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Abdul Basheer was recently detained for purportedly to have planned his self-radicalized terror thoughts and he was quickly arrested and put away. He has not done anything yet but the propensity was enough to land him in jail without trial. I wonder if anybody would have thought that he could be innocent of such an alleged charge and was detained for the wrong reasons. Allow me to explain in detail:

Basheer was planning according to the lengthy statement by the daily State Times ways to learn terrorism and that he had harbored terrorism in his mind. He had left to several Middle Eastern countries to learn skills where he could join and fight alongside a terror network purportedly the Taleban. How this was concluded by the ISD I am not thoroughly sure but the investigations and reconnaissance on the terror acolyte that lead to his capture can certainly rival the CIA’s. Abdul Basheer was in addition swayed by an internet radical religious ‘discourse’ and for this he is being detained for ‘rehabilitation’ for a indefinite period of time without trial. I am gravely concerned by the chilling fact that anyone is susceptible to this strange law which has powers to detain individuals without clemency. It is even chilling when opposing views can be perceived as self-radicalization because there is no court in this land that can save you from such detention if ever you are deemed guilty. It is worse when you could consider the methods in rehabilitation which is aimed to make you subservient, tamed and integral to the mainstream society.

This power harnessed by the ISD gives them absolute leverage to exercise arrests to individuals who are deemed self-radicalized either by radical religious or even political discourse which in this case explicitly displayed the intent of the government to maintain order and stability. If you are self-radicalized by means to disrupt this stability then the futuristic ala Minority Report warning will be emitted and the men in blue will appear at your door and have you whisked away. The discourses are no longer important. What matters that you were a threat and had to be dealt with. It can be inserted by the local mouthpiece that you were held sway by unorthodox religious or political influences. We can still remember the Marxist Conspirators which is still very much relevant in this context. They were made to confess on national television. Abdul Basheer is worse- it is safe to conclude that he is in a cold cell facing his captors as we speak.

Is he an ordinary man writing a blog to opinionate his views? Was he at that time writing issues that offended the ruling PAP government that none of them could bear his nonsense any longer? Could Abdul Basheer be quietly plotting to stage a massive protest to knock on PAP’s authoritarian door? Perhaps it is true that he was bent to make terror his career. We have no answers sadly. The problem was deftly solved by the authorities and what was left is an exercise in public relations. The investigations were not transparent enough to mitigate any wrongdoing that the terror acolyte could have had. In addition, Abdul Basheer’s family is out of the picture. None of them protested or heard of. This is ensured that nothing can contradict the holy text of the daily newspaper. You either swallow it in or spit it out, given the nature of equally opaque investigations and a lack of trial.

Terrorism is a bane to this world. There are many who are willing to die for the divine and kill innocents. This is a hideous concept. Amongst thinking men this must be rejected. I reject terrorism outright but what then to those who fight in the name of democracy against repressive governments which are quick to condemn these democracy advocates as harbinger of instability and disruption? In most extreme cases even political opponents can be dubbed as rebels and are quickly put away in cold hard cells for rehabilitation. In some countries there is no rule of law and the gun barrel thrust behind your nape makes quick of your submission.

I support any cause for democracy and honorable men and women who are brave to stand against their repression of which their acts of civil disobedience must be commended. Their civic-mindedness and courage ensured that citizens are not slaves but a voice every government must take pains to listen. I reject laws that oppress and deprive people of their rights as dignified citizens to freedom of expression and speech, whom have every right to assemble in peaceful protest. I reject extraordinariness and arrogant elitism and the outrageous preconception of being paid millions while my fellow citizen starves and suffer. I reject unjust laws that enable arrest and detention without trial.

I wonder if my proclamations can be perceived as self-radicalization, a propensity to oppose and rebel against government factions in a similar fashion where previous Freedom/Human Rights March protesters during the last IMF meeting last year were threatened by the police with ‘inciting violence’ charges. I feel must start making copies of my weblog files and give them away to those I can trust, local and abroad, or hide them in a place where they will never look. I do not wish a time to come only to find my blog deleted and the allegation of radical religious discourse comes into play.

Be warned, my fellow bloggers especially those who are openly verbal and impertinent. Start saving files in your thumbdrives now. I already have.

It has been discussed over and time again that the majority of us do not wish to question the unjust laws and policies that deprive us the dignity and liberty as citizen. For most of us we do not seem to see the value or even value the fundamental liberties that is worth fighting for. We see no reason to stage peaceful protests to demand political reforms and act like dignified citizens like we claimed to be. We see the alarming consequence of being arrested for ‘inciting violence’ or ‘illegal assembly’ by the police as a great deterrent to participation. We see no value in any of these. These are acts that should not be bothered or worth inculcating.

We will fare better to teach the young the supreme value of money and ignore the meaning of liberty and justice. The subject of our fundamental liberties are not in the school curriculum and will never be. From young we are made only to value the report card and its grades. When we grow up we see only value in money and quickly learn how to generate more to make our lives seemingly much more tolerable. Our retirement age hold so much value in the end because we no longer cared to have it earlier during stages of our active livelihood. Perhaps we believed in a odd fashion that we could bring the remainder sum over to the other side even in death. Perhaps it is better to attain financial nirvana than leading a life of honesty and integrity, advocating democratic aspirations can easily seen as a sheer waste of time. Unknowingly we excelled in the arts of keeping ourselves subservient.

It has been said:

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Where are the good men in brave new Singapore? No. I am not referring to the extraordinary ones that lavish in tens of thousands per day while the common folk thrives one square meal or less, sending their children to school with nothing to eat and have to hold two or three jobs to make ends meet. Where are the good men that would ask the ruling PAP government the legitimacy and moral right to pay themselves million dollar salaries? What wrong have we to congregate and ask these legitimate questions such as these unjust policies and laws that would only profit the ruling oligarchy? Have we not realized that our constitutional rights are enshrined in the supreme law that we citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression and the rights to peaceful assembly! No one can stop you from marching peacefully on the streets, carrying banners and placards stating your concerns but alas! The law makes it illegal for more than five people to assemble without an expressed permit. Even how peaceful it may be or participated by monks, dalai lamas and people in wheelbound chairs.

The reason is obvious. They do not want you staging public protest against the ruling PAP government. This law is politically motivated and unjust. Thinking men will not accept this. The ones that value money and other materialistic endeavors do not care one iota of consciousness. Even the voting paper is deemed dirty and wasteful. Even those that have gone to peaceful protests are perceived as dangerous fools.

They are the biggest fools if they but knew it!

I am in no position to judge but it is appalling to see multitudes of us cringing in fear but easily excited over other unimportant matters. Heed the call of dissent and you will face hell on earth. This much is true. You only need to ask those who have fought to shreds. But join the flock of sheep and you shall reap great rewards of wealth and prosperity; but be silent and go about in your quiet ways. Be rebellious and uncivil we will self-destruct. The island will be rock-bottom and in turmoil. We will no longer enjoy the prosperity this tiny country has been bestowed with.

Perhaps we are resigned at the very beginning. Perhaps our masters are always right and their decisions are god-sent. Perhaps these confrontational political savages seek nothing but disruption and we will do best to avoid them. Perhaps when we look back at our history in the near future we would know that nothing else mattered but dollars and cents. All else is trivial. Nothing else mattered.

I was going through my blog posts last night and discovered to my surprise that many of the pictures used to link to talkingcock.com were gone! The image link boxes were all that remain and the void has occupied them instead. How extraordinary! For those of you who have been reading my blog I am sure you are very well aware of this strange occurrence having to notice those missing pictures. In fact I would describe this as supernatural primarily because the other normal pictures are still intact but the ones that portrayed satirical disposition of the ruling PAP government were miraculously removed!

Imagine my confounding surprise!

I can safely deduce that this is the work of pro-government activists who breached into blogger’s domains and tamper with their work. There is no other explanation. They might as well shut down the satirical website talkingcock.com and remove their servers. How cowardly and despicable their acts. This is nothing short of criminal. Is this how we bloggers are treated for having opposing views?

I deplore these acts of cowardice utterly.

By now you would have known that the blogosphere has churned out thousands of blogs which are actively engaged in opposing views on government policies. There are however not many that offer insights or a way forward to deal with the offending root of the problem. Indulging in dissecting elements of the many problems that arise from the diseased political system bears no satisfying remedy of which many us are so preoccupied to do with much scholarly gusto. The narcissistic ones are worse. If you would briefly study each random political blog the thematic conclusion that can be surmised is the glaring fact that the ruling PAP government is BAD. Every blog has attempted to channel readers into that perception with evangelistic glee. To be fair, even pro-government blogs are no better and some of them border on utter stupidity that is both revolting and vile.

Three options are formed in the heads of readers:

1. Vote for the PAP.
2. Vote for the opposition.
3. Hope for a walkover to save the hassle of voting.

The perception has now reached its destination. You must decide what outcome to take. If the situation permits that you need not vote because of a walkover then you are spared the voting booth. Many Singaporeans liked this. They do not like to queue for nothing on a Sunday morning to mark something silly on paper. These are political illiterates, people who do not see or know the value of political issues or even their rights. They have been completely desensitized, irregardless whether or not they have had read any political blog or even before the advent of blogging. Their behavior are no better than a child. Our present information system, past and present, have ensured such childish passivity.

Political illiteracy sets in when no one think it is worth going the extra mile to attain the fundamental freedom of expression. It thrives on the childishly simple mentality that you can gain little or nothing. It spreads like wildfire when everyone writes about the many symptomatic problems but cannot muster the strength to be more proactive, more prudent, more action. The lack of aggression and open criticism which makes us no less than sheep because sheep fear of reprisals. We are easily perceived that we are up against a mountain. Our illiteracy makes us fear.

Do we really think that we can vote for an alternative government with the right check and balances? Did you seriously imagine that we could have more than two opposition in parliament and that would have the desired effect? We are fools if we are to believe such nonsense. We are even bigger fools if we are to rely on those mediocre opposition to make our lives better. That cannot happen. Whether or not JB Jeyaratnam has successfully formed the new Democratic Reform Party and tries to get votes. It is foolish I tell you. It is not going to happen because it is the same rigmarole story we have heard since the days he won at Anson. What reform he has hoped to obtain when people are apathetic and afraid to come forward and the system is almost perfectly machined to resist change or any grip in power? And not even after DR Chee goes repeatedly into jail with other ordinary folks who have had explicitly demonstrated their dissent. Are we devoid of common sense to see a man jailed as a prisoner of conscience? Should we continue writing verbal garbage and illusory poetic conundrums when the real world demands your immediate attention?

If you are no longer a political illiterate or never to begin with, I strongly recommend that you immediately shift your dichotomy to a stronger voice, an advocate of democracy. Blabbling about the symptoms in an intricate analysis would not get us anywhere. We already know the symptoms. Richard Yong has escaped and what can you do it about it? Nothing. There is no other way but demanding for change. The way of civil nonviolent and peaceful disobedience is clear as daylight. This is the agenda of all dissenting blogs in Singapore and all over the world, resounding through the entire cyberspace.

What vague reasons can there be behind those poetic monologues? Realizations? And to what end?

It is our sheer stupidity that we become politically illiterate if we cannot see the end of our deliberations and do nothing but inaction. Shame on us!

They are not prominent politicians or illustrious luminaries. They are neither the powerfully rich or famous foreign dignitaries. They are Singaporeans, just like you and me, ordinary folks believe it or not. For the first time the winds have heralded a triumphant clarion call for change and these superb band of men and women have broken the spell that has long blinded us of servitude and silence to answer that call. Are you among them?

If you were present on the Freedom March organized by Dr Chee of the SDP during the last IMF World Bank meeting, I salute you. Your acts of defiance in the face of repression have given hope to those who love freedom and cherish democracy in this island. Never mind that the police have gathered you recently to question and threaten charges of lawful disobedience and illegal gathering of nonsensical sorts. These are trivial. These laws are unjust to begin with. Any free soul would know this for a fact. And for the fact that you are no longer afraid and intimidated by these bullies who demand your silence, you are free men and no long serfs and lambs who would willingly bow and grovel at the taskmaster’s whip without complaint. Also for the fact that the number of you have gone public to show the world how uniquely the desperate ruling party treats the opposition and its critics leaves a delectable stain on the minds of the mindless apathy.

Gandhi once said:

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.

The keyword here is civil disobedience. By nonviolent means and peaceful protests we can break the silence and exercise our rights as citizens and a free people. Unjust laws are created by those who ruthlessly strive to maintain power, to silence opposing views in the guise of promoting peace and stability which may seem very benign only to the moronic persona. How many times can they jail you for demanding free speech and asking questions? How many of you can they give free food and accommodation in form of a concrete cell courtesy of the island’s best resort at Changi? 100. Yes, probably. 10,000? No that cannot be done. And how palpably stupid it may be perceived to the free democratic world that innocent people are repeated thrown in jail just because they asked why incorruptible politicians are being paid millions. Only men of thinking would agree with me on these points. There is no longer any further need to analyze the costs of this honorable venture of defiance and the ill consequences therein hold the greatest value of which cowardice will not suffice and need not apply. The mighty British were once brought to their knees through acts of civil disobedience in India. The similarities are crystal. It is clear what Singaporeans need to do.

Remember these young men and women in your hearts and show your support. Politics is like a hurricane, it sucks you in whether you like it or not and how you would survive in a surging pack of hyenas is a simple choice of either becoming a submissive lamb or a defensive lion. Do not be meek any longer and be brave.

We are seeing a new dramatic change in our lives and for once, only this chance, we can hope for freedom and democracy. Singapore Dissident who is at present based in San Francisco, USA mirrors my sentiments precisely:

The government is now in a quandary, thanks to these courageous men and women. During the entire history of Singapore, whenever the government threatened to charge political opponents for lawfully exercising their fundamental rights, the mere threat itself was sufficient for them to capitulate. Now thankfully it is different. These courageous young men and women are saying “no” to the Singapore government bullies. They are saying openly that they will not take the nonsense from the government anymore.

What is even more encouraging in this case is, these defiant young men and women are not the usual professional politicians such as Dr. Chee and JB Jeyaretnam. They are just ordinary folks like anyone else. For the first time, ordinary folks are standing up for their freedom. If these men and women stand undaunted, fearlessly and face whatever harassment the government throws at them, then others will follow. A mass movement for political change would have begun.

The government misjudged the courage and fortitude of Singaporeans when they decided to investigate these courageous Singaporeans. It would have been better for the government to have just left them alone. Now the government, in their usual stupidity, have opened a Pandora’s box. A can of worms. If they prosecute them, and they stand defiant and face the punishment, they will be emboldened to do more even more. They will embolden others to follow. You will have more protests in sympathy. The government will become politically castrated. They would have lost control. On the other hand, if after these investigations, they do not prosecute, the same result will follow. These young men and women would have won and Lee would have lost.

I apologize for saying this from a distance. I salute all of you. You have courage. Unlike thousands of other Singaporeans, you have shown that you are true men and women. I ask that you do not buckle under the pressure, and I am sure you won’t. Fight on. Protest on. Make others join you. This is the moment. The moment has come. Seize the day.

Carpe diem, lions.

When it comes to the almighty money, Singaporeans makes no bones about it. We work under the scorching sun or in a stifled air-conditioned office environment, toiled under the veil of darkness and go home a weary man. The next day we continue on our routine like clockwork, oblivious to other things other than the auspices of making money and continue the next day, and the next. Subconsciously, we have become drones, not because we cannot do anything positive about it, but cared too little for any effort of change. It is a sad prospect to any form of life, any nature of society, here on earth. The subjugated willingness to servitude. The subjugated willingness to perform without question. The subjugated conformity to silence.

It has become culture.

We are silent over many things; our constitutional rights of freedom. We are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals from the ruling PAP government. Ask anyone and you will have this point strongly reinforced in answer. We are no longer interested on the quality of free life but the quantity of how much wealth we can accumulate. We believed in our most despondent way that prosperity means everything. Such an inferior perception that begets ludicrousness. We believed, which is the reason why no one protested against the million dollar payhike the ruling oligarchy are paying themselves except an emboldened few, that with more money our ministers are incorruptible and efficient, to generate more wealth for the nation and thus we easily neglect other reasons worth mentioning.

We think we’ve come so far

On all our lies we depend

We see no consequence

This is the beginning of the end*

However, these perceptions are not without exception in recent affairs- note the events that evolved from the NKF saga. Citizens were scathing to discover the corrupt practices and of those involved. To placate the people, TT Durai and his aides were subsequently charged in court. The people seemed happy that justice has been meted out. Surprisingly in a turn of events, Richard Yong, a former director, after being declared bankrupt, slipped unnoticed past our checkpoints and escaped to Kuala Lumpur. He was last known to be at the Malaysian capital. How he managed to escape continue to remain a mystery. No one can leave Singapore after being declared bankrupt and will be detained at the checkpoint prior to the attempt but in this case, Yong managed to escape. Was his record not updated? Was it not updated deliberately? Or were the checkpoint officers negligent? Questions were not raised. A murmur was heard but nothing more. No one spoke of this. There were no questions asked, just dead silence.

In Sheep City, we are used to this deafening silence. We fear consequences above everything else, a risk not worthy of taking. We fear asking about our rights, to question and to live as men with dignity, not the doomed citizenry of a vicious oligarchic abattoir. Freedom is forgotten. It is akin to a dream unworthy of dreaming or aspiring, a melancholy we sing in tune every day unabated and in unison. A pledge we recite daily in schools but lost its true meaning and forgotten in time. We value nothing else but the value of stability, wealth and possessions. Singapore Dissident wrote this quite accurately:

Please do not insult lions, by calling Singapore a Lion City. Lions are courageous noble creatures in the face of danger or any bully for that matter. If by calling Singapore a lion city, meaning Singaporeans are lions, you defamed all lions in Africa and India. If the lions could sue, they would have engaged the best lawyers and sued you for defaming their character!

A City of Sheep would be a correct name for those who people in that Island Republic of Singapore. Sheep as we know, have an inbuilt tendency to comply, turn here or that way, this direction of that and willingly permit themselves to be sheared for their wool or slaughtered without complaint.

It would be unfair for me to label us all as such. They are a brave few who have stood up against authoritarianism and have had completely forsaken their prosperity for the love of freedom. Not for the love of Hello Kitty and the ensuing pandemonium which Singapore is world-famous for. These democracy activists are to be commended. These are true Singaporeans who have showed their quality. Here is an excerpt of a real story from a democracy activist Jeffery George, who has taken part in a rally and march that led to a standoff with the police. These stories are not your regular State Times daily dosage. It is not fit to be in any page even the obituary. But here, I present you another side of the coin which you have never seen. More of the article can be found here.

On the eve of the protest, I met up with the other participants. We were busy discussing the various scenarios of being stopped and arrested and how we would respond.

But at the back of my mind, thoughts of my wife, kids, parents, friends and colleagues again played out. It hit me that the moment of truth was upon me and I had to face the realities of being entangled with the law and the wrath of the PAP regime.

I did not have a peaceful sleep that night; my wife had last minute fears and began to discourage me from going to the protest. She even suggested that I stay in the background, supporting the others without direct participation.

The main fear was the vindictiveness of Lee Kuan Yew against his foes. Her fears about me going to jail and the kids’ future, their perception and respect for a father whose reputation would most definitely be stained were real.

I was struggling with my wife’s fears and my own last moment reservations. I was looking at being charged with illegal gathering and facing a couple of thousand dollars fine, which I had decided I was not going to pay. I was prepared to go to jail for a few weeks.

It was a long night of reflection and thinking…

These are, my friends, lions. In the face of adversity, they do not back down or cringe in fear. Once we have overcome our fear, the silence can be broken. The spell will be lifted from our heads and we will be raised from our drunken stupor and claim our rights to be citizens again. Freedom is your birthright and no one can take it from you. We are not sheep. We are humans. If you are not, you can enjoy in the longevity and prosperity of silence just like lambs in a farm. The Merlion should be demolished and another icon installed in its stead: a blasphemous sheep. We are no longer fit to have such a gregarious iconic creature, let alone its characteristics be it a mythical lion. For truly, we are far from being world class citizens.

Live a life of honor and integrity. Uphold freedom and justice. May we all be a truly proud and free citizen.

*From the album Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails track 02 Beginning of the End. Click on Box.Net widget on the sidebar.

Come July, the new GST tax hike will be in effect whether you like it or not, things in Singapore will be much more expensive and that offset package that you will be cashing out will render a zero amount in your bank account within two shakes of a duck’s backside. Smoking ban in pubs and clubs, rising medical and public transportation costs- lives will be become much more untenable because of high living costs and there will be a significant surge in suicides from our favorite Highly Dangerous Buildings. Shrugging off these symptoms, which is inherent in any authoritarian nanny state, we are becoming increasingly detached from the universal precept of human freedom and expression.

And yet despite these we continue to be normal. Are we abnormally normal? I believe we are. We are conditioned to be normal in every way for the sake of stability and wealth. Freedom of expression is not required. It is taboo. We are completely abnormally normal not to speak or have opposing views. Forget about ghost letters to the State Time’s forum pages and questionable polls done by ‘global surveys’. We still cannot speak on issues. We cannot comment on the extension of Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi‘s house arrest by the evil military junta of Burma. It is the job of the State Times. It paints a different picture so that it may seem plausible for the moronic reader to accept the reasons why the military junta continue to oppress their political dissidents who are vocal on democratic reforms. I beseech that the UN impose harsher penalties and economic sanctions on these criminals who are blatantly abusing human rights and freedom. Malaysians should increase the pressure and probably expel Myanmar from ASEAN. The Americans should invade and free Burma of this outpost of tyranny either by means of an invasion force or a tactical covert operation. Alas! Burma has no oil. My apologies to the many innocent Burmese. I have digressed but the point remains.

The daily newspaper paints a different picture on why the EDB has failed in their multi-million venture with UNSW, shifting the blame squarely on the university. It paints a very good picture of which honest and incorruptible PAP ministers can earn million dollar paypackets while accurately purporting how lousy they are doing to rid Singapore of the current mozzy affliction and also why senior old folks need to work to the grave.

Extraordinary indeed. Extraordinary too that we are completely normal to these issues. Extraordinary too because the newspaper subscription continue to have business without let up.

In a event called Tampines ole! opposite the MRT station, there was this particular Tampines Idol (I never heard of such thing although I am a Tampinesian) who was singing a particular extraordinary song to a rather sterile crowd and the presence of Tampines PAP ministers. She sang:

You drive me crazy
I just can’t sleep
I’m so excited, I’m in too deep
Ohh…crazy, but it feels alright
Baby, thinkin’ of you keeps me up all night!

I wonder what the PAP ministers were thinking when she kept singing the chorus with much gusto and panache. I was of course, amused because the lyrics were so relevant in this context. In fact it was hilarious because I finally found Britney’s wisdom in her songs which I have never liked her in the first place.

Coming back to the point of abnormal normalcy, I implore Singaporeans to be aware of vindictive propaganda that seek to conform you to servitude and silence. I always stress the importance of free thinking and expression. It is our duty to resist all manners of authoritarianism before someone here like Suu Kyi gets a seemingly lenient house-arrest. Please release her, you cruel Burmese tyrants and please free yourself, Singapore, your fellows are counting on you.

For those who are just about to get to know Singapore, expatriates and citizen-hopefuls, please view this video below. This will give you a very good glimpse of what it is like here. Do not write articles on silly topics of noxious durians and quaint shopping. You are far talented than writing such mediocrity where no one ever reads them.

The Singapore ruling PAP government has declared that ‘gay is good*’ and erstwhile criminalization of homosexual activities are now deemed legal among consenting adults.

But wait! That is not going to happen anywhere soon. It will not happen if the subject has not been fully explored and a way forward has yet to be found. I cannot give a an exact or detailed account on homosexuality because I am no expert on the subject but nevertheless I will attempt to find a way forward to shed some light on this issue. If you are largely disturbed by this topic then I strongly recommend that you do not continue. You may be homophobic or influenced by factors that determine your disposition towards homosexuality, and as valid as whatever your perceptions may be, apathy is an enemy of truth. Knowledge however casts the best light. Your prerogative to read this post or leave, it is your own to keep and decide.

Homosexuality is an age old orientation, and however unpleasant it may be, it has been present in every society, every nation since time immemorial. We heard stories of its effects and unpleasantness, revelations from bibles and holy books of how Sodom was destroyed by a fiery hail. This is a matter of belief. You were not there when Sodom was destroyed, were you? But somehow we believed, and our beliefs have not successfully allay the differences between warring semitic religions of the Middle East or resolve the many complexities of homosexuality. The similarities are apparent. It is our beliefs that brought us to a point of arrogance. It is our beliefs and dichotomies that discriminate. War can defined by the extensions of politics and religion. Homosexuality, in this case, suffers the same fate.

With science we already know that chromosomes determine the gender. The female egg carries the X chromosome and the sperm cell that carries the X chromosome, fertilizes the egg and thus producing a female XX zygote. A Y-carrying chromosome sperm cell will produce a male XY zygote. This is thoroughly simple. But how can you explain the biological conception of hermaphrodites or also known as intersex? A person born with two sexual organs? Is it safe to assume for the laymen that the chromosomes do play an important in determining your sexual orientation? Supposed you are an adult intersex- You can either be attracted to the either sex or even both, and thus, for the vilification of your unnatural state of being, you are destroyed together with the denizens of Sodom if you were living during those times. In modern day times, the doctor will surgically determine your sex and save the ambiguity of your gender from the public outcry. The days of burning people at the stake is over. These days modern science has enabled American scientists to discover a way to pre-select the gender of your unborn child. But can it pre-select your sexual orientation? Does it really answer the question that homosexuals are born gay? Or do we actually need an answer?

In this context I do believe that homosexuality is a born trait, developed by its genetics in which the mind has discovered through time and adapting attitudes and environment.

Yet, people are dissatisfied with this answer. If indeed there is link between homosexuality and the concept of intersex and its genetics, why then a seemingly man can be attracted to another of the same sex? The disorder of hermaphrodites have advanced and evolved even without an additional phallus or vagina. The mind has fixed itself on determining its sexual orientation. Biological factors like the chromosomes and genetic hereditary elements I believed have had this effect.

Is homosexuality a flaw in nature? Or a flaw in love? The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders no longer listed homosexuality as a mental disorder. But replaced it with a minor sexual orientation disturbance. For a start this has good stead because the mental identities of homosexuals are can be precognitively determined by their genetics. I have been following the recent issue on homosexuals in Singapore with interest and I have to add that decriminalizing is the way forward. But before I can arrive that conclusion, I must explain my intent. Here are two pertinent points:

Promiscuity

There is a woman who is so afraid that homosexual activities will be decriminalized in Singapore, she would not want to make babies for fear that her sons will be exploited by lecherous homosexual men. This perception is shallow and prejudiced. But in the mind of the foolish woman, I must say with good reason, it is somehow valid. The gay community here has become increasingly engaged in their activities that promiscuity among their culture is furiously fanned and quickly gained notoriety. You only need to look at the many gay pubs and saunas along Chinatown available for the gay customer, both local and foreign, to integrate into his community and invest on his pink dollar. You may also find many of them cruising for sex at public places, parks, shopping malls and the like. They are everywhere; in schools, military barracks, offices, MRT stations even in cyberspace and that woman seemed fearful for her life and bordering on debilitating anxiety and panic.

While the law has made their sexual activities illegal and utterly draconian, it does nothing to curb such businesses that allow members to engage in orgies but allow them to thrive. This is hypocritical and substandard. But the fault is the gay community to swallow. The concept of promiscuity has garnered, among heterosexual men and women, a distasteful trait and this continues to beleaguer the average gay man. This is the fear of coming out for fear of open discrimination and abuse. Imagine to have a life in perpetual fear. Gays have to rebrand their gayness and promote monogamy as the highest ideal and abstain from promiscuity. Gay means literally carefree not promiscuous homosexuals. With this achieved, decriminalization may actually work. It is also widely believed that homosexual activities spread the HIV virus but this is not entirely true. Heterosexuals are actively promiscuous and the high rates of adultery and divorces attest to this phenomenon. Huge sexual crimes in this country arise from heterosexual themes.

Acceptance

It is no longer needed to further analyze and seek to root out the problems this world is beset with. Further intricate and extensive analysis will not design the future. A way forward is needed and in this case of homosexuals in Singapore or anywhere else in the world, each community must be able to lay out their needs and fears and from these set of values can emerge a compromise. The gay community has to relook into their role in society and how it can benefit it as a collective effort without compromising the conservative majority. I am not homophobic and that is term needed to be rectified in order for the majority to understand and accept the marginalized community. Homophobia has no place in the fabric of a global society just like apartheid and tyranny. The first step is to grant the gay organizing group like PLU a legitimate society. The role of the organization is to educate its community and raise awareness through all levels of society. Past registration attempts to register as a society have however been unsuccessful. But the PLU urged the ruling PAP government to show that it is not homophobic. The ball is now in the courts of the men in white to show their commitment to an open society.

Half-baked ambiguous comments are not needed. Neither comments from a dogmatic Christian. The issue of homosexuality has transcended, above the spectra of religious beliefs, and into public reason without the preconception of sin. If you are devout in sin or against it, homosexuality is and will be a crime. If your son is gay, he is therefore a criminal. It is also important to note that despite contrasting opinions homosexuality will forever be in the fabric of every society and it is really dependent on the community where it would want to move, in which direction, into the future.

The time has come to show resolve. You can poll your opinions here.

Homosexuals as a whole, I assure you, will not exploit your hetero son. He is not interested in them either. The young attractive lady at the corner of the bar does. Just make sure he knows how to use the rubber.

[*Slogan by gay activist Dr. Frank Kameny]

Head of state: S R Nathan
Head of government: Lee Hsien Loong
Death penalty: retentionist
International Criminal Court: not ratified

Freedom of expression and assembly came under increasingly close controls. Men arrested in previous years were held without charge or trial under the Internal Security Act amid fears that they were at risk of ill-treatment. Death sentences were imposed and at least five people were executed. Criminal offenders were sentenced to caning.

Background

The People’s Action Party (PAP), which has dominated political life and wider society for nearly half a century, was re-elected for a five-year term in May. The party’s stated commitment to building a more open society did not materialize.

Restrictions on free expression and assembly

Civil defamation suits and criminal charges were used or threatened against government critics, human rights activists, Falun Gong practitioners and foreign news media. Tighter restrictions on several major foreign publications were announced in August, enabling the authorities to take punitive measures more easily.

• Dr Chee Soon Juan, leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, was declared bankrupt in February when he was unable to pay damages of 500,000 Singapore dollars (approximately US$306,000) to two PAP leaders when a 2001 defamation suit ended. As a bankrupt, he was barred from seeking election. He was imprisoned for eight days in March for contempt of court after saying publicly that the judiciary lacked independence. In November he was sentenced to a prison term of five weeks for speaking in public without a permit. On his release he faced further criminal charges for speaking in public without a permit and attempting to leave the country without permission. In August the publisher and the editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review were sued for defamation in connection with a favourable article about him.

• J B Jeyaretnam, former leader of the opposition Workers’ Party, unsuccessfully appealed against the bankruptcy imposed on him in 2001 after a series of politically motivated defamation suits. He remained unable to stand for re-election.

• Writer Lee Kin Mun was suspended by the state-owned newspaper Today following publication of a critical article on Singapore’s living costs.

• Two Falun Gong practitioners were convicted of holding an illegal protest outside the Chinese Embassy and sentenced in November to prison terms of 15 days and 10 days respectively. Nine practitioners were charged with illegally assembling to distribute leaflets. Jaya Gibson, a British journalist and Falun Gong practitioner, was denied entry to Singapore.

• The government restricted both domestic and foreign activism relating to a meeting in Singapore of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in September, provoking worldwide criticism, including from both institutions.

Detention without charge or trial

At least 34 men remained in detention without charge or trial under the Internal Security Act. The authorities claimed the men were involved in militant Islamist groups and posed a security threat to Singapore. Seven detainees were reportedly released after co-operating with the authorities and responding well to “rehabilitation”. In February, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng was reported as saying that the treatment of such detainees was not a “tea party” but denied they had been tortured.

Conscientious objectors

At least eight conscientious objectors were imprisoned, and 12 others continued to serve their sentences during 2006. All were members of the banned Jehovah’s Witnesses religious group. There were no moves towards offering an alternative to military service.

Death penalty and corporal punishment

At least five people were executed, two in June following conviction for drug trafficking, the others in November after being convicted of murder. Death sentences were handed down to at least five people.

The presence of foreign prisoners on death row raised the international profile of Singapore’s high rate of executions. The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions expressed concern about executions in Singapore and called for an end to death sentences for drug-related offences, arguing that the mandatory death sentence is a violation of international legal standards. In January the Singapore Law Society said it intended to carry out “an open-minded review of the legal issues” related to the death penalty.

People continued to be sentenced to caning throughout the year, including a 16-year-old boy convicted of theft and judged unsuitable for reformative training.

Amnesty International Report 2007 Overview Video