By Terence Lee / Youth Editor
Pictures by Damien Chng (Top: Teo Soh Lung recites her poem to a captivated audience.)
28th FEBRUARY, 2009 — THE SCENE seemed surreal — though it was a book launch, the event was more like a reunion of the who’s who in the Singapore activism scene of both past and present.
From grey hair to bright faces, all were there to attest to a rarely-spoken fact of Singapore history — the looming spectre of detention without trial, and of the human rights violations — beatings, torture, and psychological manipulation – that happened behind closed doors.
Kicking off the event at 3.20pm, Ethos Books publisher Fang Hoe Fang apologised for the cramped venue in which the book launch was held.
Originally scheduled to be held at the Geylang East Community Library after an initial agreement, they were later told that the application to use the library had been rejected. No reasons, however, were given for the change, he said.
The alternative location — Muse House — sits in a quiet street next to Katong Shopping Centre, by no means an accessible location. Nevertheless, the usually sparse and quiet art gallery saw quite a sensational buzz as about 130 people crammed into the small space.
“The younger ones,” as Hoe Fang put it, were told to go upstairs and watch from a projector screen. Some had to stand at the back of the room due to the obvious lack of seats. The audience was reminded not to lean against the wall for fear that the paintings, which were hung all around, would be damaged. “Admire them, or you can bring them home — for a price,” Fang quipped to laughter.
The book — Our Thoughts are Free, edited by political prisoners Tan Jing Quee, Teo Soh Lung and Koh Key Yew consists of poems and prose written by ex-Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees like the late James Puthucheary and Ho Piao, as well as the likes of Said Zahari, Francis Khoo, and Wong Souk Yee.
The ISA is a legislation that gives the Singapore government the right to arrest and imprison individuals without trail for up to two years at a time. Critics have called it a clear violation of human rights. The Singapore government maintains that the ISA is necessary to safeguard the securiy of the nation. So far, more than 100 individuals have been arrested under the ISA since Singapore’s founding in 1963.
“We must confront the question of detention without trial”
After the introduction by Hoe Fang, Jing Quee, who is the chief editor, spoke at length about the concept behind the book (left: Jing Quee speaks out as Soh Lung and Key Yew listens on).
The title came about quite accidentally, during one of the discussions when Soh Lung mentioned about the old German Song Die Gedanken Sind Frei which she used to sing while in detention. Expressing the idea of how our thoughts are free, it is a song of political struggle first used by the anti-Nazi resistance movement in Germany.
He next paid tribute to several of the authors, many of whom either passed on or migrated to another country. James Puthucheary, a passionate unionist, was detained on 3 occasions — in 1951 and in 1956 under the British Colonial government, and finally in 1963 under Operation Cold Store. He died of stroke in 2000.
Jing Quee also related how Said Zahari, the one-time editor-in-chief of the Utusan Melayu who now resides in Malaysia, used to ration the toilet paper that was given to him so that he could scribble his poems on them.
A member of the audience would remark wittingly during the question-and-answer session that it was strange that Mas Selamat could manage to use rolls upon rolls of toilet paper to soften his landing and enable his escape, drawing delirious laughter from the crowd.
“Maybe times have really changed,” he said in jest.
For Teo Soh Lung, she took a different approach from the grim and downcast poems written by some of her fellow ex-detainees. Described by Jing Quee as an accidental poet, he said that if not for the detention, Soh Lung would never have bothered writing any poetry.
But the necessity of maintaining sanity while in detention meant that Soh Lung spent her time observing the critters and animals that entered her cell. She then wrote poems based on these creatures that kept her company during her ordeal.
Rounding up his brief survey of the book, Jing Quee said:
“We cannot begin to understand the history of modern Singapore and its emergence as a nation state until we have come to face this whole question of political detention without trial — a law which is bequeathed to us by the departing colonial power…nothing can change here unless we confront this arduous legacy which we have inherited from the past. [This legacy] should rightly be assigned to the dustbin of history.”
After Jing Quee’s short survey came a screening of the video produced by the BBC detailing political refugee Francis Khoo’s ordeal and the political situation in Singapore. Francis Khoo now resides in London and is retired, having formerly worked as a solicitor in a law firm. His wife, Dr Ang Swee Chai, is a well-known author who wrote From Beirut to Jerusalem.
A short break followed after the screening. The session then resumed with readings of the poems and a short question-and-answer session to round up the whole event.
“They do take people in the middle of the night!”
The event was graced by many past ISA detainees. Lim Hock Siew, who was detained from 1963 to 1982, was present alongside Dr. Poh Su Kai. Both were arrested during Operation Cold Store. Also among the audience were other detainees from the Marxist Conspiracy, namely Kenneth Tsang, Wong Souk Yee (whose prose is featured in the book as well), and Chew Kheng Chuan, who had declined to be interviewed by TOC.
Besides the detainees, the Chee siblings from the SDP came for the event as well, along with filmmaker Martyn See and activist Seelan Palay.
A member of the audience, Mr Cheng, who is in his 70s, came to this event out of curiosity and at an invitation of a friend. Despite 
having lived through the era where ISA arrests were common, he confessed that he did not know a lot about the circumstances behind the controversies.
“We were quite shocked when the arrests happened. When the British were in power, such arrests were not strange as we were controlled by other people. But we simply could not imagine our leaders — some of whom we really worshipped — arresting our own people. We didn’t expect it,” he said in mandarin.
“What we heard out on the streets were different from what we read on the papers.”
Despite the presence of detainees who felt they were grossly mistreated by the government, the event was a relatively light-hearted affair, with much friendly banter between audience and speaker.
(Right: audience who are on the second floor watching through a projector screen.)
Kheng Chuan’s wife shared with the audience an incident that happened in school with their 15-year-old daughter who had a history lession in her school. The topic was: the culture of fear in Singapore. The teacher made a remark that while people do get sued in Singapore, they do not get taken away in the night.
The daughter replied, “They do!” Her teacher retorted, “No they don’t.” But her daughter kept insisting, even to her classmates, that “they do take people away in the middle of the night.”
“I was thinking, if there is to be another book, maybe we should name it: They do take people in the middle of the night!” she said, to cheer and applause.
For some of the detainees at least, they have put the past behind them and moved on. When asked if they still feel resentful over what had happened, Souk Yee said: “Look at me. Do I look like I’m bitter?”
Similarly, Soh Lung waved off any notion that she is still angry over the arrest. However, until today, both are still puzzled over why they were arrested for their involvement in the so-called Marxist Conspiracy.
“Honestly speaking, we could only guess. Perhaps we were really quite politically active, and the government saw us as a threat,” said Soh Lung.
Souk Yee also related to TOC about the day she was taken away and her house ransacked. When the ISD agents came over to her place, Souk Yee thought they were simply police officers who came over to address some civil complaint by a disgruntled neighbour. When quizzed about what she thought of the allegations that she was involved in a plot to topple the Singapore government by force, she said: “I found it so laughable.”
For Soh Lung, she remains skeptical over the political situation in Singapore; she does not believe that the government has become more open.
“When Goh Chok Tong talked about a more consultative society, looked at what happened with all the defamation suits? I don’t think Singapore has liberalised. Even with Lee Hsien Loong at the helm and all this talk about a lighter touch on the Internet, its still quite difficult to predict what the government might do next.”
Speaking to all idealistic youths out there, including this reporter, she said: “Better be careful at what you say. Test the boundaries if you want, but be aware of the potential consequences that might await you, especially in Singapore.”
“Our Thoughts are Free” will be available for purchase at Kinokuniya and Select Books from Tuesday (3rd March).
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The library had to renege otherwise his or her employer will ‘renege’ their employment contract….
When I read in TOC that the book launch was to be held at Geylang East Library I was very surprised. It was too good to be true. Sure enough I was informed by email that the venue was changed. I believe 99% of our life in Singapore is controlled by the PAP – from the water you drink (PUB), the news you read (ST), the road you travel(ERP), the food you buy (NTUC FP) to the MP you vote for (GRC).
This is how the PAP uses the civil service and public service staff to FIX 100% of opposition parties’ initiatives towards a genuine domocracy here.
oh, i hear someone say it’s a honest mistake and it shouldn’t have happened.
Yes, I remember Ms Teo who had her law firm down the street where I live then.
They locked her up for what they called “the marxist conspiracy”, which was during the mid80s.
I think it is good that we can finally get to hear her side of that episode.
Dear Terence
I wonder if you could be kind enough to forward our mail to her? Thanks.
http://tankinlian100k.b1.sg/?p=863
“This is how the PAP uses the civil service and public service staff to FIX 100% of opposition parties’ initiatives towards a genuine democracy here.”
This is true. In last election, PAP candidates are allow to stand next to MRT exit gate to greet, hand shake with voter. Opposition do the same, will not allowed. There are many such events as you can list them down….
The fact that the book launch was permitted, and any member of the public could attend ( not to mention the event being publicised here ), is indeed a breath of fresh air!
Perhaps it is a recognition of Singaporeans being politically mature.
If so, we can then expect more `freer thoughts’ being published, and perhaps books by opposition members easily available in bookstores.
When that happens, we would have come a long way.
Should we offer a gentle reminder to our young “that they do take people i the middle of the night”?
Maybe a reminder that Singapore has indeed moved on, would be a better idea.
A very moving report, Terence. Great pics, Damien. The mainstream media is totally silent on this event. Sigh… nothing seems to have changed.
Perhaps one day, we will be free enough to allow these ex-detainees to openly tell us their stories – without fear.
The launch of this book may be a double-edged sword. The main idea maybe to provide insight to how detainees lived their lives inside the detention camp but the easiness of getting permission from the high-handed government to launch this book should seen as an opportunity to the government to rekindle the suppression episode of political activists in the 60′s and 80′s to instil consequential fear and insecurity for current and future generations who want to join politics especially atlernative politics.
Its not good to rekindle these events no matters how oppressing it is as our youths has very little or no inklings of what exactly happened. If our youths has an unpolluted mind of past fearful events, our youths can have a fruitful political growth to bring our nation forward. Only then can we says that ‘Our Thoughts Are Truly Free’
Wake up Karl Marx, Lenin & Mao Tze Tung, the PAP is learning from you!
In today ST it is reported that a Mr Martin Tan, co-founder of Halogen Foundation Singapore has been tapped to head the revamped YP “school”. If those ex-political detainees mentioned in “Our Thoughts Are Free” are communists, they should have been awarded National Day medals and YP members should have attended the book launching on Sat. and learnt from these home-grown “communists”. No need to go to China and learn from their communists.
What is happening to LKY who was a staunch anti-communist PM and had jailed many supposedly communists in this country?
My analysis: communists are experts in political indoctrination and propaganda which the PAP had used effectively in the past 50 years and they need them even more now. The WP, SDP & SDA must learn from the PAP and remove more “Martin Tans” from the grip of the PAP.
#13
Your premise is that information has to be controlled to enable “truly free” thoughts?
THE PAPaya party afraid people to know their true face, whether their are past or present, they are so afraid their of wrongdoing ,is told the People.
Let the wrongdoing and mistake of PAPaya party brought singaporean into another
DARK age.
Let the light shine on singaporean and discover the truth.
#15, these are past fearful stories that already imprisoned the minds of our older generations for the past 4 to 5 decades, what I am suggesting is that now maybe not the right time to shaken minds of our youth with these fearful reflections that may retard the political activism in some of our youth. Let their political activisms grow without any apprehension and mature until the time when the political landscape has changed into a more responsible and people-centred one, then its the right time for them to reflect on what happen in the most deplorable part of our history that future leaders should not adopt.
@ 9, Sobri
“perhaps it is a recognition of Singaporeans being politically mature”
we still have the law on assembly of 5 or more people, banning of cycling
events not hosted by incumbents, intimidation of politicians, ST propaganda to ‘educate’ or ‘brain-wash’ , etc, etc.
don’t you think it is equally important that the ruling party is politically mature ?
“when that happens, we would have come a long way”
may i ask, come a long way from what ?
oppression, suppression, intimidation, brain-washing ?
#17) Spirit-centred on March 2nd, 2009 2.46 pm
#15, these are past fearful stories that already …………………………………………..
====================
Correct me if I am wrong. What you mean is that we should not discourage these young citizens from swimming in the sea by telling them that it is infested with man-eating sharks. Let them swim and find out themselves. Maybe, the sharks will leave them alone thinking they are well-meaning humans and not normal prey. Yes, it is a double-edged swords.Unfortunately, many parents will forbid them and friends will warn them of the danger. Will you not tell your children what happened to CSJ, JBJ, FS & TLH?
No. I will cajole my kids to make their own judgement about the history of Singapore instead of consuming the dominant narrative that is in place.
Ok, that’s it!
This have further strengthen my resolve to vote for PAP and nobody else!
17) Spirit-centred on March 2nd, 2009 2.46 pm
<>
Do you mean to say we should not tell our 18 years old soldiers that in real war bullets and shrapnel will maim and kill?
That it would be just like the movies where the heroes always end up with a sling over their shoulders and kissing the girl?
I think it’s too late now. If they are nurtured with a probing and inquisitive mind, nothing can be hidden from their desire to find the truth. From something called the Internet!
In the case of NLB rescinding their agreement to allow the use of their premises for the event, the moving of goalposts again and again to what I perceive to be selfish acts to safeguard their hegemony only serve to add more nails into the coffin holding whatever remnants of respect I still hold for the PAP!
“papsamleong”, don’t be too judgmental in your comment #25.
That place in Geylang East Community Library is too small. I had been there before. Given the crowd, and the noise such a gathering would generate, the librarian did the right thing to rescind the agreement to have it there.
Please be forgiving.
>18) mature leaders first on March 2nd, 2009 3.00 pm
I agree with you totally, that political maturity must be from both sides. Thus, one mature step by one side, should be match by a recprocative step from the other side. Only then can we develop a politically mature society that allows views from all perspectives.
>may i ask, come a long way from what ?
>oppression, suppression, intimidation, brain-washing ?
Yes, we would have come a long way from whatever baggage we have, or perceived to have. The fact that TOC is going strong, and that you and many others are not supresses or intimidated for the strong comments, shows that we have made progress.
There was a time, when I had two officers tailing me, for simply trying to do an academic project on a political party. It was in the 1960′s, and I was in government employment. Now eventhough my postings can be traced quite easily if the authorities want to, I have no qualms about putting writing my disagreements in websites.
I admit, we have still a long way to go, even to reach the standard in Malaysia right now.
I also see the need for the law on illegal assembly, to preserve the peace. If you have dealt with street-corner gangs, who are simply trying to itimidate other innocent students in neighbourhood schools, by assembling in force outside the school gates during dismissal time, you would appreciate that there is such a law.
But like a knife in the kitchen, we must know when to use it for the benefit of society…………to cut vegetables to feed the poor, or to plunge into the back of an innocent victim.
“Obama releases secret Bush anti-terror memos” read at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/terror_memos
Sobri,
“I also see the need for the law on illegal assembly, to preserve the peace. If you have dealt with street-corner gangs, who are simply trying to itimidate other innocent students in neighbourhood schools, by assembling in force outside the school gates during dismissal time, you would appreciate that there is such a law.”
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25132896-2702,00.html –> Hell, I don’t mind these punks being confined under the CLA..
CelluloidReality (#27) and Sobri (#25),
the “law on illegal assembly” is not the same as the CLA. Do not confuse the two. CLA is much more restricted – even in its current form – than the “law on illegal asembly”, which is usually the PEMA (Public Entertainment and Meetings Act) or the Societies Act.
I agree – the CLA needs to stay, although the part about detention-without-trial is unsettling, and should probably be amended. But the PEMA and the Societies Act need to be repealed or drastically reformed, so that the Government’s Political Control can be reduced.
Correction: “chop”, not “cohop”
Since MM had said that he no longer decide policies for the Govtn. and they only use his data bank.I still beleive the decision will be made by PM lee that election will be in sept.this year.
Hi Friends
Being a 61yr old, I can to some extent shed some light, hopefully and meaninglyfully
the pros and cons of Singapore’s advance to a first world status.
My view is and which I have stated a few hundred times in conversations and discussions on politics in Spore, is had our population been at least 50% non-Chinese, we would not have progressed so admirably but the trade-off is our
political awareness would be akin somewhat to Malaysia.
Each of us must admit that to be very successful, one must exercised the utmost discipline in all respects. And the Chinese Sporeans being all emigrants from
very bleak economic cum political situations in South China, have developed a
hardy strain in their outlook and nearly all strive for a improved livelihood unlike many of the natives South East Asians or elsewhere.
The religiousity of the S E Asians natives also meant that nearly all adhere to “Don’t worry, God will provide” attitude and incidentally the Muslim nations in ASEAN like their brotherhood nations in the Mid East are blessed with oil.
MM knew that majority of Chinese Sporeans would respond very exceedingly
well to economic baits and be prepared to trade it off with lesser political freedom. More than half of the PAP’s serious political opponents up to the late 80s were non-Chinese Sporeans, with Indian Sporeans being the more prominent. The Chinese Sporeans being dominant in commerce and trades, they definitely do not welcome frequent “rocking of the cradle”.
And since the early 90s, increasingly more Sporeans, probably more than 80% being Chinese Sporeans have acheived the 5 Cs and those already well-established will definitely want to protect the status quo. The “law & order” prominence of Spore has also since the past decade attract increasingly richer foreigners, particularly our Asean neighbours whom also seek the protection of the Sing Dollar which will continually stand haead and shoulders above their own
currencies.
My take is younger Sporeans be courageous to dish out CONSTRUCTIVE criticism towards the govt. But just remember that the cake is already baked and it is only the icing that needs variation, whether strawberries be replaced with blueberries, raisins & nuts be replaced with almonds & plums, vanilla creame replaced with mint-green creame, etc..
It will also take a longer time to bake a new cake with different icings as the speedy style of the PAP is liken to ten people sitting down to dinner and one appointed diner simply gives an order of ten plates of chicken rice with the waiter accepting the order in less than 10seconds. It would probably take more than a minute for the order to be taken correctly if each diner is allowed to place his/her choice of food. Thus, the quick implementation of prjects which translated into the rapid growth of Spore.
Unlike many other countries, Spore has always been not more haste less speed but less hassle more haves.
Abel Tan
From Beirut to Jerusalem was written by Thomas L. Friedman, the author who penned The World is Flat.
Unabel
Your opening sentence is already wrong. SG is NOT, I repeat NOT, ‘first world status’.
Unabel
Your opening sentence is already wrong. SG is NOT, I repeat NOT, ‘first world status’. Just getting some Western developers to build skyscrapers & roads here does not make the country advance to first world status. People in 1st world country do not fear who they vote, what they speak & oh, food poisoning.
Unabel
Your opening sentence is already wrong. SG is NOT, I repeat NOT, ‘first world status’. Just getting some Western developers to build skyscrapers & roads here does not make the country advance to first world status. People in 1st world country do not fear who they vote, what they speak & oh, food poisoning from lack of hygiene.