TR EMERITUS

That's the title of a collection of brief accounts written by ex-detainees of the Marxist arrests in 1987 by the Internal Security Department. It is a thin book that one should be able to finish reading in a couple of hours. However, it took me three days to complete it. It wasn't that I had to plod through it and it certainly was not that the accounts were dull. It was more because after almost each chapter, I found it difficult to move on for the experiences suffered by the detainees were heart-wrenching. It was not easy to read about how some of my fellow Singaporeans were used, bullied and persecuted by our own Government. I have met two of the detainees who contributed to this book. Vincent Cheng and Kevin de Souza. Both men exude sincerity and humbleness. Although there is no hint of bitterness when he spoke to me about his experiences under detention, Vincent Cheng writes in his chapter, I still feel angry at the injustice of the whole incident, and that the perpetrators have not been brought to account. 'Operation Spectrum' was political rape. I cannot forget nor forgive, the harsh treatment meted out to me in prison to extract information – the freezing room, the slapping and the beatings, including the blow to my abdomen. He goes on to say “Victims of injustice must not give up the fight to regain their dignity. I believe that forgiveness and letting go is genuine and meaningful only when justice has been, or is seen to have been, done.” Mr Cheng speaks on a topic close to my heart – justice. The main motivation for his involvement with helping the oppressed and the poor in Singapore then. He articulates my very thoughts and feelings when he says, “Working for justice necessarily calls for involvement in public life, in 'politics'...Advocacy is an integral ingredient of justice, and this makes the questioning and restructuring of public policies a necessity, even if the authorities do not appreciate it.” These words concisely sum up why some of us, the SDP and our Friends, have chosen to stand up to the PAP Government despite the charges, trials, jail terms and bankruptcies meted out against us. When Mr Lee Hsien Loong, who was the deputy prime minister, he said this about the re-arrest of the alleged Marxist conspirators. “The Government does not ill-treat detainees. It does however apply psychological pressure to detainees to get the truth of the matter.” This directly contradicts Mr Cheng's account of the beating he received at the hands of his captors. Who is telling the truth? Another detainee, Ms Tang Lay Lee, provides another account of her torture: “Are you a Marxist?” “No. I'm a Catholic.” PIAK! (Detaniee was slapped) “Are you a Marxist??” “No. I'm a Catholic.” PIAK! “Are you a Marxist???” “No. I'm a Catholic.” PIAK! PIAK! “Are you instigating workers??” “No. I'm helping workers.” PIAK! In his chapter, Kevin de Souza writes, The period of detention turned out to be the most traumatic years of my life – the strip search, the blindfolds, the interrogations in cold rooms, the sleep deprivation, the television interviews, the slaps on the face, the tree-legged chair I was forced to balance...the solitary confinement and, most of all the fear of the long-term incarceration without trial. Either Mr Lee Hsien Loong had no idea what the ISD was doing to its detainees or he was lying through his teeth. These extracts may be frightening to those who are already afraid. But for those who are tired of the bullying and the lies perpetuated by this Government, this compressed book offers us hope and encouragement to stand up to injustice and oppression in our own country. Christina Tseng, an associate and friend of several of the detainees, writes at the end of her chapter, The Kingdom of Heaven is not just about what will happen after we are gone from this earth. It begins with what we do on earth. I believe if more people work towards a better society, if we are motivated by love, justice, peace and compassion, and cared more about the environment, more people will certainly start to experience heaven on earth. I hope this event can help younger Singaporeans appreciate how we can all play a pert in building a better society, whether we are Christian, Muslim or of other faiths. I have drawn encouragement from the authors of this book. What each of them had gone through gives me strength to continue with my work and struggle for freedom, transparency, dignity and rights for my fellow Singaporeans.   Chee Siok Chin ABOUT THE BOOK In 1987, twenty-two Singaporeans were arrested under the Internal Security Act of Singapore. The government alleged that the detainees were part of a Marxist conspiracy aimed at subverting the existing social and political system in Singapore. Among those arrested were professionals, students and, workers from the Catholic Church in Singapore. The protests from the detainees and the international community to these arrests were unprecedented. Over three years, all the detainees were released, most with Restriction Orders imposed. Twenty one years later today, some of the ex-detainees from the Catholic Church groups recount together with family and friends, their experience of those tumultuous years. They speak tenderly of the warm support from people and organisations. They share their motivations for their work, the beliefs they held and childhood events that built their character and perspectives. They agonise over the effects the arbitrary arrests had on them long after their release, permeating to the lives of their children, extended family and friends. And with quiet strength, they re-affirm their desire even through those dark days, to continue to "...love tenderly, to act justly and to walk humbly with the Lord, our God." The book is available at: http://ethosbooks.com.sg/store/mli_viewItem.asp?idProduct=223  Read More →

From our Correspondent A photo of a Chinese flat hung from a HDB block is making round in Singapore's internet chatrooms, sparking interesting discussions among netizens: China celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on 1 October 2009. An ostentatious display of military might was held at Tian'anmen Square in the heart of Beijing to commemorate 60 years of Communist Party rule. Boliao wrote with a tongue in the cheek: "Depending on the date, you will see a Malaysian flag on his right, a Philippines flag on left, an Indian flag on top and a Vietnamese flag below..." Sotongmee exclaimed: "Call the ISD and police to arrest the commies being holed up in the HDB flat displaying communist flag!" Nice-Gook wondered what's the big hooha about the photo: "This is silly. Bank of China display its flag all the time.Many in US waved China flag during the tour of Beijing Olympic.If you are a PRC national.What is wrong in showing your loyalty? Just because Sinkies are ashamed to fly their own flag we should not assume others are too." Enfield wondered if Singaporeans are as patriotic as the Chinese: "He is proud of his country, the question is, are we? He don't need reminder from grassroots leaders to hang SG flags on HDB for show, he dare to express his loyalty and pride of his Motherland." Large numbers of Chinese from mainland China have come to Singapore in recent years to live, study and work. Last year, there are over 90,000 PRs and 20,000 new citizens, out of which a substantial proportion are mainland Chinese. It is not known which provinces these newcomers are from. It appears that many of them are from the poorer inland provinces like Hunan, Hubei, Liaoning, Sichuan and Wuhan who take up unskilled and semi-skilled jobs which can easily be filled by locals. Chinese from the more affluent cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are less often seen in Singapore. Perhaps they prefer to emigrate to better destinations like Australia, Canada and the United States.  Read More →

From our Correspondent Embattled former Miss Singapore World Ris Low may be facing more woes should the organizers of the beauty pageant, ERM World decides to take legal action against her. Miss Low was forced to give up her crown following revelation in the press of her past conviction for credit card fraud. However, according to a spokesman from the Attorney-Chambers, if a convicted person is put on probation for a certain period and completes it without breaching any requirement of the probation order, he or she would not have a criminal record. Even so, Miss Low's position had become untenable with the negative publicity whipped up by the state media and the public backlash from Singaporeans critical of her English proficiency. According to a lawyer Mr Anthony Soh, the pageant organisers could potentially take legal action against her if she had signed a contract agreeing to abide by the terms and conditions. Said Mr Soh: “If these terms are in the contract, then what (she) did could be a breach of contract.” He added that even if there was no contractual agreement between her and the pageant organisers, the organisers could argue that she had been fraudulent by misrepresenting herself. ERM World has been supportive of Miss Low so far. Its spokesman said: “Ris Low was determined, well-behaved and performed well throughout the two-month competition and even went on to win eight special awards. This is not an easy task to accomplish from a group of 22 contestants.” Meanwhile, Ris Low’s replacement may be more difficult than expected. First runner-up Claire Lee, who would have been the logical successor to take over the Miss Singapore World crown, may not be able to represent Singapore even if she is asked to. The 23-year-old fell on Monday and hurt her lower back. She has an existing back problem. ERM World said it would be interviewing a new winner to represent Singapore at the Miss World 2009 pageant in South Africa in December.   Our political correspondent's take on the matter which was published in the Straits Times Forum on 3 October 2009: MR BHASKARAN KUNJU: 'It is a shame that a 19-year-old teenager like Miss Ris Low had to endure such a traumatic experience ('Who will represent Singapore now?' Wednesday) when the burden of responsibility should have been shouldered by the organiser, ERM World Marketing. How could she have won the pageant in the first place? It may be convenient to blame poor response or negative perception of beauty pageants for the indifferent pool of contestants. But could the real reasons be poor organisation and lack of transparency in selecting winners? Singapore Press Holdings' New Face contest has no shortage of eager contestants who are younger, and far more eloquent and attractive. Perhaps the difference lies in New Face's transparent process. I feel sorry for Miss Low. The Miss World pageant may be a lightweight event but the contestant represents Singapore globally. When the nation's reputation is at stake, the organiser must exercise due diligence in picking a capable representative.'  Read More →