Tag: Singaporeans

Roy Ngerng: Free Amos Yee

Thank you everyone for coming to today’s vigil.

As we gather here today, Amos sits in his cell in remand, within four walls and bright lights.

But Amos has not done anything wrong. He does not deserve this treatment. He does not deserve to be charged.

More so, he does not deserve to sit in jail. He has been inside for 17 days now. And even more so, he should not be shackled in chains and cuffs.

He is still innocent. And he is innocent.

Amos is a child. Where is the humanity when we treat Amos as a criminal when he has not even been sentenced?

Where is the humanity when even many people do not think he has done anything wrong, but he has been unfairly persecuted?

How would the PAP ministers think if it were their own children who are put behind bars and locked up in chains?

But this isn’t even a question. We know they would not let it happen to their own children.

Then why do they allow another parent’s child to suffer such a fate?

Have they thought of Amos’s parents? More importantly, have they thought of Amos?

Have they thought of the child and the state’s responsibility to the child?

Amos is a child. No matter what we think of him or what he has said, it is disproportionate to want this kind of state violence meted on him.

If we do not have the patience, kindness and compassion for a child, how then can we call ourselves a society? How then can a people govern if they lack even this most basic instinct, to love, to understand and to forgive?

Yes, Amos said some things. But he said some things.

Many among the PAP have said worse. An ex-PAP member posted a photo of a bus with Muslim children and posed the question if they are young terrorist trainees. A PAP supporter wanted to cut off Amos’s penis and put it into his mouth. A man even physically attacked Amos and smacked him in his face because he said that Amos has criticised Lee Kuan Yew.

Amos has now suffered this abuse simply because he spoke about Lee Kuan Yew.

But Lee Kuan Yew has said even worse things than Amos about the Malays and Muslims. Yet none of the PAP members and supporters have asked for him to be arrested, charged, jailed or caned as they have wanted Amos to be.

Instead, they take what Lee Kuan Yew said to be the gospel truth.

Amos said that the PAP supporters worship Lee Kuan Yew without logic. And he was punished for it.

But what Amos said is true, isn’t it? The PAP supporters do worship Lee Kuan Yew without logic, don’t they?

In fact, if they would stay silent even as Lee Kuan Yew said worse things but would want Amos persecuted, then it clearly shows that what they are really upset about Amos is not what he said about Christians, isn’t it?

Truth is, they were hurt and “wounded” because they were upset with what Amos said about Lee Kuan Yew.

It is about Lee Kuan Yew. It has always been. Nothing else.

Some people said that these PAP supporters are using religion as a front to mask their displeasure against Amos. I am inclined to agree. It is obvious.

But there are no laws in Singapore where it is illegal to criticise Lee Kuan Yew. There is no law in Singapore where one can be found to have committed a crime because of having intentionally wounded the feelings of Lee Kuan Yew supporters.

These supporters have abused the law for their own purpose.

But Singapore is not the PAP. To the PAP supporters, they think Singapore belongs to them. They will tell you to leave the country if you are not happy with the way the PAP run their country.

But they have forgotten that the reason why Singapore can succeed today is because of the hard work and effort of all Singaporeans, and people who live in our country.

It is not just because of the PAP. It is not just because of the PAP supporters.

It is because of the many Singaporeans who are willing to earn low and depressed wages to help Singapore grow, even as the PAP supporters and the rich among them take away the high profit for themselves and leave Singaporeans with too little.

But this is what Amos said in his video too. Amos spoke about the income inequality in Singapore.

He spoke about how a “great leader” is one who will take care of Singaporeans.

Amos was right. Why was he persecuted?

Amos said that Lee Kuan Yew is a “horrible” person.

But Lee Kuan Yew is. Amos spoke the truth.

From the 1960s to 1980s, Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP arrested thousands of Singaporeans and imprisoned them without trial. Some of them were jailed for more than 10, 20 or even 30 years.

Their families suffered. Tens of thousands of their families suffered. But did Lee Kuan Yew ever apologised for it? Did the PAP ever apologised for it? Instead, the PAP continues to pretend that what they did was right. The PAP continues to claim that they were trying to protect Singapore, when it has been proven that the PAP had arrested and detained these innocent Singaporeans unfairly and unjustly.

The PAP simply doesn’t have a valid reason to do so, but they did anyway.

And the PAP never stopped. Today, Amos has become another victim in the PAP’s persecution of Singaporeans, just as I was and still am.

But the PAP is not Singapore. And Singapore is not the PAP.

We have allowed the PAP to be too comfortable with abusing their power in government for too long.

I got to know Amos about a month ago. After he made his video and was charged for it, I became concerned.

With how they treated him, I saw all the hallmarks of what I went through when I was sued for defamation and I did not want to see Amos go through what I did.

Not without support.

I needed to show him support. I want to show him support.

It is a lonely journey when you believe in something and want to fight for it.

But I am glad that this is not the case for Amos. I am glad that there are friends in Singapore and around the world who cares for Amos.

For in Amos, the conscience of Singaporeans have been awoken.

Never have I, in my living memory, seen so much support and outpouring from Singaporeans who feel so aggrieved that they have sent in their photos to support Amos for the #FreeAmosYee campaign.

This is a first for a political campaign in recent times.

I asked Singaporeans to send in their photos on Saturday, on my birthday, and in 2 days, I have received more than 60 photos, from even our neighbours in Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar, as well as from The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Never before has there been a cause that has rallied together Singaporeans so strongly against the atrocities of the PAP.

Today, I am starting to see unity among Singaporeans.

I finally understand that Singaporeans are also feeling, enough is enough.

But Amos cannot see any of this because he is still in remand.

Tomorrow, his sentence will be passed. But what will happen to him?

We can only hope for the best, and that is why we are here today.

Amos did not do anything wrong. Amos has to be released.

#FreeAmosYee

Amos is my friend. Even though we have known each other for only a short one month, in fact, shorter since he has been spending most of the time in prison, I feel that I can understand him.

I see in him the honesty and truth that I uphold for myself.

I see in him the justice and fairness that I believe.

But Amos is more.

It is funny that a 16-year-old boy can teach you lessons, even when you are 34 – I just turned 34 on Saturday!

But Amos has. He has told me several times to be honest with myself. But Amos doesn’t just say it.

He does it.

This is why even though we know how important freedom to us is, Amos is willing to go into prison to fight for our freedom.

We do not know it but it is in his courage and his unbending spirit, that he has exposed the hypocrisy of the PAP and how it has bent the law for itself.

Amos has taught us the real value of freedom, of justice and of truth.

He is a friend and a teacher, even at 16.

I see the courage that he has put himself through, I see his determination.

I see his honesty.

I see the man for who he is.

Today, thank you for coming to this vigil. Amos cannot be here. But if he was, he would appreciate this.

But it is not just Amos that we are here for today. It is for courage, honesty and freedom.

And today, we have stepped up, stepped up to fight for him and for ourselves, because Amos stood up and he showed us the way.

And now, it is up to us to lead the way for him.

Thank you, all.

*This is a speech by Roy Ngerng at the Candleight vigil for Amos Yee

Source: http://thehearttruths.com

May 12, 2015
Amos Yee My Teacher

When the whole world condemns Amos’ mother that it is her fault that Amos turned out so fearlessly “rebellious”, they do not know that Amos’ mother is humbly, Amos’ first student.

Having the privilege to walk with them through this time, I saw what a wonderful love relationship they enjoy. Amos is her sunshine, and she is Amos’ moon.

Mary dedicated herself to raising her only son, almost single-handedly. She stayed home to look after Amos during his first 3 years, until she exhausted all her savings.

She breastfed him, prepared what she knew was the most nutritious food for him, and tirelessly read him books after books after books, upon his insistence.

She patiently allowed Amos to develop naturally. She recalled that Amos didn’t have to struggle learning how to walk, she said, “He crawled when he wanted to reach out for things, and then one day, about 18 months, he just stood up and walked perfect!”

Amos loves his mother, and they’ve always had open communication. While the whole world thinks how rude Amos is for calling his mother a “fucking bitch”, they do not know how deeply Amos really cared for his mother.

When Mary visited him during his recent remand, Mary told me that they didn’t even talk about the case. He only brought up 2 things:

One to apologize to her that he lied to her recently, and he wanted to clear the air, because he has never once lied to her.

Two, he asked her again, “So, did you get your divorce yet?”

Amos had always wanted his mother to be free. He has witnessed her failing marriage, and how she has been working like a bull and had no life of her own. He felt for her, and when frustrated that she hasn’t harnessed the courage to live out her own life, out comes a pouring of his emotions and his flowing words.

Mary has always known that she has an outstanding child – an advanced thinker, always thinking ahead of his time and out of the box; highly intellectual, reading abundantly and always investigating; and having the creative minds of an artist, director and writer.

She knows Amos’ artistic inclinations and aspirations, and has always given him the freedom to pursue his dreams and goals. At 13, Amos has won the Best Short Film and Best Actor award at The New Paper’s First Film Fest.

She also knows of Amos’ frustration when people are stuck in their old ways of thinking, and how impatient Amos would be.

Amos is highly aware that he does not want to follow his parent’s old thinking and old way of living. He wants to reinvent himself, and is in the process of understanding the world, going beyond the surface of things and digging deeper, and eagerly wanting to share with the world his latest discovery. He wanted not only an intellectually stimulating life, but truly a life that he can call it his own.

Knowing Amos has humbled me. He has asked deeply where most people do not dare, and knows very well at heart that he has done nothing wrong, just to be himself.

He accepted his talents, his gifts, his heart, his social blunders, all of it. Amos is truly a student of life, and life will teach him what he needed to learn. He needs no one to “correct” him or point out his mistakes. He knows what he is doing.

I realized that it is we who need to change.

When I said to him in an earlier article that I would not donate one cent to this Amos who is still a slave to his own need for freedom, I have really underestimated him.

He has shown me that he has been a master of his own freedom. He knows exactly what he is doing, and what matters to him. He is just not one crazy or foolish guy trying to beat the law and make a name for himself.

Actions speak louder than words. I am so happy to see Amos making a conscientious effort to better himself. He wants to learn how to take care of his body in a more natural way, and is educating himself more about fasting, sunshine and pure eating. He decided to cut out meat, and he has learnt how to do a short fast under my guidance.

He did not break the bail for some stupid reasons. This is a highly intellectual and darn honest person, and he accepts full responsibility for his own actions.

Give Amos time and space to grow.

He is truly, a rare genius to come by, and if you were to study his videos, his critique, his writings, you will understand why after Mary, I am humbly, Amos’ second student. I thank him for challenging me to think and rethink the old and accepted way of thinking.

I have no doubt that Amos is a GIFT to Singapore. I see him blossoming and refining over time. He will have much to contribute to the world with his extraordinary gifts, talents, and his big heart.

Source: http://siokkhoonkent.tumblr.com

May 12, 2015
Man Who Slapped Amos Yee Sentenced To 3 Weeks Jail

A self-employed man was sentenced to three weeks in jail on Monday for slapping teenage blogger Amos Yee outside the State Courts last month.

Neo Gim Huah, 49, was charged in court on Monday. He was not represented and gave a long mitigation plea in Chinese, explaining why he did it. He told the court earlier he wanted to teach Yee a lesson.

Neo, who runs his own air-conditioning and electrical engineering business, said he had taken offence at portions of the video posted online by Yee which he found disrespectful to Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

He closely monitored the case and intended to confront and slap the blogger before his first two court appearances as he felt that the teenager’s actions had portrayed Singapore in a negative light.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Winston Man said Neo initially restrained himself and did not confront Yee until his third court appearance on April 30 when he realised the teenager had flouted his bail conditions.

Neo also believed that it would be difficult for the criminal justice system to deal effectively with Yee because of his age.

On the afternoon of April 30, he waited at the State Courts for Yee to arrive. He knew the media was present when he slapped the blogger, and deliberately committed the offence as he wanted the assault to be publicised “so that the world at large would know that the victim was being taught a lesson”.

Neo was arrested at about 2am the next day.

Arguing for a sentence of two weeks’ jail, DPP Man said Neo’s offence was pre-meditated and featured a strong element of vigilantism, which undermined law enforcement mechanisms and the criminal justice system.

“Public confidence in law enforcement mechanics and the criminal justice system will also be eroded if there is a widespread perception that it is acceptable to take the law into one’s own hands and resort to violence in order to address a perceived injustice,” he said.

Neo said in his mitigation letter that Yee had been disrespectful to Singapore’s founding father and insulted him, making all of Mr Lee’s contributions “worthless”.

He said Yee, whom he described as a “clever child”, had let everyone down.

“What I feel is what everybody is feeling,” he said.

Slapping him would instil fear in the teenager, let him know what the ways of the world are and teach him a lesson, Neo said.

He said he knew it was wrong to slap Yee but could not control himself.

He could be jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

May 11, 2015
Silat Gold-Medallist Hopeful, Shakir Juanda, Out Of Contact Event Due To Knee Injury

Singapore’s silat gold medal hopeful Shakir Juanda was ruled out of the contact event of next month’s SEA Games after failing to fully recover from a knee injury.

The 2013 world champion injured his left knee during last month’s Southeast Asian Pencak Silat Championship. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests showed that he had sprained his anterior cruciate ligament and had a Grade 2 tear to his medial collateral ligament.

The former world champion will now partner Sheik Ferdous to compete in the artistic doubles instead.

The 26-year-old, who won a SEA Games bronze in the Class H (80-85kg) in 2013 said: “I am naturally disappointed that I’m unable to bring back a first gold medal for my strongest event on home soil. But I will train with my partner, Sheik Ferdous, and come back stronger in the SEA Games.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

May 11, 2015
MFA: Do Not Fall For Scammer Identifying Himself As ‘Alex Chang’ From MFA

There have been reports of more people falling victim to scam callers, despite a police report being filed last month about a scam caller impersonating one of its officers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday (May 11).

The ministry said it filed a police report on Apr 22 after learning that a certain “Alex Chang” was impersonating as an MFA officer and telephoned members of the public to verify their personal particulars. “Alex Chang” also requested monetary payment to resolve issues related to their immigration white card.

“Unfortunately, the scam calls have not stopped and there have been a few cases where members of the public have fallen victim,” said MFA in a press release.

“There is no MFA officer by the name of ‘Alex Chang’. MFA and other Government agencies do not call members of the public to request for money transfers or credit card details.”

The ministry also reminded members of the public to not transfer money to the caller or provide credit card details should they receive such calls. If they have any information related to this case, they should call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit a report online.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 11, 2015