No one is above the law? Not in Singapore

Below is a letter by Felicia, a mother who lost his son in National Service during an accident. She went to court to sue the officers and SAF for negligence but the case was thrown out as there is a law that says officers/men of the SAF cannot be sued. Here is the law.

‘Section 14 of the Govt Proceedings Act precludes a serviceman from commencing any action in tort arising from any (and all) negligence during their active service, against the SAF.’

Taking this act literally, and now a court judgement, the SAF and its officers/men are above the law. If they killed or maimed anyone out of negligence, they cannot be sued. My God, I thought only an emperor or a dictator is above the law. Would such an act compromise the standard of professionalism. safety and the lives of soldiers in the SAF when officers/men think they are immuned from the law and thus acted less diligently?

Now we have a mother crying desperately for justice. The SAF said they have compensated her with $50,000 which some commented could not even buy a COE for a car. How much did the mother and many mothers paid to raise a child, and the pain and aches and love cost? $50,000, that’s all? Ok, sorry to make this comment. Please don’t ask me how much I want or think should be enough.

Read the mother’s letter and keep quiet. Do not say anything or express your grief, compassion, empathy for the mother. It did not happen to your loved ones so let it pass. It happened, let’s move on. The law that provides for the SAF and its officer/men to be above the law shall remain. Would they even think of a COI to review this law like the Benjamin case?

My dearest Dom, my heart continues to bleed for you. It has been 3 years and 10 months since you were taken from me and still, I haven’t been able to get any closure.

Today, Honourable Judicial Commissioner Kannan Remesh ruled that I have no case against those responsible for your death – the SAF and the 2 officers who did not follow the training exercise SOP. He also ruled that I have to pay for their legal costs. Dom, how can I possibly pay them for taking away your life? Where is the justice? It seems, the price I paid has not been enough. Your death has not been high enough a price for SAF and the 2 officers, and now, not enough for Honourable Remesh, it seems.

They must be right, of course – the judge, the ministers, the SAF and their officers. They are experts in their fields. Individuals who studied and trained for years to be in their current positions. What do I know? I’m only a mother to two sons. I only know to love my sons, to nurture them to become young men who will do right by others, to live with dignity, decency and human compassion. What do I know? They are the experts in their fields. They must know best. They do no wrong.

Dom, in these past 3+ years, I have been worn-down, beaten and defeated by the very government I taught you to trust; worn-down, beaten and defeated by the very system I counseled you to have faith in; worn-down, beaten and defeated by the very people I advised you to respect and honor.

Dom, forgive me. I taught you wrong.

Felicia

Source: In memory of Dominique Sarron Lee Facebook page

An article on the above is posted in TRE.

Najib’s 1MDB - Daft Asians never learn

White men are angels. White men are honest and trustworthy. White men are reliable. White men’s banks are the safe havens for putting savings away. The Swiss chief public prosecutor had confirmed that Najib misappropriated US$4b of 1MDB fund in a criminal probe. You mean they did not know this and work up one morning to find out that Najib was committing a criminal act? You mean all the depositors of slush funds in Swiss banks are honest people, not dictators, politicians, gangsters, fraudsters? Why singled out Najib at this time? Who is behind all these and pulling the strings?

Here is a quote from South China Morning Post,

‘Switzerland’s chief prosecutor said on Friday a criminal investigation into state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had revealed that about US$4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies.

The office of Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber said it had formally asked Malaysia to help with its probes into possible violations of Swiss laws related to bribery of foreign officials, misconduct in public office, money laundering and criminal mismanagement at the fund. It said it had identified four cases of alleged criminal conduct….’

Why would daft Asians want to put their money in white man’s banks and think it is safe? Colonial mentality? Drinking too much white man’s urine, reading too much of white man’s lies in white man’s media?

How many more Asians and Africans and Middle Eastern dafts are still parking their ill gotten gains in white man’s banks in Europe and the US? They are safe only when the white men want them to be. Give them an excuse, a political reason, like a need for regime change, they will freeze the accounts and share the loot among themselves, or in the case of Najib, to expose it to destroy him.

Thank you for believing in the white gods.

Any lesson to be learnt? 

Growing up is hard to do

This year’s Oscar Award Ceremony is called Blackout Oscars by the event’s host Chris Rock, a black actor himself. The reason, all the 20 nominees for the Oscars were white men and women. Rock went on to say that if there was an Oscar for the best host, he would not be called to host the event, as they would want a white man to win the award. Many black celebrities boycotted the event, including Will Smith.

Allow me to quote a few of the remarks made by Rock as reported in the Today paper by Christopher Toh.  ‘It’s the 88^th Academy Awards, which means this whole black nominees thing has happened at least 71 other times…You’ve got to figure that it happened in the ‘50s, in the 60s, you know? Black people did not protest. Why? Because we had real things to protest at the time…Too busy because raped and lynched to care about who won Best Cinematographer. You know when your grandmother is swinging from the tree, it’s really hard to care about Best Documentary For Foreign Short, … adding that the “In Memoriam” package would high light “black people who got shot by the cops on their way to the movies”.’

And his final dig at the Oscars, ‘One solution to the diversity issue, said Rock, was to have “black categories” such as “Best Black Friend”….’

The Americans have grown up after years of slavery and discrimination against the blacks and they could laugh at themselves. Not that the discrimination is passe. They are no longer uptight that such things cannot be spoken for fear of being accused of being racist. Only immature countries would find such black humour, yes, anything bad is called black or yellow, taboo, cannot be spoken or be thrown behind bars when some silly racists would shout racism, I am hurt, very hurt by the remarks. Don’t call me black, I am African American.

To the bananas, you get the meaning of grandma swinging from the tree?

China must start behaving like a super power

Does China understand why it is having so many problems with the USA and medium and small countries? Take a look at the USA and India and ask why these two countries have relatively little problems with irritating little countries scratching their backs. The answer is simple, behave like a big power and carry a big stick. The Americans carry a hammer and treat every country as a nail, including China, to be hammered. India will not stand any nonsense or misconduct from its neighbouring states and will act firmly when they break protocol or affronted India. India would put them into their right place immediately.

China’s trouble with the USA is of a different dimension. It is about contest for big power influence with the USA trying its best to retain its unassailable Number One superpower position and would want to keep China down. The USA has been creating problems and troubles for China in every corner of the earth and in everything and issue that China is involved. There is no escape from the clutches of the American power and the Americans would want to put China in its right place, ie a power subordinated to the USA, to toe the line, to be the whipping boy when and wherever it is useful to the USA.

The problem with the Americans is difficult to handle and would be there for a long time to come until China is at parity with the Americans in military power or better. China has rightly taken the position of tolerance and patience to keep the Americans from resorting to war. The day is getting nearer for China to stand up to the Americans.

China’s problems with the medium powers like India and Japan and the little countries like the Philippines and Vietnam are easier to deal with. The Americans and the Indians have proven it many times over, that might is right and the only way to deal with provocations from medium and small countries is to carry the big stick and be ready to use it, be firm.

The constant and repetitive irritations by the Philippines in the South China Sea must be stopped. The Philippines only understand what is might and China must use it might to sit on the Philippines to prevent it from creating more mischief in the South China Sea islands. The latest episode of China sending its warship to Wufang Reef is a good example. China must be confident to stay put and keep its warships in the region. There is no need to apologise and to quickly sail away from the islands. This a sign of weakness and uncertainty. If China believes the islands belong to China, it must act accordingly and feel free and comfortable to have its warships in its own territorial waters. And China must be confident and firm to shoo away ships that try to violate its territorial sovereignty. There cannot be any doubt about its position as owners of the islands.

It is high time China gives the Philippines an ultimate to drag away the rotting junk in one of its islands or be towed away, and to send the bill to the Philippines govt for towing fee. It is ridiculous for a big power to exercise so much restraint and inactions and be provoked constantly by a little country, to be mocked at and to be used for propaganda basis. China should tell the Philippines to stay out of its territorial waters or actions would taken, like what the Philippines had been doing, escort the Filipino boats to Hainan and only release with the payment of a fine or be blasted away like what the Indonesians are doing. The only thing China should avoid is to fire at fishing boats wildly like what the Philippines did to a Taiwanese boat, behaving like pirates.

China as a big power must behave and act like a big power. There is no running away from troubles created by countries like the Philippines and Vietnam. And acting firm would only improve the situation and reduce the number of incidents from such countries. China must know its rights as a sovereign nation and the right to take charge in its territorial waters. The more China fears trouble, try to avoid trouble by being nice, the more trouble will come looking for China.

The American and western media would never say anything positive about China’s action anyway, whether China is restraining itself or dealing firmly with the provocateurs. China must just do what is right to protect its territories and interests like what the US and India are doing.

China is a big power and must act as one.

Do NOT allow another Benjamin to happen!

Is it too much to ask for more protection for our young children when they in the custody of the police?  Why are there protections and regulations in civilized countries to protect the children from the police and the adults? Why then are adults protected by law from the police but children are not?

The case of Benjamin Lim revealed the kind of deep seated thinking in the minds of the people in authority on how to treat our children. Two points came out disgustingly, one, to interrogate children without the presence of an adult, and two, to handcuff children though in this case Shanmugam said Benjamin was not.

Children are children and many are very naïve, innocent and easily frighten by the presence of authority. They are juveniles, vulnerable in many ways. Their mental make up and psychology are not equipped to face the authority especially the police and in a situation when an alleged crime or offence is involved and they are being accused of it. Human decency would say children need to be protected and the younger they are the more they should be protected.  Any asshole in Parliament or in authority wants to say otherwise? The presence of an adult to protect them, to give them some emotional and psychological support is the least that decent people must agree with.

The second point is handcuffing children. There are exceptions and age and physical considerations and the nature of the crime. In general, it is unbecoming and disgusting to put children in handcuffs for minor infringement of the law. There must be clear laws and regulations regarding the use of handcuffs like the use of the gun. The ministers must not conveniently say the discretion must be with the police. It should be the other way. The police can use their discretion when a crime is very serious, when the accused is physically big, violent and not cooperating. But when the accused is a diminutive child, a little girl or a little boy that can easily be handled by the adults, when they are physically small and not violent, cooperating, the handcuffs must be avoided and not be used foolishly and happily.  When children below certain age are handcuffed, the officers must submit a report to justify the act like the firing of a gun to prevent abuses. There must be clear guidelines to the junior officers on the ground when they can use handcuffs on children. We do not need sadist in the police force that could see nothing wrong with handcuffing children.

After this sad episode, I hope the police would come up with clear rules and regulations on the protocol to bring a child into custody and the use of handcuff.  In bringing Benjamin to the police station, was he arrested? If he is not arrested, why is an adult not permitted to be with him? The use of the handcuffs cannot be a blank cheque and allowed junior officers to ‘ownself checks ownself’, can suka suka put handcuffs on children. There have been many abuses in the past. Put it right once for all.  Why all the crocodile tears after poor children in a divorce when no one has the decency in Parliament to speak out about how the police should treat our children with care as guardians?

If it is too difficult to think, ask the Americans or the Europeans how they do it. No need to form another COI on this and wasting precious resources and time.  No need to send delegations on study trips overseas. This is nothing new. It is about how we treat our young children with decency. It speaks volumes about the mentality of the adults and their upbringing, their values and beliefs and humanity. Some adults look normal but are sick in the head, are psychopaths and did not know themselves.

It is long overdue to change the protocol in the way the police is allowed to handle children in their custody and what can or cannot be handcuffed when children are concerned. Do it right for once, for goodness sake.

Presumed innocent until proven guilty? Never heard of it?