teenager years, i was be able to tolerate anything, be it sarcasm, snide remarks, mild bullying, ostracisation etc etc. All those were unimportant in the big scheme of things. The only one sore issue that struck me was my response to an unjustified accusation. It was nothing short of extreme. As if everything in life depended on it.

Tracing back the source of such an extreme reaction, I remembered an incident which left a clear mark on my memory.

I remembered that it was something that happened when i was a child. And the accusation came from a loved one. And it was about something I never did or something which I never intended to do. I also remembered that it was in such circumstances that an accusation became especially hurting.

I remember it occurred when i was young, barely 4 i guess. I was accused of theft. The situation as it were did not allow me to explain myself. The deed was already done. Time had passed. The money was in my pocket and had been taken out of it. It had already be spent, converted and the supposed money was now in the form of a tasty packet of rojak which which i had happily bought and brought home.

I remembered being accused without being afforded a real opportunity to explain.

I remember that feeling of being cornered, stripped bare and helpless, condemned.

I remember the feeling of being singled out for punishment for something which i did not intentionally do.

I remembered nothing was done to prevent siblings from taking my treat literally from under my nose as it was being interrogated.

I remembered tearing as i realised that i could not explain myself.

I was too afraid to even try to explain.

Perhaps it was my lesson in life at an early age, that there were already things in life which would be as they were, unexplainable. This was a lesson delivered in hallmark fashion in a situation where time had passed and many things had occurred in that span of time, things and facts which were in the process would not come across as clear as the results / facts that were present before everyone’s eyes. The process of how it was done was not explainable or even if explained did not sound as convincing.

Perhaps that was also why it is a rule of natural justice that offences needed to be dealt with as and when they occurred. In fact a rule of natural justice requires a charge to be made and prosecuted as soon as it may be feasible and not many years after the alleged offence is committed.

It does not help justice or help to elicit facts of truth when a police officer watching a crime being committed chooses to do nothing. Only to turn around several days later to make an accusation that a crime has been committed.

It does not help the Court or the administration of justice that if and when the Court perceives contempt of its proceedings, chooses to keep quiet, then after a day or two cite Accused persons of having been in contempt of the Court and expect the Accused to so explain.

It naturally flows that it certainly does not help if someone was felt to be sending a message or doing an act, the recipient of the message feeling aggrieved chooses not to bring the matter up or bother to clarify but waits till time and event has passed before springing a surprise with the full weight of the accusation and extra interpretations made without bothering to clarify in the first place.

Likewise, it does not make sense for a mother to watch a child walk towards the precipice yet to choose to keep quiet and raise cain only when the child approaches the dangerous edge or to cry and mourn when the child has met his end of the cliff.

It certainly does not also follow that upon spotting an error, a person allows the errant party to continue a certain course of action, then bring up the error of the first wrong step after things have taken shape in a certain direction.

The only time when such manner of keeping quiet and allowing the mistake to be continued to be made. Of watching the dangerous steps to be taken in the wrong direction while the conscious party awaits and observes happens in military operations when an enemy is knowling lured into a trap - in simple terms, in a maneuvre called an ambush.

I remember that feeling of humiliation and helplessness

I don’t think that in my introverted and shy stage of life that i really managed to explain myself - AND I don’t think i ever forgave my accuser of that wrong at all.

It might have been that experience that made me pursue a path and end up a lawyer. Presumably to defend helpless others against false accusations. It may also be that because i deep down, i variably identified myself with people whom were accused of charges and whom were put in a situation which they could do little or nothing to defend themselves.

Somehow, the presence of such an deep-seated issue clouds things. There is a positive edge to it but there is also a negative serrated side of the phenomena. There is an advantage that comes with it and yet it comes with a corresponding debilitating characteristic.

That the severity of the act does not figure at all in the minds of other people. Yet it provokes a reaction deep within. Something instinctive, something within, something primal.

It does little to hope that others will understand the little hiccups and quirks of life we each have. We just have to indentify the source and look beyond it. Perhaps its a sign of a life path, perhaps it is a little sticker reminder from God of the mission that i am supposed to undertake.

Perhaps it is all just an issue which had taken more than its due time to be addressed.

National Day Celebrations & Rehearsals - The cost & purpose of

Now I don’t mean to be mean. I don’t mean to be nasty either.

National Day is an event that all citizens should be proud of. They rightly should be.

I just happened to be working in office clearing my work on a saturday evening only to find the peace being broken by F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Black Knights, Republic of Singapore Air Force doing their aerobatic rehearsals for national day.

Now we all know that the PAP hijacks to a certain extent such National events and programmes to glorify itself. National day rally is one. National Day celebrations is another. National Day Parades always have a subtle twist to glorify by repetition ad nauseam the progress made from the past.

But such acts do not detract from the fact that the National Day celebrations do provide some entertainment to the masses, some spectacle to our weary people.

As our nation takes a step closer to its 49th Birthday, citizens of this nation should take a step back to take stock of what this nation has become and where this nation is heading.

This is best done as you come closer to consuming what’s coming up on the platter for National Day: mass formation displays, perfected through months of rehearsals and trainings, Impressive aerial displays and flybys involving air force Apache helicopters and the Black Knights, time painstakingly through rehearsing for weeks before the actual event.

Such practising to perfection is all well and fine, because a mass display and flyby of military aircraft should be conducted with precision and accuracy. Let there be no mishap. There must be no flaw. It has to go like clockwork. Faultless, flawless and blameless, just like the spotlessly white PAP uniform.

But amidst all these, let us also remember that National Day exists only for that just one day in each year.

And national pride should be perennially present throughout the year and not just on National Day.

What do Singaporeans truly feel?

Does national pride in fact exist in present day Singapore?

Do Singaporeans take pride in what is this which is supposed to be their home?

Do we take pride that Singapore as it is now is something which we are proud to call our country?

Do we relish the thought of being able to stay here throughout our working lives and into our last days after retirement?

Do we tell our children and family to put our country first before everything else and that the country is what and all that matters to us?

Or do we dread, after the euphoria of the celebrations have died down, the drudgery and stress that flows from life lived in Singapore and the burden and oppression that comes with Singapore Citizenship?

When the parents see their sons in the SAF contingents which are involved in the display, do they view them with pride and honour?

Do our servicemen relish their units being singled out for national day duties or do they curse and swear under their breath at the task that has befallen them?

As we begin to search for all these questions ourselves in our own minds and hearts, i need only bring to your attention my sharing of my understanding of what such mass displays and spectacles created in the name of celebration of our nation’s glorious path.

AND my understanding is:

The more communist, fascist and totalitarian regimes are, the greater the emphasis will there be on creating grand spectacles, creating grand monuments, creating grand public infrastructure and a correspondingly great diminishing of the people’s voice, the people’s wealth and the people’s ownership of things in their country.

To put it simply if you want to see which other country celebrates national day similar to Singapore’s, try looking at North Korea.

Therefore we should all ask ourselves:

As we eagerly rush home in our cars to sit before the TV to watch the National Day Celebrations’ live telecast on this 9th August 2008. We have to ask ourselves, how much of your car do you actually own?

As we park our vehicles and run towards our lift, looking at anticipation at the flat that “belongs” to you and which you call home, you have to ask yourself, how long will you take to “own” that? Do you actually “own” your flat at the end of the day?

As you watch the afterburner trail out of each of the F-16s streaking skywards for their exhilarating climb, you have to ask yourselves, how much fuel is being burnt, how much does that operation and its rehearsals cost in taxpayers’ money?

As you watch the floating platform which they constructed a couple of years ago into another world’s first, you have to ask yourself was the cost of creating a floating platform actually necessary? It that not taxpayers’ money as well?

As you watch the millions of dollars going up as fireworks, which is funded by the money coming from people like you, you should ask yourself, what is your present state of net worth and the health of your bank account?

You should also ask yourself, if you were to fall ill and be unproductive, will you have the confidence that life will carry on for your family without too much disruption and the years will pass beautifully like each National Day coming and going without fail. Will your life be just as fulfilling and fruitful?

You should ask yourself to take stock of what is it that makes Singapore a country? What is that which makes us want to be citizens? Is it the planes streaking the skies? Is it that display of the national flag?

Is Singapore all that great a country that the celebrations make it out to be? Or are you thinking that you might have a better life elsewhere?

What is a mere show and pretence of a nation? And what is it that truly makes a nation?

What is perceived? What is real?

Tak Boleh Tahan’s First Casualties

In any struggle for freedom and democracy, there is bound to be blood, sweat and tears.

Throughout history, freedom and democracy are not won by comfortable inaction or muted negotiation.

Freedom and democracy are won through sacrifice.

The PAP secured its position by detaining political opponents, sueing political opponents, jailing political opponents.

Detentions were in Operation Coldstore 1 and Operation Coldstore 2 in the early years. That all but wiped out the Barisan Socialis.

In 1987-1988, the Marxist Conspiracy arrests were used to against 22 young professionals working closely with the Workers’ Party of Singapore.

Defamation suits were used throughout the years against opposition politicians who were less than careful with their criticisms.

I received my first two charges from Central Police Division for unlawful assembly and illegal procession relating to the World Consumers’ Day Protest on March 15th 2008. We were peaceful and harmless protesters but the administration is adamant on silencing Singaporeans in their own country.

Check out youtube for a recording of what actually happened and ask yourself whether our administration and the Police have gotten their priorities correct in the service and protection of citizens of this nation.

I would have to attend Court on 11th July 2008 for these charges. I will go to Court as an Accused person for the first time in my life. This are the casualties of the Tak Boleh Tahan campaign brought on behalf of the citizens of Singapore. It remains to be seen whether these are the only casualties that will ever be recorded in History.

I have to come to terms to what i believe in and what it takes for us to make this place a nation. In view of what Singapore lacks to make this place a home, there is no reason for us to recoil from what is now perceived to be the danger that comes with challenging the regime.

There will be a price to pay for things in life. And if freedom is something to be treasured. The price for freedom would undoubtedly be high.

A REBUTTAL TO PAP MEDIA CRUCIFIXION OF DR CHEE SOON JUAN

This article first appeared on or about Friday 13th June 2008 on the SDP website as a vantage piece. It is also my first article contribution to SDP. I forgot to post it up here after that. Therefore for the benefit of people who are not surfing SDP’s excellent website, here is the article:

Overview

The week before this, Dr Chee Soon Juan was involved in a trial against the two most powerful men in Singapore being the father and son team of Prime Minister and Minister Mentor. This clash had been recorded on the Court’s audio recording and available for all to hear.

The much awaited clash produced collateral damage in the form of Justice Belinda Ang’s citation of Chee Soon Juan and Chee Siok Chin for contempt of Court. It inevitably resulted in jail sentences for the pair - 12 days for Dr. Chee and 10 days for Siok Chin.

After sending off Dr. Chee and Siok Chin on the afternoon of 4th June 2008, I had thought that the saga had ended. However, on 7th June 2008 Saturday morning, I was met with three articles touching on Dr. Chee. These were from Chua Lee Hoong of the Straits Times and Nazry Bahrawi and Derrick A. Paulo of Today.

In short, the articles were as follows:

1. Chua Lee Hoong attempts to take a swipe at Dr. Chee lamenting on his supposed squandered potential.

2. Nazry Bahrawi questions Dr. Chee’s game plan.

3. Derrick A Paulo confesses to having less than independent thought in that remarks by a colleague shapes his opinion of Dr. Chee. Interestingly, his views are not shaped by what he perceives through his senses and processed by independent sentient thought.

The common thread throughout the three articles are that they sought to portray a stance of neutrality and concern but in the same breath seek to insidiously poison the readers’ minds as to who Dr. Chee is and what he stands for.
I have penned down my responses to the same on the following articles.

If it is any significance, it should be noted that these articles are published whilst Dr. Chee is being held in incarceration for 12 days for pursuing a certain line of cross-examination of MM and PM in Court.

Derrick A Paulo’s article in Weekend Today 7-8th June 2008

It is amazing how sometimes things in Singapore play themselves out.

I met Derrick A Paulo during my campaign in the last Election in GE2006. I somehow formed the opinion that Derrick was a reporter who was sympathetic to the opposition cause.

My impressions of Derrick are somewhat changed by his latest article. In that article I see Derrick performing the function of a columnist. His writing was that of a commentary. He was giving his personal opinion on the subject to be discussed.

Rightly so that his designation has changed to that of an Assistant Editor and not just a mere journalist or reporter I had known him to be. His current position allows him to comment on matters and he has chosen in a timely fashion to comment and give his opinion of Chee Soon Juan.

Firstly, I would like to state that it is strange that Derrick is writing about how his ideas are being shaped by those around him.

Naturally this topic does not stray into what was exchanged in Court between the Lees and the Chees. Interestingly though it was the persistence of the Chees in pursuing a certain line of questioning that brought them into contempt of Court.

Why does the press not choose to discuss this tumultuous exchange in open Court that resulted in the jail sentences for Chee Siok Chin and Chee Soon Juan?

Is it simply because the audio recording of the exchange is not freely available? Had the audio recording been made freely available, I would surmise that the focus would have been on the discourse between the Lees and Chees instead of it being glossed over and not given the due attention which it deserves.

Derrick digs up the past on Chee Soon Juan’s debate with George Yeo on health care costs and subsidies. If that is supposed to be of any weight, is it not true now that Singapore’s health care costs are skyrocketing through the roof? Singaporeans have to judge which the greater sin is.

A typographical error? Or the brazen collective inability of a bunch of ministers to solve a problem highlighted by a political opponent more than a decade and a half earlier?

Which is a bigger sin? A few dollars in postage costs, or millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money?

The oft quoted excuse that a politician is no longer relevant because of the lack of support he is obtaining at a certain time is often used by those in power in an attempt to dissuade those from following the footsteps of that politician.

One need no further reminder that sham elections by Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party when he was in power had returned a vote of no less than 99% to the dictator.

Derrick betrays his pro-establishment double standards mindset that foreign connections have to be abandoned in the face of a need to win local support.

May I then ask why do our leaders keep on making overseas trips to meet foreign leaders especially those of dubious legitimacy and standing, ever so often?

Singapore is a city state which cannot live in isolation. Singapore may be an island but no Singaporean should be an island.
The government has exhorted our people over the years to work overseas and build an external economy. We were asked to position ourselves as global citizens. Our Government is a “foreigner lover” through and through in that it absorbs foreigners into civil service, welcomes foreigners into Singapore with more than open arms, and it is ever willing to cheapen the Singapore Citizenship by offering it to people whom have never made an iota of contribution to the Republic.

It is strange that when the establishment attempts to take a swipe at Dr. Chee, it forgets all that it has done. Like the thief who covers his ears as he steals the bell, it does not mean that if you do not hear it (or should I say choose not to hear it), the bell did not ring.

To give due credit to Derrick, I can say that Derrick has been reading on Dr. Chee’s civil disobedience principles and trying to make sense out of them and Derrick tries his best to distinguish Singapore from the countries where civil disobedience has succeeded in bringing about change.

Whilst it is true that Dr Chee’s civil disobedience principles are partly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and to a certain extent Nelson Mandela and it is also true that Singapore needs Singaporeans to change things.

It is a different ball game when intelligent and educated people in a position like Derrick choose to please the establishment by discouraging an entirely peaceful but assertive manner of placing pressure on the Government and encouraging avenues where it has been proven to be ineffective in bringing about change, it is no wonder that change is itself impeded. What have Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong achieved after more than 17 and 24 years respectively in parliament? A mere illusion of hope? Or a balm to soothe the wounded pride of the opposition?

In the article, I further sense a tinge of concern, persuasion and almost pleading for Chee Soon Juan to abandon his current course.

In as much as I try not to read too much into the workings of Derrick’s mind but judging from the looks of the article which I have dissected, it is not difficult to position where his loyalty lies and from where the plea for Chee Soon Juan to cease his campaign originated from.

Chua Lee Hoong – The Squandered Potential of Chee Soon Juan: Thinking Aloud (ST 7th June 2008)

Chua Lee Hoong begins her article citing the entry of Dr. Chee into politics in 1992 then goes in depth into why she thinks Chee Soon Juan has squandered his potential.

Ms Chua also attempts to play psychologists in branding the subject of discussion i.e. Dr. Chee as someone with a personality disorder.

She even does further into issues between God and Man and between God-fearing men.

My attention is drawn to the fact that Chua Lee Hoong was invited twice to attend a forum on Press Freedom wherein she would have met Dr. Chee in person to express such views. I understand that Ms Chua has declined to attend twice citing various reasons.

Ms Chua not only knows that Dr. Chee is in prison at this moment. Incidentally, it is also during this period that she chooses to think aloud on matters outside her knowledge, expertise and training.

Nazry Bahrawi - What is Chee Soon Juan’s game plan? (Weekend Today 7-8th June 200

Before his article was published, Nazry had emailed me near noon of 4th June 2008 and called me to draw my attention to the mail.

Thereafter, Nazry SMSed me twice, trying to get me to answer the mail. It turned out that I had no time to address the email as I was busy with Gopalan Nair’s matter myself.

I only saw the email shortly before Nazry’s article came out on 7th June 2008.

From the way Nazry’s questions were phrased, it betrays that he had already formed an idea of how he wanted to pitch his article even before he had obtained his interviews.

In any event, Nazry’s choice of quotes and interviews were obviously attempts to put Dr. Chee in bad light. Nazry cited the following:-

1. Non-graduate MP Charles Chong’s attempt to pay psychologist by assessing Dr. Chee as a “complex character” and referring to the below and his expression of magnanimity and largess to have compassion for those who fall short of their own dreams and appear to be challenged in more than one way.

2. During the assessment of damages hearing, Lee Kuan Yew had quoted expert opinion from his experts commenting in vacuo that Dr. Chee was a megalomaniac, as if that carried any probity according to rules of evidence.

3. Minister Mentor LKY agreeing with SPP’s Chiam See Tong on Dr. Chee Soon Juan being a megalomaniac.

4. An unnamed woman whom we do not even know actually exists using the words “backstreet brawler … doubt he is serious about being the opposition … “

5. Sinapan Samydorai, Think Centre, Dr. Terence Chong, Institute of SEA Studies, NMP Siew Kum Hong, Assoc Prof. Eugene Tan SMU, Dr. Gillian Koh, IPS further lend their weight to the article that Dr. Chee Soon Juan would not get anywhere politically.

Nazry’s article then cites the comments that the PAP would actually attempt to change tack towards Chee Soon Juan, by ignoring Dr. Chee and ceasing further defamation suits against him.

This is not the first time the press paves the way for PAP policy retreats.

If it is of any significance, it pays to note that such talk only emanated from the PAP camp just days after the scathing exchange between the Lees and the Chees in court.

Perhaps, the first ever of such face to face engagements between the Lees and the Chees are so much more than what the PAP and its administration could bear, such that the longstanding use of lawsuits have become an unattractive option.

Conclusion

In short, we have a political editor trying to play psychologist, an assistant editor without an independent opinion, and a journalist who had an opinion of how the article should read even before he started his interviews.

Faced with such glaring facts, it is no wonder the press in Singapore is being ranked 154th in the world.

Another thing

People operating under anxiety focus too much on Chee Soon Juan’s political manoeuvres, which they incidentally opine will not bear fruit, and forget that Dr. Chee is a fully qualified psychologist even by the extremely stringent standards in the United States of America.

If there is anything to learn from what these characters like Lee Kuan Yew, Charles Chong, Chiam See Tong, Chua Lee Hoong attempt to play masak-masak Singapore-standard psychologist, one need only to be reminded that imitation is actually the sincerest form of flattery.

Chia Ti Lik, Ex-candidate in the past GE in 2006, Assistant Editor to SG Politics website, Lawyer and civil activist, law-abiding and goody two-shoes most of the time, a rebel and revolutionary deep within, a thinker and critic at times, and recently an activist very much prone to bouts of enthusiasm for civil disobedience.