<table class="cf gJ" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="gF gK"><table class="cf gJ" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr class="UszGxc"><td class="gG">from</td><td colspan="2" class="gL">
		
		
	
	
BT Kojak <
[email protected]></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="gG">to</td><td colspan="2" class="gL">
[email protected]
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="gG">cc</td><td colspan="2" class="gL">
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]
</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="gG">date</td><td colspan="2" class="gL">
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 6:58 PM</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="gG">subject</td><td colspan="2" class="gL">
Concerns of netizens who criticise YOG</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="gG">mailed-by</td><td colspan="2" class="gL">
gmail.com</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">
</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="gH">hide details 6:58 PM (0 minutes ago) 
</td><td class="gH cY8xve">
</td></tr></tbody></table>Dear Vivian,
We're  concerned by the recent arrest of Mr Malik for “inciting violence and  public disorder” by the Singapore police (Bedok Division).
Mr  Malik has posted comments on facebook criticising the organizing and  management of YOG. According to the New Paper, Mr Malik posted a comment  saying that the mismanagement of YOG, including budget overrun and a  host of other issues showed that it was time to “burn” you, the minister  and the PAP. The "incriminating" sentence was immediately followed by  the next line asking the people to rally together and vote the PAP out.  These are the original sentences who got Mr Malik into trouble with the  police:
"This is the time for us to burn Vivian Balakrishnan and the PAP!!!!! Rally together and vote them out!!!"
Now, you can physically burn a person but how are you supposed to burn a   political party? Moving to the next sentence, "Rally  together and vote them out!!!", he was clearly qualifying his previous  "burn" remark by asking the citizens to vote PAP out. Hence, reading  both sentences together, the meaning of the word "burn" becomes  clearer. It's referring to burning as in the idiom, "burning someone at  the stake". Figuratively, it means "to chastise or denounce someone  severely or excessively" (
http://idioms.<wbr>thefreedictionary.com/burn+at+<wbr>the+stake).
In short, it's clear to most people who have passed their GCE 'O'  level English that Mr Malik was speaking metaphorically when he used the  word "burn". I'm puzzled that the person who reported this to the  police cannot understand simple English?
More critically to the netizens, we know that from the papers, you  weren't the one who reported Mr Malik to the police. According to a  Temasek Review article, Mr Malik said that it was actually the  investigating officer (IO) who lodged  the report leading to his arrest. If this is true, how can the police  arrest any law-abiding citizens as they like just because the police  doesn't like the language one uses or the way one criticises the Govt's  handling of events like the YOG? Malik's arrest is on flimsy ground at  best, given the lack of concrete evidence that a crime has  been truly committed.
 The Singapore police must be held  accountable to its actions. It is not above the law. The primary duty of  law-enforcers is to protect citizens from criminals and NOT shield the  PAP leaders from criticisms. Today, it is Mr Malik who was arrested  for criticizing the Govt. Tomorrow, it may happen to someone else!
Also, even if Mr Malik is not charged in court in the end, his personal  life  and work will surely be affected by the ongoing police investigations  which sometimes take years to conclude, if ever. Who will compensate Mr  Malik and his family for their emotional trauma, anguish and suffering?  What if Mr Malik is sacked by his boss because of his arrest? And if he  is subsequently not charged in court, will the Singapore police  compensate him for the loss of income? In addition to the sufferings of  Mr Malik, this arrest has damaged Singapore’s international reputation  as well and reinforced Singapore's image as a repressive police state  intolerant of the slightest  criticism and dissent.
In short, I think the Singapore police and the Govt should explain the  arrest of Mr Malik to the public so as to calm public concerns. Looking forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Kojakbt