THE TEMASEK REVIEW

From our Correspondent

Singapore’s octagenarian leader MM Lee Kuan Yew is in the news again two days after a photo of him and U.S. President Barack Obama was splashed across the front pages of the Singapore newspapers.

Asked during an interview with the PAP propaganda mouthpiece Petir on how Singapore will change when he leaves politics, Lee answered in a detached manner:

“Singapore politics will change, but not because I leave politics. It will happen because of significant changes in Singapore’s economic and social conditions.”

At 86 years of age, Lee must be one of the longest-serving parliamentarian in the world. Since winning his seat in Tanjong Pagar in 1955, Lee has been a MP for 54 years and as Singapore’s first Prime Minister for 25 years.

Lee ruled Singapore with an iron-fist during his reign. Political opponents were detained under the draconian ISD on charges on being “suspected” communists during the early days of Singapore while defamation lawsuits became the his favored “cul de sac” from 1980s onwards.

Singapore politics had been tainted by its litigious nature and numerous defamation lawsuits and it continue to deter aspiring young men and women from participating actively in politics so long as Lee remains involved.

Over the years, Lee had launched over 20 defamation lawsuits against his political opponents and critics and has never lost a single one in a Singapore court. A suit he filed against former Singapore President Devan Nair was thrown out of the Canadian court.

This unsavory fact was mentioned by an American lawyer during the recently ended meeting of the New York State Bar Association International Section much to the embarrassment of Singapore Law Minister Shanmugam.

The International Bar Association Human Rights Institute gave a damning indictment on the use of defamation lawsuits by PAP leaders to cripple the opposition in a comprehensive report released in 2008. (Download the report here)

During his observation of a case involving the late opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam, Queen Counsel Stuart Littlemore was provided with a list of all defamation actions heard to completion between 1959 and 1997:

[Source: IBAHI Report on Singapore, page 60]

As we can see from above, it is evident that in just six cases, PAP officials have been awarded over S$9 million in damages. This excludes those cases settled out of court.

Lee’s “penchant” for suing his opponents did not decrease with his age. During the last general elections in 2006, he sued the Singapore Democratic Party led by Dr Chee Soon Juan for an article in its newsletter which was alleged to be “defamatory” to the Singapore government.

Lee and his son were awarded by Judge Belinda Ang damages of more than S$600,000 via a summary judgement without the case going even to trial. The defendants were assumed guilty by “default”.

Though PAP leaders have always justified legal action on the grounds that they have to defend their reputations and integrity, the astronomical sums awarded inevitably send chills down the spines of most Singaporeans, who dare not comment on political issues in public.

Unless Lee leaves politics for good, Singapore politics will never change and remain adverserial and litigious in nature which will have a detrimental impact on its political development in the long run.

With the next elections due in 2012, Lee has not yet indicated if he will step down by then.

It is highly likely that he will relish the opportunity to continue “serving” Singapore for another 5-year term if his health permits.

As Lee’s successor Goh Chok Tong once said in Hokkien – “Pak4 See4 Bei1 Chao4″, Singaporeans will have no choice but to wait for Nature to “retire” him from politics forever.

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