TR EMERITUS

The Axis of Resistance groups in Iraq have escalated their threats against Israel and the US. They have vowed to target Israel’s nuclear research center and have warned of potential attacks on US embassies and military sites in Iraq and surrounding areas. Additionally, these groups declared that any strike on Hezbollah would be viewed as a direct assault on Iraqi fighters. This escalation highlights the growing tensions and interconnected nature of regional conflicts involving Iran, Israel, and U.S. interests in the Middle East.    Read More →

Mr Shanmugam says Singapore has laws and policies to prevent riots like those seen in the UK recently because Singapore takes a very stringent approach concerning freedom of expression by giving priority to maintaining law and order. (ST, 17/8/24) He was referring to the riots that erupted, in no small measure, because social media users were speculating, in the absence of information from the police, that the 17-year-old boy who stabbed three young girls to death, is a Muslim immigrant (he isn’t an immigrant), stoking anti-immigration and anti-Muslim sentiments. He says that in Singapore, while freedom of speech is important, there is little tolerance for fake speech, racial or religious hate speech or speech that incites violence. Also, people who organize protests may have good intentions, but these are often hijacked by people who want to create violence. Thus, permits have to be obtained to safeguard law and order. It is the job of the government to maintain law and order and one can’t fault Mr Shanmugam doing his job zealously. But in outlawing fake speech and misinformation he is assuming that he and the government know everything. During the Covid pandemic, many social media postings that pointed out that the mRNA vaccines were not effective in preventing infections, that they were dangerous, that there were inexpensive and readily available alternatives to cure Covid, were censored. But it has now turned out that there is more than a grain of truth in what they were saying. By censoring them, the government had denied itself and society a portion of the truth and thereby were unable to make better decisions. To slightly veer off point, we now have extremely high excess deaths, we are also one of the highest mRNA vaccinated countries in the world, is there no correlation between the two? The point is, no one is infallible. The truth is out there, represented by different points of views, even opposing points of views. Only by debate, can we obtain a clearer picture of the truth. As said earlier, no one can fault Mr Shanmugam for doing his job, but he needs to be more positive and more ambitious and embark on a longer term endeavor whereby the end result is that we can all talk openly, even about sensitive topics, even about seeming untruths, even protesting calmly, without descending into chaos. Just by imposing draconian laws on freedom of expression to maintain law and order is not only setting the bar too low but is also tantamount to throwing out the baby with the bath water.   Foong Swee Fong    Read More →

Alas, Pritam should have let dead dogs lie. I am surprised that he is making a bid to have his case heard in the high court. His reason? His case is similar to Iswaran’s. After hearing his lawyer’s submission yesterday, Judge Hoo will give her decision on Sept 9. I would think this is a relatively straightforward case. Did he lie to COP or not? Did he tell her to bring her lie to the grave or come clean with parliament? I feel that one can distinguish his from Iswaran’s case. I will leave you to discern the differences as contended by Deputy AG Ang Cheng Hock. As the leader of the opposition, people look up to him for substance, and not effect, especially during such time. There is no doubt he has dedicated his life to make Singapore a better, fairer and wiser place. He is our alternative voice, and the political history of this little red dot will remember him and his team, especially his mentor Low Thia Khiang, for what they have done. We are imperfect being, perennially flawed. But the issue is not about admitting that. We say it to spruce up our image of being humble. The issue comes with a twist of that, and it is about how LESS imperfect we are as compared to others, especially when the target of our comparison are people we are running up against, like in a race, election or school exams. In other words, it’s about degree and comparison. There is a contest to that, a contest of self-conceit, hiding behind the hemline of humbleness. But isn’t that the real test of character, politican or otherwise? In that furnace of character building, do you just call a spade a spade or use it to dig ourselves even deeper? Whether Pritam has lied or not, let the courts decide. Most of us may have made up our mind, including me, but I don’t think it is necessary to air it on a higher plane. I really feel that a case like this can be resolved, as discreetly as possible, in the lower courts. Why fan the electoral flame when the fire can be better used elsewhere for deeper, more lasting, impact? Pritam affirmed in his affidavit that his case would “benefit from the stature of a High Court judge”. It reports that “according to him, High Court judges, who have security of tenure, are best placed to hear his case without being swayed by the political atmospherics that surround his matter.” I think he is overestating his matter. His case will be heard before a reasonably competent judge in the state courts. Whether high court judge has the security of tenure, that is not the reason for their impartiality. One would benefit from their experience, but this is not a case that is too complicated for judges in the state courts. We are not living in a dictator state, although some here may think I am naive. Well, at times, it’s better to be naive than over-paranoid. And the trial has been booked for a 16-day trial to suss out whether he had lied. Pritam has thus a wide berth to fully ventilate his evidence. Every accused has the right to be heard, so that justice is not only done, but seen to be done. But truth be told, perception is, at times, more important than the outcome; the shadow looms larger than the light. That is why the outcome is, at times, not always seen as fair, even if it is so. Tbh, that should be the end of it. If he wants to appeal, go ahead. It would be heard in the high court, and that’s a second bite of the judiciary’s cherry. After that, let’s move on - close one curveball chapter in his glowing political journey, and move on to the next much more fruitful chapter. Nobody is perfect. He at least did admit that he should have be more expeditious with disclosing Raeesah’s lie to parliament, but he explained he was being sensitive to her past experiences of being a victim herself. After all said, let me end with the farewell message of former WP members Loh Pei Ying and Yudhishthura Nathan. "We've both been with the party for nine years or more, and have been cadres since 2016. In these years, we've loved the party dearly, and contributed actively in many teams and departments, both grassroots and strategic. "We hold our memories of our time in the Workers' Party with fondness. We've made lifelong friends in each other, and with others along the way. "There are many good people in the rank and file of the Workers' Party who've dedicated their lives towards building a better Singapore. We hope they remember to keep the welfare of Singaporeans at the centre of all that they do." They have a point. That has always been WP’s focus. A focus for the betterment of Singapore. It is a good reminder for times like this.   Micheal Han  Read More →