SDP - Government must stop legal action against citizens

[Cosmos10]

Government must stop legal action against citizens

Added on: Friday, 6 December 2013

by the Singapore Democrats

Protecting our political rights is also necessary to protect our economic rights – without the former, we cannot have the latter. It is the inability of the people to speak up all these decades that has caused our healthcare, housing, wage, and population policies to become so skewed against the interests of Singaporeans.

The SDP repeats its call for the Government to stop taking legal action against citizens, starting with the cessation of proceedings against Mr Au. Singapore desperately needs a new start to our political system.

http://yoursdp.org/news/2013-12-06-5747

 

[Cosmos10]

Government must stop legal action against citizens

http://yoursdp.org/news/2013-12-06-5747

The recent spate of legal action or threats of legal action against activists and bloggers signal that despite its promises to change, the PAP has remained largely unreformed.

During the last general elections, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed contrition for "mistakes" his administration made. Mr George Yeo admitted that Singaporeans resented the Government and said that the PAP had to change its ways.

But that was then when the PAP was trying to shore up its vote count prior to polling day. A couple of years after the elections, the party is back to its old ways, taking citizens to court and threatening them with punitive action when criticisms are levelled at the Government.

Ms Han Hui Hui was sued by the Council of Private Education (although the suit was later rescinded), cartoonist Leslie Chew was cited for contempt of court, and filmmaker Lynn Lee was harrassed by the police and threatened with prosecution for her reporting.

Most recently, political commentator Mr Alex Au was charged with scandalising the court. This is not the first time that Mr Au has been threatened witb legal action.

The PAP must realise that criticisms of the government and its policies are not a bad thing. In fact, they are necessary feedback for the system (and, therefore, society) to improve. To silence civil society and its actors is to cripple the feedback mechanism that keeps a healthy check on government.

Such freedom of expression is not only a fundamental right and important in itself, but it is also a necessity where creative impulses are encouraged in order to develop a vibrant society. It is the key to Singapore graduating to a higher phase of economic development.

Without an innovative culture, we cannot get out from the low-wage, MNC-dependent economic model and move on to a higher, ideas-driven economic paradigm.

It is unfortunate that the PAP Government refuses to accept this fact. The danger is that its continued unenlightened approach towards governance will cause Singapore to become less and less competitive. Ultimately, it is ordinary Singaporeans who will will suffer the most.

Protecting our political rights is also necessary to protect our economic rights – without the former, we cannot have the latter. It is the inability of the people to speak up all these decades that has caused our healthcare, housing, wage, and population policies to become so skewed against the interests of Singaporeans.

The SDP repeats its call for the Government to stop taking legal action against citizens, starting with the cessation of proceedings against Mr Au. Singapore desperately needs a new start to our political system.

 

[tanwahp]

Would you mind consolidating SDP threads into one thread. We should avoid having a column for one political party. only.

 

[kingrant]

To demand that the govt stop legal action against citizens is in my opinion going too far. Govt can and should sue if it felt the accusations are false and damage the integrity of our institutions. However, the govt is obligated to keep its judicial process transparent so that citizens will not resort to speculation as whether the govt is trying to fix its detractors through the judiciary. Time and again, this has happened, but time and again, the govt has not felt it necessary to explain why certain rulings are withheld, why certain dates are rearranged, delayed or fast forward. As they say, justice must not be served, but seen to be served. Keeping the system opaque only invites speculation, and knowing this govt too well, it never plays fair all the time. So how does anyone know how far to query when the govt does not respect citizens right to know.

 

[PoliticalDialogue]

Government must stop legal action against citizens

Added on: Friday, 6 December 2013

by the Singapore Democrats

Protecting our political rights is also necessary to protect our economic rights – without the former, we cannot have the latter. It is the inability of the people to speak up all these decades that has caused our healthcare, housing, wage, and population policies to become so skewed against the interests of Singaporeans.

The SDP repeats its call for the Government to stop taking legal action against citizens, starting with the cessation of proceedings against Mr Au. Singapore desperately needs a new start to our political system.

http://yoursdp.org/news/2013-12-06-5747

If I am not mistaken, Dr Chee did not put his name to the petition signed by the 170 plus persons in support of AA even if some other SDP members did so. Now, however, SDP (i.e., Dr Chee) comes out with this statement. It is a bit curious. The question that then naturally pops into my mind is whether there was some pressure on SDP/CSJ to come up with the statement after Dr Chee did not sign the initial petition? In fact when I saw Dr Chee's name not on the petition I thought it was a further indication that he was taking the SDP more to the centre of politics and beginning to disassociate itself from human rights issues while focusing more on bread-and-butter concerns. Evidently this is not the case.

 

[tanwahp]

If I am not mistaken, Dr Chee did not put his name to the petition signed by the 170 plus persons in support of AA even if some other SDP members did so. Now, however, SDP (i.e., Dr Chee) comes out with this statement. It is a bit curious. The question that then naturally pops into my mind is whether there was some pressure on SDP/CSJ to come up with the statement after Dr Chee did not sign the initial petition? In fact when I saw Dr Chee's name not on the petition I thought it was a further indication that he was taking the SDP more to the centre of politics and beginning to disassociate itself from human rights issues while focusing more on bread-and-butter concerns. Evidently this is not the case.

I don't think we can conclude that Chee hesitated to make a stand in this issue. I also do not see other names in the list such as Catherine Lim, Richard Wan (TRE), Remy Choo (TOC), Jeannette or Nicole (NSP). Maybe the petition didn't get to everyone.

 

[methink]

If I am not mistaken, Dr Chee did not put his name to the petition signed by the 170 plus persons in support of AA even if some other SDP members did so. Now, however, SDP (i.e., Dr Chee) comes out with this statement. It is a bit curious. The question that then naturally pops into my mind is whether there was some pressure on SDP/CSJ to come up with the statement after Dr Chee did not sign the initial petition? In fact when I saw Dr Chee's name not on the petition I thought it was a further indication that he was taking the SDP more to the centre of politics and beginning to disassociate itself from human rights issues while focusing more on bread-and-butter concerns. Evidently this is not the case.

Alex Au have been keeping good and cordial ties with the SDP for many years now. He had been hitting out at issues close to the idealogy of the SDP. Now that he maybe in trouble with the law, Dr Chee would not want to jeopardise his good friend by putting his name on the petition.

Dissociating himself from the petition is the most sensible thing to do in the hope the authorities may relent. But now that it is obvious they are pressing ahead to charge Alex, Dr Chee feels there is no further need to keep away but to come out in the open for him.

This is what good friends will do for each other when trouble strikes. Stay out of the picture if it can diffuse the situation. If all else failed, come out openly and defend the cause.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

I don't think we can conclude that Chee hesitated to make a stand in this issue. I also do not see other names in the list such as Catherine Lim, Richard Wan (TRE), Remy Choo (TOC), Jeannette or Nicole (NSP). Maybe the petition didn't get to everyone.

Remy Choo can't sign because he's representing.