Capturing Our Rights From the PAP

 


FIRST INSTALLMENT

The Constitution is the peoples' charter.

The first Constitution of Singapore was drawn up in 1958 in consultation with all the political parties representing the people of Singapore.

It was later replaced by a new Constitution when Singapore became part of Malaysia in 1963 but retained all the fundamental rights of the citizens in the 1958 Constitution.

When Singapore broke away from Malaysia, the 1963 Constitution (known as the Malaysian Constitution) was modified and adapted to take note of Singapore as an independent state and came to be known as the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore. It retained all the fundamental rights of the citizen.

The Constitution is the guarantee of the peoples' rights, freedoms and liberties but under the PAP government it has become the PAP charter.

After the PAP took control over Singapore in 1965, the PAP has amended the Constitution several times to attain its object to give the Executive more and more power designed to keep the PAP in power.

As a corollary to giving the Executive supreme power the PAP cut down the power of the Judiciary which in a democracy has a very important role to check the power of the Executive.

In its brief span of about forty (40) years, the Constitution of Singapore has been amended many many more times than the American Constitution stretching over 200 years.

If the people are to have the power in the land and not just a few (in Singapore it is really one family), the Constitution has to be captured back from the PAP and made the Peoples' Charter guaranteeing them all their rights and liberties and providing proper checks on the Executive with swift remedies for any violation of the Constitution.

I therefore welcome the campaign by Uncle Yap (Keng Ho) to acquaint our citizens with what changes are necessary to capture OUR Constitution back from the PAP.

For the complete Proposed Amendment To Republic Of Singapore Constitution