Chee Soon Juan letter to Straits Times

paperchicken SG

So things you dun get to read in newspapers. Mr. Green

http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=2462

Letters
SDP will fight hard - and smart
(SDP )

06 October 2004 by Chee Soon Juan
The Straits Times has refused to publish the Singapore Democrats' reply to the article "The SDP: Destination Unknown" that was run the Saturday before and a series of letters attacking the Party that were printed the following week.
SDP will fight hard - and smart
The Insight piece on the SDP (ST, 18 Sep 2004) and the subsequent letters the following week (ST, 25 Sep 2004) cannot be left unanswered.

It is a blatant lie to say that the Singapore Democrats have not been taking up pocket-book issues. In the 2001 elections, the SDP made minimum wage for workers, employment benefits for retrenched Singaporeans, and the PAPs disastrous Foreign Talent Policy its central message.

A few months later, members of the SDP helped to organize the People Against Poverty rally that was to take place on 1 May 2002 during which my colleague, Mr Gandhi Ambalam, and I were arrested for trying to speak up for the working poor in Singapore.

We took the Government to task for curtailing further the rights of workers in the dispute between the Singapore Airlines and the Airline Pilots Association-Singapore in which pilot Captain Ryan Gohs permanent residency was revoked.

We also forced the Finance Ministry to respond (unsatisfactorily) to calls by Internet users about the amendment to the Constitution to allow the Government to transfer the countries reserves to Government-linked companies.

But for the space constraints, I could go on. The point is that you cannot get anymore bread-and-butter than these issues.

It is the Government that has ignored or brushed aside each and every one of these matters. In order for Singaporeans to ensure that their voices are heard, however, they must have a free media, genuinely free and fair elections, and the freedom to hold public protests. Otherwise the record number of bankruptcies, mental breakdowns, divorces, and suicides resulting from the policies put in place by the PAP to work and squeeze the people even harder will continue unabated

For far too long the opposition has allowed the PAP to define what issues are important and what approach the opposition should take. Unsurprisingly, this has led to the ruling party dictating the rules and defining the parameters of the political battle to ensure its grip on society.

No longer. The Singapore Democrats will not only fight hard but also fight smart. While we continue to do our ground work and talk with Singaporeans at hawker centers, MRT stations, in their homes, etc. we will also build international alliances to ensure that the world knows about oppression in Singapore and, more importantly, acts to bring Singapore into the family of democratic nations.

The PAP would love nothing better than to isolate Singapore from the democratic world. This is the only way that it can continue to imprison the minds of Singaporeans because it knows that with everything that it controls domestically the people are helpless and will continue to serve the PAP and not the other way around.

Let us be mature enough to break out from the mental cage that the PAP has put us in. This is not an issue of the SDP colluding with foreigners to do Singapore in. What we want is for Singaporeans to have a voice so that they can protect their own well-being and ensure that policies benefit them and not just the rich. If anything it is the PAP that is in cahoots with foreigners to undermine the welfare of the Singaporean people. The PAP has built an alliance with the rich and powerful of the world to ensure that Singaporeans continue to remain at their mercy.

Let us be serious. The PAP will never allow the people to vote for the opposition in such numbers that will endanger its dictatorial hold on power. It will continue to change laws, amend the Constitution, and bend regulations to perpetuate its rule. Those who think otherwise delude themselves.

Of course the media and its supporters want Singaporeans to believe that going to the PAP-controlled polls once every four-or-five years will improve their lot.

And when election results are announced, the PAP will say that the opposition has not done enough house-to-house visits, that the people reject the oppositions alternative policies, that the candidates dont measure up to the PAP ones, and so on. It will put all the blame on the opposition and say nothing about its manipulation of the electoral system.

Enough is enough. Let us first get the fundamentals right. Without a free and pluralistic media one that does not serve at the pleasure of the PAP, without the right to public protests, without a genuinely free and fair elections Singaporeans will never have a say in policies that affect their lives, including the bread-and-butter ones.

Only when these freedoms are in place can we stop the hoodwinking and the fear-mongering, and only then can we talk about genuine public service and a real contestation of political power in Singapore.

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

29 September 2004

The Straits Times has refused to publish the Singapore Democrats' reply to the article "The SDP: Destination Unknown" that was run the Saturday before and a series of letters attacking the Party that were printed the following week.

ST's Forum Editor wants to delete the latter two-thirds of the reply and only print the first 5 paragraphs of the letter. Based on this blatant censorship and its refusal of the SDP's right of reply, the Democrats will not let the newspaper run the letter.

Instead we will rely on our website to help spread the word about yet more nation-ruining media censorship on the part of the PAP. Readers should be reminded that the PAP Government prosecutes and sues foreign newspapers even if they refuse to publish a sentence, let alone 10 paragraphs, of its reply.

It is so shameless.

paperchicken SG

Would You Vote For Dr Chee?

http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=225#top

13 October 2000
by Raymond Lee

Mr J. B. Jeyeretnam laments at the lack of opposition candidates having been elected to the Singapore Parliament. However, one of the problems has been the lack of credible candidates to vote for. Lets analyse one such candidate.
Dr Chee Soon Juan may have started out as seeming to be credible. However a pattern of conduct has shown that his own actions have affected his credibility.
1. Dr Chee decided to go on a hunger strike despite acknowledging to Mr Chiam (Secretary General of the SDP at the time) that this would be damaging to the SDP.

2. Also the hunger strike did not take place in a public or neutral place and so left open to question whether this was a genuine hunger strike.

3. Dr Chee and colleagues tried to discipline Mr Chiam without following the clearly laid down procedures of the SDP Constitution and did not give him a fair hearing.

4. Dr Chee decided to embarrass the popular PM of Singapore by going to the USA to speak at Mr Goh's alma mater when Mr Goh Chok Tong was to be awarded an honorary doctorate.

5. Dr Chee before the 1997 General Election was shown on TV to be unable to answer questions in a straightforward manner. Dr Chee was also shown to be intentionally or recklessly misleading Parliament. A mere typo is not a credible explaination as to what happened.

6. Dr Chee in the witness box when sued by Mr Chiam for defamation was shown to have malice against Mr Chiam.

7. Dr Chee organised a Human Rights Conference in the name of the SDP. A permit was available but he unilaterally decided to cancel the conference and use this as an excuse to break the law at Raffles Place. Upholding the democratic institutions of Singapore is part of the SDP Constitution.

8. Dr Chee broke the law by speaking at Raffles Place on the basis that he wanted to speak to Singaporeans. He could have done that on the 27 December 1998. There are other opportunities to speak to Singaporeans such as through the New Democrat publication, through websites, through books, through forums and now since September 2000 at Speakers Corner. There are many ways that sensible constructive ideas and views can be transmitted to Singaporeans. Singapore is probably unique where through word of mouth information can reach virtually all the population.

9. Dr Chee was not jailed for speaking up. Dr Chee was jailed for not paying his fine. A big difference and a distortion of the truth to say otherwise.

Would you vote for someone who knows his actions would damage the SDP? Would you vote for someone who cannot give a fellow SDP member a fair hearing? (so much for justice).

Would you vote for someone who cannot give credible answers when questioned both in and outside Parliament?

Would you vote for someone who breaks the law and then exaggerates (another distortion of the truth) how he ended up in jail?

Laughing

chunyong SG

hmmm, dats it ! ISD is coming for you ! Twisted Evil

paperchicken SG

ppl if I dun post again in the next 24 hrs pls call my lawyer. Crying or Very sad

Bamboozler SG

Letters
SDP will fight hard - and smart
(SDP )

06 October 2004 by Chee Soon Juan
The Straits Times has refused to publish the Singapore Democrats' reply to
the article "The SDP: Destination Unknown" that was run the Saturday before
and a series of letters attacking the Party that were printed the following
week.
SDP will fight hard - and smart
The Insight piece on the SDP (ST, 18 Sep 2004) and the subsequent letters
the following week (ST, 25 Sep 2004) cannot be left unanswered.

It is a blatant lie to say that the Singapore Democrats have not been
taking up pocket-book issues. In the 2001 elections, the SDP made minimum
wage for workers, employment benefits for retrenched Singaporeans, and the
PAPs disastrous Foreign Talent Policy its central message.

A few months later, members of the SDP helped to organize the People
Against Poverty rally that was to take place on 1 May 2002 during which my
colleague, Mr Gandhi Ambalam, and I were arrested for trying to speak up
for the working poor in Singapore.

I think this part puzzles everyone ... why did he do something which he knows is not the way we do things in Singapore? If I wanted non-sense like that I'd be staying in the west.

We took the Government to task for curtailing further the rights of workers
in the dispute between the Singapore Airlines and the Airline Pilots
Association-Singapore in which pilot Captain Ryan Gohs permanent residency
was revoked.

We also forced the Finance Ministry to respond (unsatisfactorily) to calls
by Internet users about the amendment to the Constitution to allow the
Government to transfer the countries reserves to Government-linked
companies.

But for the space constraints, I could go on. The point is that you cannot
get anymore bread-and-butter than these issues.

If he has some good points, then he could just bring them up in a civil manner ... but unfortunately with the next statement (below) he ends up getting everybody against him.

It is the Government that has ignored or brushed aside each and every one
of these matters. In order for Singaporeans to ensure that their voices are
heard, however, they must have a free media, genuinely free and fair
elections, and the freedom to hold public protests. Otherwise the record
number of bankruptcies, mental breakdowns, divorces, and suicides resulting
from the policies put in place by the PAP to work and squeeze the people
even harder will continue unabated

Sweeping statement - Record number of bankruptcies,
mental breakdowns, divorces and suicides resulting from PAP
policies??
Too much drama, not enough facts and figures ... where does
he get his figures from anyway???

For far too long the opposition has allowed the PAP to define what issues
are important and what approach the opposition should take. Unsurprisingly,
this has led to the ruling party dictating the rules and defining the
parameters of the political battle to ensure its grip on society.

No longer. The Singapore Democrats will not only fight hard but also fight
smart. While we continue to do our ground work and talk with Singaporeans
at hawker centers, MRT stations, in their homes, etc. we will also build
international alliances to ensure that the world knows about oppression in
Singapore and, more importantly, acts to bring Singapore into the family of
democratic nations.

The PAP would love nothing better than to isolate Singapore from the
democratic world. This is the only way that it can continue to imprison the
minds of Singaporeans because it knows that with everything that it
controls domestically the people are helpless and will continue to serve
the PAP and not the other way around.

Does he not realise that we all have access to the
internet? We can read you know??? There is no way the Govt can control the
internet, it's way too big. We can get any information at the touch of a
button. Does he really think we're so gullible? PAP DID IT!!! PAP DID
THIS!!! PAP DID THAT!!! I think he's been spending too much time mixing around with people who occupy themselves with ludicrous conspiracy theories

Let us be mature enough to break out from the mental cage that the PAP has
put us in.

Now he's calling me immature?? You GO, boy!! That's the
way to get my vote!!!

This is not an issue of the SDP colluding with foreigners to do Singapore
in. What we want is for Singaporeans to have a voice so that they can
protect their own well-being and ensure that policies benefit them and not
just the rich. If anything it is the PAP that is in cahoots with foreigners
to undermine the welfare of the Singaporean people.

This guy has really got a slanted view of reality. I
notice all his allegations are not backed up as well ... sigh ... is he a
PAP plant or what? He's making them look good, man.

The PAP has built an alliance with the rich and powerful of the world to
ensure that Singaporeans continue to remain at their mercy.

Was this taken from the script of the 'Empire Strikes
Back'?

Let us be serious. The PAP will never allow the people to vote for the
opposition in such numbers that will endanger its dictatorial hold on
power. It will continue to change laws, amend the Constitution, and bend
regulations to perpetuate its rule. Those who think otherwise delude
themselves.

Change laws, amend consti, bend regulations? ...in the
end I still get my 1 vote right? ... I still have to choose either him or
anyone else right?

So ... are the other Opposition members in parliament in cahoots with the
PAP? The changes and bending didn't seem to affect them ... odd .. maybe
the PAP didn't change the consti for Hougang residents? ... Hmmm?

Of course the media and its supporters want Singaporeans to believe that
going to the PAP-controlled polls once every four-or-five years will
improve their lot.

And when election results are announced, the PAP will say that the
opposition has not done enough house-to-house visits, that the people
reject the oppositions alternative policies, that the candidates dont
measure up to the PAP ones, and so on. It will put all the blame on the
opposition and say nothing about its manipulation of the electoral system.

OK ... let me see ... I think the people will reject
some opposition candidates. Y'know, I really won't be surprised if
other oppo members get into parliament in the future ... but I will
be surprised if this guy gets in.

Enough is enough. Let us first get the fundamentals right. Without a free
and pluralistic media one that does not serve at the pleasure of the PAP,
without the right to public protests, without a genuinely free and fair
elections Singaporeans will never have a say in policies that affect their
lives, including the bread-and-butter ones.

Only when these freedoms are in place can we stop the hoodwinking and the
fear-mongering, and only then can we talk about genuine public service and
a real contestation of political power in Singapore.

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General

Hey ... at least he gets to call himself that. I think he should just give up ... he will never get into parliament.

fymk SG

Some of his points are valid but it is just his reputation as pap court jester , that spoils his support.

paperchicken SG

I think he has done more damage than good for the opposition. He shd just quit politics. Rolling Eyes

fymk SG

agreed! Very Happy

sgboy2004 SG

if he come to run for kallang river, croco may help him…but…keke

mancha SG

Very easy to understand Chee Soon Juan.
Just don't believe him.