TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent In an extensive interview with the Straits Times, former ISD detainee Dr Lim Hock Siew bared all about his tumultuous political career and detention for 19 years without trial under the repressive Internal Security Act (ISA). Dr Lim is the second longest political detainee in Singapore, the first being his fellow colleage from the opposition Barisan Sosialist Chia Thye Poh who was detained 32 years without trial. In March 1972, Dr Lim released a press statement (not published by the media) about his detention saying that he was asked to "concede something" by the ISD to "save" Lee Kuan Yew's face so that his long detention can be "justified". When the Straits Times asked the government for a response, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesman says: "Contrary to Lim Hock Siew's claims that he was an opposition politician carrying out 'legitimate and proper' activities through the democratic process, Dr Lim was in fact a prominent Communist United Front leader who, along with other CUF leaders, had planned and organised pro-communist activities in support of the Communist Party of Malaya, which employed terror and violence in their attempt to overthrow the elected governments of Singapore and Malaysia." [Source: Straits Times, 19 February 2010] MHA should substantiate its allegations with proof that Dr Lim is indeed a Communist United Front leader, if there is such a term in the first place. Thanks to the internet, we now know that Barisan Sosialist was never linked to the Communist Party of Malaya and neither are its leaders communists - the "Communist United Front" is only a figment of the PAP's imagination. According to declassified documents from the British National Archives, the “communist” threat was “played up” by Lee Kuan Yew who allegedly tried to persuade Lord Selkrik and then Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman to arrest several of his former political comrades including Ong Eng Guan who never belonged to the “leftist” camp under a joint operation by the Internal Security Council to give the impression that it was the federal government in Kuala Lumpur who ordered the arrests and not the PAP. Lord Selkrik wrote to his superiors in London imploring them not to listen to Lee: “Lee is probably very much attracted to the idea of destroying his political opponents. It should be remembered that there is behind all this a very personal aspect…he claims he wishes to put back in detention the very people who were released at his insistence – people who are intimate acquaintances, who have served in his government, and with whom there is a strong sense of political rivalry which transcends ideological differences.” [Source: British National Archives] It was further revealed in the book "The Fajar Generation" of which Dr Lim is a contributor that "the left-wing movement in Singapore had no connection with the communist underground and did not receive instructions from them and there was no evidence that the movement was organizing any violent campaign to frustrate Malaysia." In other words, there was absolutely no basis, legal or otherwise for the PAP government to detain key leaders of the Barisan Sosialist in 1962 on the grounds of them posing a security threat to the nation. MHA should reply to the latest revelations from the British declassified archives instead of plucking nothing out of thin air to malign Dr Lim Hock Siew again. Until then, Singaporeans will have to assume that what was published by the British archives is the truth and therefore the PAP owes Dr Lim Hock Siew and other former detainees for wrongfully detaining them for so many years.   Related articles: >> Temasek Review to kick-start political education for Singaporeans >> Interview with Dr Poh Soo Kai in Chinese by Merdeka Review >> Photo Gallery: Book launch of “The Fajar Generation” >> Interview with Dr Lim Hock Siew and Dr Poh Soo Kai >> Dr Lim Hock Siew on “immorality” of the political situation in Singapore today >> VIDEO: Dr Lim Hock Siew speaks of his detention >> Book launch: The Fajar Generation  Read More →

I refer to Friday’s report, “Fees for poly and ITE students going up in April”. In the report, it said that fee hike for foreigners are much higher than that for locals. However, majority of foreign students enrolled in local poly, university and ITE are not FULL-FEE PAYING students. Majority of them are receiving subsidy fee in return for a three to six years bond working in Singapore. Can we argue that the hike means foreigners are enjoying higher subsidy than locals? Can the Ministry of Education give a breakdown figure for full-fee paying Vs subsidy-fee paying foreign students?   Yours Sincerely,   Name: Tan Keng Hong (Mr.)  Read More →

作者:冬冬 我们可爱的许文远部长语重心长地劝请国人：“别奢望靠赌翻身致富。” 他给存有这种想法的人的一句忠告只有三个字：“一定输！”部长所持的理据是：赌场业者仅凭几张赌桌就能支持一个算几十忆的投资，这已经明显告诉我们没有人是可以赢得过赌场业者的。 许文远 (Khaw Boon Wan) 一定是患了老人痴呆症，在批准建设赌场时，列位囯家领导不是一再强调我们不是建赌场，我们是在建“综合渡假胜地”，赌场所占的重要性和比例不高？！？！？！怎么赌场都还未开张他就肯定赌场可凭那几张赌桌来赚回那几十个亿的投资？这不是在自打嘴巴，只顾耍嘴皮子不要脸吗？？？ 对于前后用了三年多打造的本地第一个综合度假胜地（IR）开放更多设施，李显龙总理前天受访时说：“祝他们最大的好运，发发发发！” 还是我们的李总理最老实，君子坦荡荡的祝贺人家（IR）发发发发！ 只是。。不过。。李总理好像也是当年强调我们不是在建赌场的囯家领导之一，希望是我头壳坏了记錯冤枉了好狼。 言归正传，既然几张赌桌就能撑起赌场的整片天，那遍布邻里的4D、多多还有最近大事扩张的赛马投注站是否將能顶起新加坡这片天呢？博彩公司和马场公司是否可以公布它们对新加坡経济所做的贡献呢？ 随着赌城的开赌，博彩和赛马公会是否应该功成退居二线，撒走在组屋区的投注站还国民一个较干净的居住环境？？？ 我们列位伟大的领导強调赌场要赚的是外国人的钱，从早报图片看在本地工作的中国朋友似乎很支持赌场，就不知领导们口中的外囯人包不包括那一百几十万在新加坡工作的外国人？ 新加坡人如果一时冲动要为祖囯做贡献，月头一发薪就往赌场为新加坡的繁荣昌盛献身，总还有三亲四友可以借几口饭吃，就怕那一百几十万在新加坡工作的‘外国人’也知恩图报往赌场奉献一份力，那下来那一个月生计将如何维持？他们绝大多数应当没有三亲四戚可以支援，那当然得随意向全体新加坡囯民暂借应急了！ 谨此奉劝亲爱的囯民们，往后如果有人借着器具扼住你的咽喉请你理解并支援他对赌城的奉献，千万要本着感谢他们对新加坡赌城经济的贡献给予支持。 且且记住：生命只有一次，钱财还可再来！ 来源：大马论坛  Read More →