Gopalan Nair described Shanmugan’s speech as similiar to one made by Hitler
From our Correspondent
Former Singapore lawyer Gopalan Nair had poured scorn on Singapore Law Minister Shanmugan’s speech at the recently concluded meeting of the New York State Bar Association International Section.
Describing Mr Shanmugan’s speech as a “total flop”, Mr Nair ridiculed it as a “history lesson” on Singapore from 1959 till now.
“Another man in history could have made an identical speech, and that was Adolf Hitler. He too could have rightfully said that in 1920s Germany was in shambles, the Reich Mark was worthless etc etc, and look at us today in 1938, the strongest country in Europe. And so what? It doesn’t prove anything.” he wrote.
Mr Nair also accused Mr Shanmugam for trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes by arguing that Singapore criminal defendants are allowed legal representation just like American defendants. He used the example of his own incarceration to debunk Mr Shanmugan’s arguments.
Mr Nair was arrested on 31 May 2008 in Singapore for a blog posting critical of Singapore judge Belinda Ang. According to him, he was kept in solitary confinement at Central Police Station for 14 days or so during which he was repeatedly interrogated both day and night with all sorts of “threats and inducements” such as the threat of extending his stay in confinement unless he co-operated.
“Numerous statements were taken from me day and night and at each time I was asked to state that there were no threats or inducement even though there was clearly a threat to extend my confinement and further threats that I would be charged under the Sedition Act which meant I could spend 3 years in jail.
During this entire time, my lawyer was not permitted to see me and I had no legal representation whatsoever. As I was a lawyer and I believed in my rights, I was able to withstand their torture, and their denying me a right to legal representation. Had I been any other person, I would have confessed to anything they wanted just to be released from solitary confinement,” he said.
Mr Gopalan Nair was subsequently jailed for 3 months. His case was quoted by U.S. NGO Freedom House as a reason for giving Singapore a poor ranking in human rights and political freedoms.
Mr Shanmugan had been trying hard for the past few days trying to convince a sceptical American audience that Singapore is not a “repressive” state as made out by some western media and NGOs.
Unfortunately, it appears that his efforts had gone down the drain judging from the lukewarm response from the delegates.
When asked by the state media about his thoughts on Mr Shanmugam’s speech, steering committee member James P. Duffy III said:
“While not everything we learnt would fit comfortably with some important Western values, we are at the beginning of what we expect will be a long and fruitful dialogue with people whom we respect and want to know and understand better.”
This is the American way of saying:
“We respectfully agree to disagree.”
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janetnt on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 1:06 pm
This is a very misleading title. there is no comparison to a past speech made by Hitler as the title would had suggested. Gopalan Nair simply made a person imagination that Hitler could be someone who would say the same thing and made no supporting argument to why he think so. Next the argument go to how he was question when arrested which don’t relate to the title at all.
I tot only wanbao use such trick of misleading title to get ppl to buy. I see TR using the same trick to get ppl to click. What different are you?
Dane on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 2:10 pm
agree with janetnt
Dicker on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 2:24 pm
Misleading?? When is the last time you read Shit times? This is really nothing compare to the shit they try to brain wash the people everyday on the State control media.
wat? on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 4:10 pm
i agree. was expecting something else from this article.
admin on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 4:27 pm
Hi janetnt,
Please read Mr Gopalan’s entire article on http://www.singaporedissident.blogspot.com.
The gist of it is: there are similarities between the two speeches: Shanmugan kept reminding the audience how poor Singapore is in the 1960s akin to Hitler telling the Germans how bad Germany was in the 1920s.
If you still do not get it, you can email Mr Gopalan and ask him in person what he meant exactly.
indexer on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 6:14 pm
Score one for Godwin’s Law.
BryanT on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 7:42 pm
Oh yes, the inimitable Gopalan Nair, the one everyone loves to ignore (except perhaps TR) and from whom even SDP tries to disassociate, despite a vast dose of toadyism thrown at SDP and CSJ.
He who is the one implore us to flee from this godforsaken country (after he was literally kicked out, limpy tail between his stocky legs), because he thinks those staying behind (and that means you and I) are the apathetic, half-witted dingbats.
I proposed him as the next guest for SDP’s “Let’s Talk” programme, since he would be coming by to pay the demented nation a visit. He is due to settle some accounts with the Law Tribunal. But I get the feeling that SDP would rather put in several eons between themselves and Mr Nair.
I suggest we leave Mr Nair to wallow in his morose ramblings in his favourite burrow in the the land of the free and the home of the brave.
janetnt on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 9:20 pm
Dear admin,
I have not read the blog and will do so only later. I think u miss the point, when we reader click on the link and read this article, we expect to see the reason behind the title, not having to dig thru Nair’s blog, which isnt even linked, to read something else first.
IN that I will say you have fail.
janetnt on Sat, 31st Oct 2009 9:22 pm
Dear Dicker,
I am not saying ST is good, in fact, i said SPH’s other papers is fond of doing this kind of thing as well. What i am saying is that as things are turning out, TR is not far behind them.
BEN TAN on Sun, 1st Nov 2009 1:03 am
It is because we are losing ‘ talents ‘ like Gopalan Nair and many others like him that the PAP has to replace them with more PRS. Hope they stay happily in their new-found lands and not to return to be found drunk and brawling with police officers in the land of ‘restricted freedom’
knnbccb on Sun, 1st Nov 2009 3:13 am
Why be so harsh on Mr Shanmugam? He was merely being an obedient little pro-establishment doggie, and hopes his masters throw him a bigger bone next time.
Oh, and Hitler was a brilliant orator. Nice back-handed compliment.
fpc on Sun, 1st Nov 2009 3:22 am
the technique of lky 2:
1. get the opposing force to vote him pretending that you’ll be served.
2. break up the group once election is over.
happened to cheng san.
will try to do the same to internet dissidents.
dont give me another chance
dickie cumalot on Sun, 1st Nov 2009 7:56 am
gopalan nair chose to become an american in 2004, & has spent the last 5 years running down my country (however flawed it is). much as other political exiles may deserve sympathy, he’s definitely not one & doesn’t deserve any. your correspondent is either dumb or in cahoots with this rascal of a mercenary.
CPT on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 12:46 pm
I think calling the law minister a hitler is too extreme. As you know he work for mm lky team. He has to try all means to defend mm lky team policy.
milo on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 4:05 am
Oh yes, the wacko BryanT, the clown everyone laughs at on the SDP website which he’s been ordered by his masters to haunt 24/7. No one is more blind, deaf and dumb where garmen policy is concerned than this pathetic PAP lackey.
He’s pulled up time and again for making ludicrous unsubstantiated remarks and asked to explain himself (like here for instance: http://uk.asiancorrespondent.com/secret-blog/2009/09/chee-soon-juan-charged-for-speaking-in.html) and guess what, he can’t reply because he’s ‘going on holiday’ would you believe.
Look no further if you need a text-book example of a half-witted dingbat toady.