Why So Much Contempt?

The Singapore government rebuts WSJ editorial on ruling.

"We do not fear or stifle criticism of our policies. But we will not allow our judiciary to be denigrated under the pretence of free speech", said Singapore's Ambassador to the United States, Professor Chan Heng Chee, reported Straits Times of 5 Dec 2008.

After reading the article by Zakir Hussain, I think those clever people in Wall Street Journal and Dr Chee Soon Juan and company just don't get it. Even those learned lawyers of International Bar Association who wrote "Prosperity versus individual rights? Human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Singapore in their Human Rights Institute Report of July 2008".

They simply don't get it!

I mean, hey, Singapore is unique. Which other country does or has the following?

• We ban chewing gum
• We are so proud of our one-party system, we make a song and dance of it
  
• By not stifling criticisms, we sue the pants off politicians and make them financially bankrupt. Funny, though bankrupted, Mr JB Jeyaratnam (God bless his soul) held his head high morally. Dr Chee Soon Juan, though called many names, is still fighting for civil rights in Singapore with much support from those who dare.
  
• By not stifling critisms, we throw 3 wearers of funny kangaroo T-shirt to jail
  
• We have so much money and reserves in so many departments and statutory boards that our Town Councils can throw some at toxic minibonds and high notes of do-re-mi or 1-2-3 and say that we should be grateful that they are doing us a favour
  
• We get a good "bargain" when we pay ministers millions so that our womenfolk do not have to work as maids in other countries
• We have COE; ECP; LTA; HDB; CPF; etc and, of course, PAP!
• We have unique "inside & outside" law like this interesting one that baffles me till this day
  

So who's denigrating who?

Who's contemptible?

I'm not sure if we have kangaroos in our zoo but we sure have judges in our courts!

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