9 Oct 06
Dr Chee Soon Juan was charged today for attempting to leave Singapore in April 2006 without permission from the Official Assignee. He had his passport seized at the airport when he was scheduled to attend the 4th Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy (WMD) in Istanbul, Turkey.
Dr Chee was made a bankrupt after he couldn't pay the damages of $500,000 that was awarded to Messrs Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong in their defamation suits.
Because of this, the Official Assignee's (OA) office has refused to allow the SDP secretary-general to travel overseas.
The OA has repeatedly rejected Dr Chee's applications to attend conferences overseas even though in every case, the organisers undertook to pay for Dr Chee's expenses in full (see box on left).
The latest occasion is the International Civil Society Forum for Democracy organised by the Qatar Government in Doha, Qatar from 29 Oct-1 Nov 06 and supported by the United Nations.
Towards the end of March 2006, Dr Chee applied to attend the WMD conference. The OA wanted Dr Chee to submit a breakdown of his monthly income and expenditure so that it could determine how much Dr Chee would have to pay the PAP leaders. It promised that if Dr Chee undertook to do so, the OA would consider his travel application (see exchanges of emails below).
But when Dr Chee complied, the OA then shifted its position and asked him to make a proposal to pay Mr Lee and Mr Goh before it would consider his travel application.
The exchange of emails continued until the day of Dr Chee's scheduled departure during which the air-ticket had to be purchased. Not having received a reply from the OA, Dr Chee made his way to the airport during which his passport was impounded.
The OA then proceeded to charge the SDP leader that he "did attempt to leave Singapore, on or about the 1st day of April 2006, without the previous permission of the Official assignee and have thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 131(2) of the Bankruptcy Act (Chapter 20) read with Section 511 of the Penal Code (Chapter 224)."
In another case, Dr Chee is charged with Mr Gandhi Ambalam and Mr Yap Keng Ho for speaking in public without a permit. The trial is set for 25 Oct 06.
PAP and its judiciary, is Sg a democratic society? Please be reminded what we always say in our pledge every morning in schools!!!
ReplyDeleteBut Sg doesn't seem to act in accordance to the pledge we say everyday.
What a sad thing to observe: instead of opening up as what often said by the Papsmear, we are regressing rather than progressing towards first-world class society.
ReplyDeleteHave a look at the J Curve. Singapore needs that extra push to get beyond the U bend that it is currently splashing around in.
ReplyDeleteso much for theory from A to Z.
ReplyDeleteMan-kind has been brought up in a systematic way...on purpose, I presume. So pple tend to think alike on some issue and act alike too...how interesting.
Ah! Check out uncyclopedia on Singapore. Hmm..free expression writer has named someone as Robo Lee, ya know?
Robo to the nation. K pple, back to rebooting of our minds?
BTW, great blog here and u do sense things right so far, since the mentioning of SG and Qatar.
Chee is Qatar is not so ideal with our big plans for Qatar announced recently. Simple maths my Watson
ReplyDeletefor a bankrupt, Chee certainly has sufficient funds to get out of the country. wonder where his income is from. point to ponder.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are an invited speaker, where opinion and expertise matters, the organisers will pay for all your expenses and perhaps even an honararium, which will certainly help towards clearing your debts . Guess the official assignee did not think of this. Perhaps the damage Chee could cost with his speech or even a account of his recent ordeals might be another PR disaster for the MIW
ReplyDeletehi 'i.am.singaporean said', u dun get around much do you?
ReplyDelete"i.am.singaporean said" is the perfect Singaporean. A product of our excellent education system, fed with our excellent information provided by the MSM and perfectly comfortable with the 1st World living provided by our self sacrificing politicians. Darwin would have been very interested to study the development of the unique Singapore species with its unique traits.
ReplyDeletecongratulations singaporean, you are the typical arswehole that inhabits that Island. I learn breeding is az bit on the low side. Maybe we should ship bigoted narrow minded bastards like you to London, put you and your family in a London zoo cage, and charge tourists to view you. we can also lay on a singlish sound track; singapore's national mating call, can, can, can gone already lah, just taken Makan before MC.
ReplyDeleteDear god, people like you sicken me.
Dont be agitated anon 03:27:55
ReplyDeleteEven if we were a full fledged
democracy with fair access to opposition news, there will still be some who would suck up to their political masters. Guess they know which side their bread are buttered.
anon 40.34. thanks you are correct, hense the PAP election wins. but of course you have to admit there is a fair amount of brainwashing, and legal threats involved.
ReplyDeletehowever, finally, its what goes into the back pocket that counts. a true opposition govbernment would not be trusted, and as good old LKY says, gthe army, little chaps with glasses and sbiug boots who have never made a visit to the theatre of war in their lives would wavbe the big stick.... they make me shudder with fright.