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Tag: Teo Soh Lung

  • Are SPF And ELD The Lapdogs Of PAP?

    Are SPF And ELD The Lapdogs Of PAP?

    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

  • Amos Yee Knew Blog, Video Contents Would Offend, His Ideas Shaped By SDP Member And Roy Ngerng

    Amos Yee Knew Blog, Video Contents Would Offend, His Ideas Shaped By SDP Member And Roy Ngerng

    Blogger Amos Yee has pleaded not guilty to both charges on Thursday morning (May 7), at the start of his two-day trial. The teenager faced a charge of making offensive or wounding remarks against Christianity and another of circulating obscene imagery.

    Yee’s lawyers had requested for an adjournment as they needed time to look through the evidence. The judge called for an end to the day’s hearing, and will hear further submissions on Friday, 2.30pm.

    Lawyer Alfred Dodwell told reporters after the hearing: “(Yee) is in the highest spirits possible and he’s very happy with the conduct of the case and feels very confident about it.

    “Amos is very positive; he believes there’s nothing wrong and stands by what he says and this is the very reason why he is in remand, because he refuses to be gagged.”

    “Amos is in the highest spirits possible and he’s very happy with the conduct of the case”: #AmosYee’s lawyer, Alfred Dodwell, says that the blogger “knew what he was doing”. cna.asia/1bzfvsg

    Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Wednesday, May 6, 2015

    “In relation to the first charge, which is in relation to obscenity, it is a legal argument so there is no need for there to be a trial, because we have to submit on whether this image is, in law, found to be obscene. So there are legal tests to be involved and that’s what we will be submitting on in relation to this. And the court has to make a determination as to whether this image was and truly obscene,” said Mr Dodwell.

    “In relation to the second (charge), the portion on the relation to Christianity, there’s a lot said that he attacked Christianity, in the context of the transcript of what he has said. The question really is, did he do so, and if so, then in what context did he say it as an analogy to Mr Lee Kuan Yew?” Mr Dodwell asked.

    He added: “The question for us as lawyers is: ‘Has he violated the law? Is he criminal in relation to this?’ That is really the question. And Amos Yee knows about these things. He feels very strongly that he has the freedom of speech and expression in Singapore as provided for in the Constitution and he feels very strongly that he has done nothing wrong. So he’s in the highest of spirits.”

    “I FULLY EXPECTED PEOPLE TO TAKE OFFENCE”

    Court documents revealed that Yee knew that the contents of his blogs and videos would be offensive, but went ahead to post them. Before uploading his video on Christianity in December 2014, Yee said he was “aware that the content of the video was offensive and would promote feelings of disharmony and ill-will within the Christian community”.

    “I noted that there were people who were offended by my video and I fully expected people to take offence,” he said, referring to comments after the video was uploaded.

    Regarding his video posted on Mar 27, he said: “I was aware that the contents of the video were seditious in nature, in that they raised discontent or disaffection amongst people practising the Christian faith in Singapore, but was not sure if my actions would land me in jail.”

    The Mar 27 video compared Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to Jesus Christ. “I was fully aware that this comparison was bound to promote ill-will amongst the Christian population, and would be offensive to a significant number of Singaporeans, because the general sentiment towards Lee Kuan Yew was very positive,” said Yee.

    Court documents also revealed that Yee’s mother, when consulted, advised him not to upload the Mar 27 video, but he “disagreed with her and uploaded it anyway”.

    “I do not have the intention to remove any of the videos that I have made,” said Yee according to Court documents, adding that he also would not remove the post involving Margaret Thatcher and Mr Lee Kuan Yew that was deemed obscene.  “I refuse to do this because it would not appease the public, as the video and posts will continue to be circulated, and also because doing so would suggest that I was sorry for the videos and my post, which I am not.”

    According to Court documents, Yee said his ideas were also shaped by meet-ups with members from the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). An SDP member also introduced Yee to Mr Roy Ngerng’s blog, and Yee said he was convinced by what Mr Ngerng had published.

    The teenager added that he drew evidence from Mr Ngerng’s blog posts for his video on Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

    COURTROOM PACKED FOR TRIAL

    Yee decided not to take the stand in court on Thursday. One of his lawyers later said this was because Yee had explained himself in the statement to police, after his arrest in March.

    The teen’s parents attended the trial. Mr Ngerng, blogger Andrew Loh and lawyer Teo Soh Lung were also seen in the packed courtroom.

    Yee has been in remand after his previous pre-trial conference on Apr 30, after his bailor, family and youth counsellor Vincent Law, decided to discharge himself. Mr Law had told reporters earlier that he had done so as Yee “refuses to abide” by the bail conditions. Mr Law was also seen in the audience on Thursday morning.

    If convicted of making remarks wounding the feelings of Christians, Yee, who is being tried as an adult, faces up to three years’ jail, a fine, or both. For circulating obscene imagery, he could be jailed up to three months, fined, or punished with both.

    A third charge, for his statements on Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was “stood down”. An AGC spokesperson said the charge has not been dropped, but that the prosecution will deal with the first two charges for the upcoming trial with the third charge to be dealt with later.

    The 16-year-old saw his challenge on the conditions of his bail dismissed by Justice Tay Yong Kwang in a bail hearing on Wednesday. Yee also refused to go for psychiatric counselling in exchange for a lower bail amount, which remained at S$30,000.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Tribute To Lee Kuan Yew – Part 1

    Tribute To Lee Kuan Yew – Part 1

    Part 1: A candid obituary

    So powerful once, yet so helpless in his last few weeks… hooked to a ventilator for dear life until he passed away this morning at 3.18 am.

    For about half a century LKY hogged the stage, relentlessly pursuing power, slamming down opponents, but unswerving in his determination to turn a little red dot into a precious pearl.

    His authoritarian ways resulted in great economic success, but also claimed many victims.

    It will take time to look at such a towering and controversial figure in perspective. History may be the best judge.

    A litmus test of his greatness is: How long will Singapore remain stable and prosperous without him?

    I think his baby – Singapore – will take his demise in stride and life will proceed as normal except during the short mourning period.

    This is double-edge: it can be seen as a compliment or otherwise, for the departure of great leaders will usually stir a storm in their wake that will take time to settle.

    You can say many good things about Lee: brilliant lawyer, fearless politician,peerless nation builder, but he is no prophet, no revolutionary, no Mandela.

    He leaves behind him a first class civil service, a developed economy,highly-literate and technologically savvy population and though not perfect, a stable society based on multi-racialism, meritocracy and rule of law.

    But he also leaves behind him a rather meek and depoliticised populace, obsessed mainly with material comforts, and a ruling party determined to maintain its monopoly on power by fair or foul means.

    What has become apparent especially in the latter part of his life is that his first class mind that can analyse the toughest of problems with logical precision and prescribe solutions based on pure logic and reason is both an asset and a liability.

    They have their limits as shown by his past policies: no alternative to merger within Malaysia, the two child policy that brooked no opposition and his embrace of globalisation to the extent of becoming even more capitalist than the capitalists.

    It is also the over-reliance on both logic and reason that led him from day one of independence to discriminate against the Malay minority in the security services; a policy that is still being wound down by his successors.

    That, I suppose is why, despite his boast of rising from the grave if he felt the Singapore ship was off course, he fail to act when the present government put growth first and the people last in the years leading up to the last general election.

    He could not because they were just following in the path that he had laid out. If he had, would PM Lee junior have to apologise to the electorate a few days before polling day for ‘’mistakes’’.

    As can be shown from his past actions since independence in 1965, he is no idealist reformer. He is not interested in tearing down the old and building a brave new one, but only in making the existing one more workable through two basic principles: equal opportunities and meritocracy.

    His brilliance too has its limits and his much respected skills as a geopolitical strategist appears to be limited only to the Far East, Japan, China and Taiwan.

    For,as the records show, he was one of the earliest and most ardent supporters of the Iraq War, a war that Bush initiated more to exact revenge from the Muslims rather than to make the world safe.

    The consequences of that disastrous war, which claimed hundreds of thousands of victims, continue to be played out in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, as well as in Paris, Copenhagen, Madrid and around the world. The only winners were Bush’s right-wing clique and the industrial-military oligarchy.

    In fighting tooth and nail for what he wants, mainly power, he can be both determined and cunning, and even ruthless and vindictive against anyone standing in his path.

    Just look back at his political life and you will not have any difficulties in finding how he had bent the laws and stretched the rules to outmanoeuvre his opponents: the flawed 1962 Referendum on merger, the vain attempt to get the PAP to take over from the MCA in the Umno-led Alliance, the frantic struggle for Malaysian Malaysia and the jailing of opponents after independence.

    Even now, it is difficult to say whether Lee wanted power for power’s sake or he wanted power to build a better world for us. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.

    I have often asked myself what Lee would do if he had lost through a fair vote.Would he hand over power peacefully or would he continue the battle to the bitter end, even if it results in the burning of Singapore?

    The story of his political life is like the story of a firebrand who slowly evolves into an arch conservative, more rightists than the rightists, accepting the widening wage gap as inevitable and seemingly callous towards the woes of the working class.

    But people of my generation must be grateful to him. Almost all of us had benefitted in many different ways from Lee and the PAP.

    And that was why we had preferred to look the other way and stifled our conscience to the victims of his authoritarian rule. They ranged from those who were detained longer than justified to those held behind bars on charges so flimsy that few believe in the government story.

    Most observers now believe that the so-called Marxist conspiracy was a cynical exercise to clear the deck of possible threats and potential opposition to his hand-picked heirs.

    Anyway, Lee has run his race and we should thank him and move on. Just as many Chinese continue to revere Mao for his contributions, we too must always respect and revere Lee for all the good that he had done in building Singapore to what it is today.

    In mourning him, we must also spare a kind thought for his victims…..Lim Chin Siong, Poh Soo Kai, Chia Thye Poh, Said Zahari, Vincent Cheng, Teo Soh Lung and so on…and give them their just dues.

    Let us use this opportunity to work for reconciliation and the healing of past wounds. Let the exiles from Tan Wah Piow to Francis Seow return in peace to the land of their birth.

    Forgive but not forget

    Honour but not whitewash

    Mourn him but respect his opponents

     

    Source: Ismail Kassim