I have a very poor opinion of Roy Ngerng. I think most of the things he writes are senseless drivel and some of the things he writes are dangerously incendiary. I thought that it is not entirely without reason that he got his ass handed to him in court for writing stupid things about PM Lee.
All that said, I am abhorred by the way he was treated by the police recently. A police report was made against Roy Ngerng and Teo Soh Lung by the Elections Department Department (ELD). I had earlier written that I, as well as many others, were baffled by that action.
For their alleged offence, Roy and Ms Teo were interrogated by the police for hours. Worse, the police went to search their homes. You can see the brave men-in-blue (though they are in plainclothes here) in action:
So the two of them posted things that could possibly be in contravention of ELD’s cooling off day regulations. And we can’t even be certain if they did. They are individuals writing about their personal political views. Something which isn’t prohibited by the cooling off day restrictions.
But let’s say that there is a prima facie case against them. The police therefore need to investigate to see if there is sufficient reasons to charge them. Fine. But is there a need to search their homes? Is there a need to take their laptops, computers and mobile phones? And to mobilize so many people to do it? A tad excessive no? And an utter waste of state resources isn’t it?
Here’s Roy’s account of the abhorrent ordeal that he had to go through:
What is more abhorrent and disgusting is the inconsistency. Let’s say that Roy and Ms Teo were both guilty of contravening ELD’s regulations. Let’s say that the police really had to do what they did to establish guilt. Then why the hell weren’t they as rigorous in investigating other alleged breaches of ELD’s regulations?
What other breaches you ask? These other breaches:
Here you see Minister Shanmugam’s face plastered all over a hawker centre. That was during the GE2015. If you scrutinize those posters, you will realise that none of those posters “bear the bear the official stamp issued by the Returning Officer.” Worse, they are in a hawker centre! That is a clear violation of ELD’s regulations!
So what has the police done to investigate the report made by Mr Daryl Teng? Don’t know. Were they as rigorous? Did they search the home of Minister Shanmugam? Highly unlikely. Why this inconsistency? God (if you are the God-fearing type) knows! It is no wonder that many people are of the opinion that the SPF and ELD are lapdogs of the PAP.
Now SPF and the ELD has one chance to redeem themselves. A fresh complaint to ELD was made on 30 May. It was made against the site Fabrications against PAP. It alleges that the page shared a post on cooling off day that made specific reference to DPM Tharman’s speech at PAP’s rally that called people to vote for Murali.
The nature of that post and those that landed Roy and Ms Teo in trouble appear identical. If Roy and Ms Teo were subjected to such treatment as a result of what they posted on cooling off day, then the people behind Fabrications about PAP ought to be subjected to the same treatment. Otherwise it would confirm the opinion of many people – SPF and ELD are lapdogs of the PAP. Lapdogs that would snap and bite people when they speak against the PAP, but would loyally and doggedly defend those who speak in favour of the PAP.
And that would be really sad. And ironic. Ironic because just this Monday,DPM Tharman said that there is now more freedom of speech today compared to a decade ago. He said:
“We have evolved into a society that has more freedoms, but it has some restrictions and they serve a purpose.”
It seems that our evolution is proceeding at a glacial pace. And sometimes seem to be a Sisyphean evolution. Or perhaps he meant to say that there is freedom, up until you dare to threaten PAP’s stranglehold on power?
Source: https://crazyrandomchatter.com
