Ex-ISD Director expressed thanks to Temasek Review
October 15th, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
The former Director of Singapore Internal Security Department (ISD) from 1971 to 1974 Mr Yoong Siew Wah has emailed Temasek Review thanking us for pointing out the factual inaccuracies in the SPH propagandist book about the PAP – “Men in White”.
In page 441 of the book, the authors insinuated that Mr Yoong was asked to quit from CPIB due to some impropriety on his part regarding a case involving Singapore’s ex-Solicitor General Mr Francis Seow.
It turned out that Mr Yoong was promoted to the director of ISD in 1971. As the director of CPIB then, he was duty-bound to investigate all formal complaints.
One of the authors of Men in White, Mr Richard Lim initially assured Mr Yoong that he would add a line after the sentence that he was also asked to quit to indicate that he was actually appointed Director ISD after his CPIB stint in future editions of the book in order to be” fair” to him.
After we had published an article on the case this Monday which was by nearly 10,000 readers already, SPH was forced to make a rare concession to Mr Yoong by promising to remove the disaparaging sentence altogether.
The Temasek Review just met up with Mr Yoong Siew Wah for tea in the morning and will be publishing our interview with him soon.
We are of the view that SPH must publish a clarification in the Straits Times about the factual error in the book – that Mr Yoong was not asked to quit from CPIB – he was promoted to head ISD.
The email below was published with permission from Mr Yoong:
Dear Temasek Review,
I must thank you for your wonderful support for my cause in
seeking justice from the hubristic Minister Mentor Lee Kuan
Yew.
Your presentation of my case was done so dramatically that
I could not help admiring your professionalism.
Richard Lim, one of the authors of the Men in White contacted me this
evening to say that, after consideration, he is removing the disparaging
sentence that I was also asked to quit from future editions instead of his
original plan.
I am really grateful to you for your very strong support.
Regards. Yoong Siew Wah
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Well done Temasek Review.
We need more credible news like that from u… in order to increase the creditibility of alternate media in Spore.
You have my full support!
Hi TR,
I don’t know if your interview with Mr Yoong has ended or not. If not, can you ask him if he thinks the ISA should be abolished and the ISD should be dismantled and offer a public apology to all the wrongful arrest the department has done to some of its victims?
sph afraid of being sued?
Dear Mr Yoong,
If you are given an inch don’t ask for one feet….especially from MR LKY. Your email to TR is filled with so much pent up hatred for LKY which for sure is not due to just the error in MIW and to continue to persist in seeking your agenda in TR is a foolish thing to do with no bookie willing to put an odds on u winning…
Way to go TR!
This is the power of the net. It goes to show that the main stream media no longer has the monopoly to dictate things in Singapore….
HAHA!
As precdicted, LKY will die die NEVER apologise but instead the authors kenna scapegoat liao.
Typical famiLEE style execution, who still blur blur work for the famiLEE and die first?
Mati-lah, famiLee!!
I would go a step further to suggest that SPH makes a pamphlet insertion on every unsold copy of the present print to highlight and draw attention to the reader of the factual error(s) in the book.
It is good that Mr Yoong has received, at least, some measure of justice.
Mr Yoong should be treated fairly. That is only right.
But now it is time for Mr Yoong to spare a thought for other Singaporeans. What about them? Fellow Singaporeans who had been unfairly treated, labelled, etc in decades past? In times when new technology/new media were not yet available to redress the balance?
Just like XISdTay who knows so much facts/inside stories – so Mr Yoong must also know a fair number of instances when Singaporeans (whether in govt service or not) were treated just like him, or perhaps worse?
Care to do his part? Care to make effective use of new technology/new media to “persuade” the govt to be reasonable in its dealings with people?
To Mr Yoong,
I admire your courage though you are already past 80 years old.
It seems you have much hatred towards Lee Kuan Yew. Are you able to shed some light and have the relevant information etched in history while you are still around?
Also I would like to ask if you were actively involved in the detention and interrogation of political detainees during your reign as ISD Director. Do you have anything to say about your work and the sufferings imposed on such detainees?
Thanks!
jedimaster @ Thu, 15th Oct 2009 1:46 pm
“If you are given an inch don’t ask for one feet….especially from MR LKY.”
What about his his salary, 750K not enough must ask for few million? Why would he not have hatred for LKY.
SO, you must be PAP IB, yes? Ha ha ha ha…… You mean you are not? OWN UP IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS!!
Mr Yoong has also kindly agreed to join Temasek Review as a guest columnist.
For those with questions, I find it more appropriate if readers can ask him directly when he ‘appears’?
CPIB = Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau
DPIB = Dirty PAP’s Internet Brigade
Bravo to Mr. Yoong for stepping out to clear your name and also not forgeting TR for a great job well done
1. Mr Yoong should consider legal measures against SPH – objective will be to log this as a actual case which can be referred to in the future. Damages will be awarded to Mr. Yoong.
2. Yes, this is a milestone for TR and there are not many documented successes like this previously. B4 we yahoo ourselves, please consider what I think TR has actually achieved.
a. As an Alternative Voice for Singaporeans – besides what we hear from what SPH wants (directly or indirectly from PAP)
b. Check and Balances – this is a success story in which the TR journalist exposed a glaring mistake and potentially defamatory issue in the now renowned MIW.
Please understand that there are implications here above and beyond redemption for Mr. Yoong.
Mr. Yoong’s magnanimity shows the trait of a true gentleman. Magnanimity has got no place in the dictionary of our top leaders. If a similar ’sin’ had been committed against them, chances are the ’sinner’ would have to run helter-skelter looking for the best lawyers in town (provided he can afford it and be lucky enough to get someone brave enough to represent him) or bid farewell to all his earthly possessions.
There is much to learn from this episode. By the way I have not seen any apology tendered to Mr. Yoong by the party directly responsible for this unfortunate incident.
Kudos to everyone involved in this. It is (unfortunately) unusual and most heartening to see an apology and amicable outcome to such a dispute.
Well done to Yoong Siew Wah for raising the issue in a measured and factual way, and to the Straits Times and Richard Lim and other authors for acknowledging the error and graciously apologising.
A good example of how rejecting kiasuism can reflect well on all involved.
Tan Boon Teik was very fierce. His PA was Mrs Thaver, another fierce lady. Goh Phai Cheng was ok, Lawrence Ang ok, Mr S Tiwari ok, Jeffery Chan ok, Fong Kwok Jen ok, P Ramoo ok…. ok
Do you know Janis Woon is married to ……. ?
Janis Woon is the deputy registrar with the Family Court. Her husband is none other than our Attorney-Gen. Walter Woon.
Their sons also very promising. Alexander Joseph Woon, is a President Scholar and be reading law in Cambridge University. His twin brother, Andrian, will be joining him at Cambridge too.
The entire family talk nothing but law on the dinner table I think.
Well done Temasek Review for exposing this Singapore Watergate.