The Kangaroos and The Shoes

How often do we know a Singaporean who is not Kiasu, Kiasi or Kia Chenghu (Fear of Loss, Fear of Death and Fear of the Government)?

20-year-old Muhammad Shafi'ie Syahmi Bin Sariman and Isrizal Bin Mohamed Isa were sentenced to seven days' jail, while Tan Liang Joo John received 15 days imprisonment. They were each ordered to pay S$5,000 in costs.

Their crime: Contempt of court for wearing a funny T-shirt with a kangaroo on it.

I understand that Shafi'ie and Isrizal will be out of jail on Thursday at 9.30am, 18 Dec 2008.

From the comments I read in TOC, I'm saddened by some who denigrate and call Shafi'ie an irresponsible fool for what he did.

For putting his money, his time and and seven days of his life where his mouth is, I salute this young man for his courage and integrity, honour and steadfastness in not selling out.

Chia Thye Poh, Zaid Zahari, Lim Hock Siew, JB Jeyaratnam (God bless his soul), Francis Seow, Tang Liang Hong and Chee Soon Juan have all paid the price too.

Funny how our laws work.

We know that "bully kechil" is still alive and well when Shafi'ie and his 2 friends are incarcerated for contempt when the stink and sting on Singapore by the International Bar Association is quietly forgotten because it's tough to "bully besar"! Why use the knuckle dusters on local boys and not the big legal boys?

As to why Shafi'ie, Isrizal and John have to go to jail, please visit Singapore Rebel Martyn See's blog or http://www.yoursdp.org/ Please listen or read the transcripts of the court proceedings, after which you can decide: Are there kangaroos in Singapore courts or are there judges in Singapore zoo?


Though what Shafi'ie did is not as soul-sole-searching as Muntazer al-Zaidi aka Muntadar al-Zaidi (link here), Shafi'ie has shown that the Singapore Pledge as in DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE and EQUALITY means more to him than simply reciting the Pledge in schools or parade squares in army camps!

Muntazer al-Zaidi tore off his shoes and flung them at Mr Bush as he stood beside Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, during a press conference in Baghdad's Green Zone yesterday.

"This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq," he shouted before being overpowered by security guards and bundled out of the room.

I hope the cluster bombs that created widows, orphans and innocent dead Iraqis did not come from Singapore factories.

Money crazed $ingapore with its dear leaders are always out to make and accumulate more money but do we have to kill and maim innocent Iraqis to make more?

No matter how blessed we are, we will reap what we sow.

feedmetothefish