6/03/2014

Roy Ngerng – More than $70,000 raised in 4 days

This episode started out as a defamation suit by Hsien Loong against blogger Roy Ngerng. To Hsien Loong and his legal counsel, Davinder Singh, it was just a simple case of one person claimed to be wrong and seeking recourse in the courts of law.

Roy Ngerng knew he could not afford the hefty legal fees and sought help from the people. The ferocity and speed that Singaporeans rushed forward to stuff money into Roy’s hands to pay for his legal fees are telling a different story. It is no longer a legal tussle between the Prime Minister and a young blogger. This is looking like the Prime Minister taking on a blogger who is backed by people that did not like what was happening and what they saw. They knew that Roy would not stand a chance against Hsien Loong in this case. They knew that Roy would lose but that did not deter them from throwing their money behind Roy. They knew the money would not win Roy the case. But this is not about winning or losing in the courts of law.

This is no longer about David and Goliath. This is about social justice and more. This is about the CPF money of the people and the ever increasing minimum sums and when they are able to get their money back. It could also be about a people losing faith in the PAP Govt and its style of politics.

Hsien Loong would win the defamation suit hands down and could claim all the monetary compensation he wants. But there is a very heavy price to pay for it. The people are going to bankroll Roy and would pay for his legal fees as well as the damages demanded. There are enough people with Roy, and you can even say against the Govt. A legal victory for Hsien Loong could result in irreparable political damages to him and the PAP that would not be easily undone. It could deal a fatal blow to him and the PAP’s chances of winning the next GE. As a political observer, I think this development is very serious, like a spontaneous uprising, and would affect the fate and viability of the PAP as the next Govt. The lid of oppression has been lifted.

Can anyone feel the ground shaken, like the shift of the tectonic plate? Never in Singapore’s political history since independence had the people been so united, so committed to a cause, to close rank behind a single citizen on the wrong side of the political equation. In the past, such individuals were left to fend for themselves, all alone, and the people watched on the sideline like uninterested spectators. None of their business.

The people supporting Roy are no longer the usually meek and daft Sinkies, apathetic and disinterested, that the Govt was familiar with. There is conviction, there is purpose and there is passion, to pick up the cudgel to see it through in defence of not only a young man but for a bigger cause. Not only they want their money in the CPF back, but more.

Could Hsien Loong and the PAP see what is coming, or would they think this is just another flash in the pan incident that can be ignored? It is only a matter of good communications and everything will be back to normal! Any wrong move on the part of Hsien Loong is going to lead to a road of no return, and PAP may not regain the trust and support of the people for good. This could be PAP’s final act before the next GE. It could be an act that would seal the fate of the PAP.

Is there still time for Hsien Loong to pull back and recoup the losses, change the course and to do some damage control, and hopefully still have the majority of the voters behind him and the PAP? Or is my assessment of this episode too overly pessimistic, too dramatic and there is really nothing to it, nothing political? And there will be no harm to the PAP and to Hsien Loong’s political fortune at all.

Am I reading too much into this? What do you think?


Kopi Level - Green

21 comments:

  1. can foreigners (e.g., employment pass and s-pass holders, permanent residents) in SG donate $$$ to roy ngerng's case ?

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  2. Rb I think u are reading too much into it. Total number of people who have donated numbered less than 1200 likely the same people who would go to hong lim park to protest. The pap on the other hand has solid 60% support which numbered into the millions!

    It will be more convincing when the damage is assessed say 500,000 then we can see whether the support is there or poor Roy will be left fending for himself

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  3. I hope the PAP will believe and think like 9:09.

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  4. Aiyah... lidat bae sai, Singapore prime ministoon mana woo dignity to curry his duties?

    Red bean bUtter carry out a "help hsien loong dignity" koretion too.

    Bring a few 50 gallons or-u drums to koret any donations ... hopefully the 60.1% will cum too.

    Cash n koretion in kinds all welcUm.

    Lau uncle will look for soiled angmoh roti, maybe i ask kate spate tin n ah baey to help to look out for these too.

    Used french caps will complement the roti.

    Knnccb ..... plz help hsien loong to regain his dicknity ... maybe help him with a dick too.

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  5. Is this a personal law suit from Ah Loong against Roy Ngern? Who is bankrolling his legal costs, the tax payers or his own pocket? If he wins, the damages go to him, but not to the Treasury. So shouldn't he pay his own legal costs? What do you think?

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  6. Singaporeans in defiance.

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  7. @RB:

    >> This is about the CPF money of the people and the ever increasing minimum sums and when they are able to get their money back.

    No, it is not. I've already said this.

    The defamation suit and CPF although it looks related by the human mind who likes to tie things together to form a story, are IN FACT 2 separate issues.

    Anyway, you might be wise not to connect the 2: It is easy to make the case that since people can rally together 70k in a few days means that they can find the wherewithal to live in retirement and keep $200k in their CPF; being satisfied drawing the annuity the fund will pay out.

    IMO, you make the case like a "David and Goliath" story, you are saboing Roy. The more you piss off the govt, the harder they will hatam him. Hopefully the courts will show that they are completely independent from influence. "Hopefully" -- that's all I got, what about you?

    Please lah, tread carefully! I think at this point, the less said the better.

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  8. This is a very complex case. It is about defamation, it is about politics, it is about CPF, it is about legal justice, it is about social justice, it is not so straight forward as some people may want to look at it.

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  9. @RB:

    Aiyoh, you are unaware lah. This is Singapore...they govt doesn't give a toss about "social justice". Singapore, is a meritocracy lah!

    I click 5 kopi for you to wake up! If you see yur logs Server: Netherlands -- that's me ;-)

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  10. Roy Ngerng raised $70 in 4 days.
    So?
    Lee Hsien Loong raised more than $2 million for his salary every year.
    So who is more powderful?
    Roy or Lee?

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  11. Singaporeans in defiance.
    June 03, 2014 10:33 am

    Sure or not?
    I thought it was more like PAP in defiance against Singaporeans?

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  12. Many interesting thoughts and contradictions here.

    Oh thanks, Matilah, for your kopi. I am not sure how to get into the log server to find Netherland. Lucky it is not Holland. Or are they the same meaning : )

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  13. @RB:

    All my devices go thru SSH tunnel. Today I picked a Netherlands server. I find the Euro porn downloads very fast from those server ;-)

    No, not the same as Holland V. Although Holland V has ONE windmill which I have always thought looks damn cock.

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  14. May this be the end of elitist oppression and the start of a new page in a new brave Singapore.

    Majulah Singapura!!

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  15. Hi Unknown, welcome to the blog. We are seeing history in the making, in international politics and domestic politics.

    The wind of change is here and will sweep away the old and bring in the new.

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  16. Can we now use crowd-funding to start a class action suit to get a list of our national reserves.

    Can or not?

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  17. Hi Redbean, you wrote...." We are seeing history in the making, in international politics and domestic politics.

    The wind of change is here and will sweep away the old and bring in the new. "

    Are you joking when you wrote that???

    speedwing here.

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  18. It often starts small and then it snowballs until the forces can no longer be held back.

    The centuries-old Nepalese monarchy was toppled. The apartheid was toppled.

    Dictators have been toppled. Governments have been kicked out. India is the most recent example.

    Will Spore be like Britannia where they said the sun never sets?

    History provides ample evidence of upheavals.

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  19. >>1027

    their last resort will be to bring in the army. these days, army is to dealt with internal rather than external threats.

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  20. I agree with the author Chua Chin Leng As Roy is a tiny housefly, have compounded eyes but no vision Roy is even smaller than a butterfly
    Ah Loong is definitely not wise to take actions to sue Roy, especially Roy has apologised to him publicly
    The whole world is watching how Ah Loong handles his very own country fellowmen
    I am very worried for Ah Loong as his unforgiving actions will lead to a greater fall in his electoral votes that is coming very soon
    His unforgiving spirit will make him pay a very high price for the next GENERAL ELECTION
    The era of IQ is superseded by this era of EQ
    The financial support from Singaporeans prove that our aging population that forms a very high percentage of voters who are baby boomers generation are very unhappy over the CPF minimum sum and annuities issues
    Certainly, the aging population wants to get back their CPF money for their retirement to lead a fruitful life before they go to heaven
    Ah Loong must drink Israel kopi, eat chocolates as breakfast if he did not smoke to keep awake
    Ah Loong must understand that the whole world is watching whether he is following PAPA LEE footsteps

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