The 3 most brave and courageous lawyers in Singapore
today are M Ravi, Chia Ti Lik and L.F. Violet Netto
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On December 11, 2007, the following story under the heading "The
human ties that bind" appeared in the state owned and controlled
Singapore newspaper "Today" (By the way, all Singapore newspapers
are owned and controlled by the government).
Two Singapore lawyers, Mr. M Ravi and Chia Ti Lik, members of the
Legal Profession of Singapore, (which by the way has over 3,000
lawyers) attended at the premises of the Law Society of Singapore,
the official lawyers association, at South Bridge Road, on Dec 09,
2007, to hand a petition to the Society.
This petition was signed by only 3 lawyers; two of them being Mr. M
Ravi and Chia Ti Lik, who were the authors of this petition and
Miss L F Violet Netto, a lawyer who signed it but failed to attend
at the Society's premises.
The Petition referred to the UN Human Rights Day which fell on
December 10 and contained the following principal proposals, 1) it
congratulated the President of the Law Society on his appointment
for another year 2) a desire that Human Rights Day should be
commemorated in the legal calender of Singapore just as the Annual
Dinner and Dance day is observed 3) the hope that the Singapore Bar
will further the cause of the rule of law and the independence of
the judiciary 4) the hope that the Singapore Law Society would work
towards the abolition of the provision in the Legal Profession Act
which denies the right of the profession to comment on pending
legislation 5) that a Human Rights commission should be set up in
Singapore and 6) a mechanism be put in place whereby lawyers and
citizens can complain to an independent body on judicial
excesses.
After handing this petition, M Ravi made a speech which was
patiently heard by the audience there, which consisted of an
official from the Law Society, Mr. Chia Ti Lik and various
reporters and cameramen. At the end of Mr. Ravi's speech which
elaborated on the contents of the petition, which had lasted
perhaps 30 minutes, he was asked a number of questions to which he
had ready, eloquent and erudite answers, which made all of us proud
of his wisdom. His person and his speech was and captured on video
camera, which has been put on on various web sites including the
official web site of the Singapore Democratic Party.
After reading this far, you are very entitled to ask, and I won't
be the least bit surprised if you did, whether the title of this
post "The 3 most brave and courageous lawyers in Singapore today
are M Ravi, Chia Ti Lik and L.F. Violet Netto" was a mistake?
No, it was not a mistake. The title was intended as written. These
3 individuals are indeed the most brave and courageous lawyers in
Singapore among the 3,000 others who are also lawyers. Only these 3
have had the courage to do what they did. You may be surprised why
I consider their actions which was nothing more than merely handing
a petition, containing very legitimate and completely reasonable
proposals to the Law Society to be such a courageous act!
Firstly, it is Singapore that we are talking about. That itself
should be a sufficient answer.
Well the numbers themselves would have revealed the answers. There
are 3,000 lawyers in Singapore and yet, only these 3 were prepared
to sign this petition, the contents of which appears completely
innocuous. There was nothing treasonable in it, it was not
defamatory of anyone, it was not seditious, it was not incendiary,
it was not calling for murder! It was principally asking that the
UN Human Rights Day be recognized in Singapore. That's all! And
yet, of a lawyer population of over 3,000, only 3 lawyers had the
courage to sign it! These 3, M Ravi, Chia Ti Lik and LF Violet
Netto. And not only that LF Netto decided, for whatever reasons she
may have had, not to be present with M Ravi and Chia Ti Lik when
they handed the petition to the Society!
For anyone who knows Singapore, they will understand why I call
them brave. It is because the entire legal profession of Singapore
as well as the entire population of Singapore live in fear of Lee
Kuan Yew. It is dangerous to criticize him. And if one does so, his
Administration will see to it that he is punished. The Lee Kuan Yew
Administration is vindictive and small minded. They will use the
law and the professional bodies which contain their agents, who
will make life difficult for those who criticize.
Singapore professionals know that it is unwise to openly criticize
the government. Once you do this, you become identified. And once
identified, every government organ, every judge, every court
registrar automatically shift into gear to punish you. You suddenly
find, if you were a lawyer that you begin to lose all your cases,
because judges are expected to disfavor those critical of Lee
Administration. Clients begin to fear from giving you cases, since
the likelihood of your losing them are very good, since you are a
known opponent.
Those who are openly critical or in any way questioning of
government policy like these 3, will get no help from the Law
Society. Legal Aid work will stop going to them. Even among the
legal fraternity, other lawyers will begin to avoid these 3,
because they have been identified as critical of the Singapore
Legal system.
In other words, they will be sent to Coventry, so to speak!
These 3 courageous souls have taken this step, knowing full well
the dangers that lie ahead for them in doing what they did, in this
corrupt small minded and vindictive government of Singapore.
That is why I say that these are courageous people. It would be no
exaggeration to say that what they have done would have been
comparable to Macaulay's tale of Horatius with two comrades barring
a bridge to an army:
Then out spoke brave
Horatius
The Captain of the Gate:
" To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
An how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods?"
That is why I say that these 3 are brave men and women, just as
brave Horatius when he fearlessly guarded the gate against the
army.
It seems impossible but it is true. Singaporeans are indeed a
fearful lot at present.
Mind you, I say, fearful lot at present. But it is my hope that the
courage of these 3 will encourage others to stand up to justice as
they have done, because, we know that all bullies, just like the
Singapore government only dare to punish you if you are afraid of
them. I am sure that if, not 3 but 30 or 300 lawyers had signed the
petition and come up to deliver it, it is doubtful if this petty
minded administration can punish all 300, or even 3,000.
And therefore I hope the actions of these 3 lawyers will embolden
others, so that one day, Singaporeans will demand their right to
live in a free and just society.
Gopalan Nair
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2007/12/3-most-braave-and-courageous-lawyers-in.html