Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:
[b]The fear of Lee Kuan Yew is an illusion.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Almost everyone in Singapore, Lee's first world country, fear
retribution if he was criticized.
In truth this fear is to a large extent misplaced. In fact, in the
peculiar circumstances of Singapore of today, Lee really cannot do
much against political opposition.
One good reason for this view, is its size. A small island. He
cannot be a Suharto in Singapore even if he wants to. The
repercussions would be unbearable. In the past, about 20 years ago,
you recall the arrest of innocent civic conscience citizens,
labelling them Marxists and torturing them. There was no real
opposition to it then. People did complain, but beyond that they
did nothing. But imagine his doing it now. Assuming he went around
today and picked up 20 innocent people, branded them Communists in
his newspaper and tortured them. Do you think Singaporeans would
accept that today? I think not. He dare not do it in 2008 even
though there are many in Singapore, especially within the SDP who
fit the description of those brave souls branded Marxist
conspirators.
It is not that Lee Kuan Yew is unaware of the extensive opposition
to him and his policies on the ground starting with his paying
himself $3.7 million per year. Oh yes, he is aware of the large
numbers of Singaporeans who are openly criticising and deriding
him. But you can see that he is not taking any action. He knows now
that he in on thin ice. As as time goes on, the ice becomes
thinner.
He had once told the Charlie Rose interview on PBS TV that he runs
the country entirely on wits. For once he was honest. It is all
bravado and hot air. Nothing more than that. If he was prepared to
do today, what he did to Lim Chin Seong under the ISA he will be in
more trouble than he expects. He knows he cannot today act the way
he did then.
Perhaps the Singaporean need not fear so much after all. If only
they galvanized in a united front against this tyranny, it is he
who will have to give in. No doubt about it.
But up till now he is counting of the people not having the courage
to do it. But if they did, the boot will be on the other foot. The
taxi drivers foot. The retirees foot. The foot of the old people
who are reduced to having to clean tables in food courts. The foot
of those in one room flats having to live under candle light
because of poverty. The foot of those who have no choice but to
survive on one meal a day.
Yes the boot will be one the other foot. If only they acted on
it.
Gopalan Nair
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/01/fear-of-lee-kuan-yew-is-illusion.html[/b]
Do you think for politicians to use fear to control, manipulate,
is really coward of him or her to do so?
Old man should be grateful and appreciative that so far nobody
attempts to assasinate him unlike what happens in other countries.
Talk so much, so naggy, so ungrateful, so tyrannical, so sickening,
so unkind and so on are the ways he treats the people of
Singapore.
