Wednesday, May 20, 2009 16:15
29 July 1987: Chiam’s finest hour (part one)
In Main Stories, Truth/Propaganda? • 2,834 views • 45 Comments
“You have got powers of detention without trial. You say you want security. But there are also other important considerations for our country. We have to ask the question: What sort of Singapore do you really want? You have to tell the people. Do we want a Singapore where only because of a slight dissent against the Government, people are arrested? Do you want a country that has a widespread fear, apathy?”
When Parliament sat on July 1987, Mr Chiam See Tong tabled a motion calling for the release of the alleged Marxist conspirators detained in May of that year. He was then the only opposition Member of Parliament (MP), JB Jeyaretnam having run into legal trouble the year before. It thus fell upon him to call for the detainees’ release in Parliament.
For a full day, Parliament debated the motion he tabled:
“That this House calls upon the Government to release immediately the 15 persons detained under the Internal Security Act for allegedly being involved in a Marxist plot to destabilise the Government.”
As People’s Action Party (PAP) MPs lined up to speak against the detainee’s release, he stood his ground. However, the conclusion was a foregone one.
To add injury to the insult of defeat, his motion was amended to congratulate the government:
“That this House supports the prompt action of the Government in arresting those involved in the Marxist conspiracy and supports the Government’s intention to release them as soon as they are rehabilitated and are unlikely to resume their subversive activities”.
The Online Citizen reproduces transcripts from the sittings. They have been edited for brevity.
Parliamentary sitting, 29 July 1987
Mr Chiam See Tong: …Well, when I say the truth, it hurts.
We look at the charges. They are supposed to have used Communist united front tactics to establish a Marxist state in Singapore. I cannot see how this Government is to prove this. It is just impossible. That is the reason why you do not bring them to court. It will be thrown out in the first minute of the proceedings. All this, of course, sounds very sinister to the public at large who do not really know the true facts. They only read what is told to them in the papers, over the TV, stage, question and answer sessions. If you are so confident, why do you not put all these 15, right from the beginning, before the international press; not now maybe, but right from the beginning and let them answer as they like?
As far as I know, these questions were never put to any of them in public. They were on TV. “Are you a Marxist? Are you a member of the Communist Party of Malaysia?” Were these questions put to them? Had they said, “Yes, I am a Marxist. I am member of the Communist Party of Malaysia.”, maybe we can say that they are dangerous people. But they are just intellectuals, idealists, young. I am sure most of the first generation leaders were like that when they were young. They were all socialists to some extent, to some colour. What is wrong with that? When you are young, you are full of ideals. But later on in life, most change. So just because they are idealistic, you punish them for it. All right, you have already pointed out their mistakes. They have admitted. They have now regained their senses. Why do you still put them in prison?
In order to establish a Marxist state in Singapore, do you really know what that means? It means that these people are like captains. They are all at battle-ready stations. When the signal is given, they will all marshall up and go to battle. If there is a signal given by Tan Wah Piow by telephone or telex or fax or whatever, “All right, tomorrow, 12 o’clock, ready.” Do you think all of them will be ready and go? They will say, “Hey, Tan Wah Piow, go slow. Tomorrow I have got to go to work. I’ve got a meeting at the Catholic Welfare Centre. There is a maid there I have to take care.” How are these people going to establish a Marxist state in Singapore? I cannot see it, you know. Unless they are committed Communists, “I am a member. I obey the command. I can execute it.”, they cannot establish a Marxist state. These people are just like you and me. Go for Saturday night dinners.
Mr Chandra Das: Speak for yourself!
Mr Chiam See Tong: We have our games on Wednesday or whatever night and other social functions. They are not ready with arms and all the whole paraphernalia of carrying out a revolution. If the question were put to them, “Are you a member of the Communist Party of Malaysia?”, I can lay a bet that each of them will say, “No”.
Mr Ng Kah Ting: Is it the Communist Party of Malaysia?
Mr Chiam See Tong: No, Communist Party of Malaya. I also had the benefit of reading only one equivalent of a charge sheet, only one out of the 15, not all. There is nothing in it. This particular person, under Allegations of Fact, is supposed to facilitate infiltration of the Workers’ Party by a certain Marxist group and also to help them to use the Workers’ Party as a vehicle for their Marxist objectives.
The other charge is that, together with another lawyer, they are supposed to have used the Law Society to make it into a pressure group. These two charges are so frivolous, shall I say, so rubbishy, that I think no court would give a conviction. The reasons this Government has given in the past as to why they were never hauled to court are that their activities were clandestine and it was difficult to get evidence for them to give in the normal open court, and also that witnesses coming to testify against these people are liable for assassination. This one is difficult to believe. I do not think Teo Soh Lung or anyone will get somebody to assassinate the witness who comes forward and testifies against her. If you are talking of people that we do not know, maybe we will give you the benefit of the doubt. But you are talking of people we know. It is just impossible for any of them to be getting people to kill any of the witnesses. This is the most far- fetched reason that the Government has given. Of course the third reason is not an issue, ie, religious extremism and people who indulge in Communism and communalism. If they are brought to open court, the publicity and the rhetoric would inflame the situation and create more racial hatred. But that is not an issue. If you have got a case – I am not repeating what the other people are saying, I am saying it myself – you should bring them to court. The fact is that you do not. You do not have a case.
What is the case against them? What evidence do you have? Although the Government has been saying, “Yes, we have evidence, otherwise we would not have arrested them.” What evidence? You tell me. There is no evidence. The only evidence is their own confession. That is all. Any court of law would throw out this kind of a confession. You arrested them at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning, hauled them roughly to their offices, searched them, treated them very roughly and brought them to the Internal Security Department, not allowing them to contact anyone. No lawyers and no relatives were allowed to talk to them, at least for the first initial stage. They were interrogated, continuous interrogation. The Government says there is no torture. But this is a form of torture. Continuous interrogation is a form of torture.
According to reports in the papers, one of them has been interrogated for 72 hours continuously. Perhaps maybe the Minister could clarify all these points. I should be grateful if you would allow me to talk to these people who are under detention.
There were allegations that some of them were held in a very small room underground, totally dark, no windows, and the room was lit by an electric bulb which was never turned off. These are all reports that I read. Of course, this is being done, interrogation in a cold room, air-conditioned room. One of them even had water poured over him. Can you imagine the cold? They were interrogated under these conditions. I did not watch all the television programmes in which they were interviewed. I watched the last one. I notice that a question was put to one of them, Tang Fong Har, a lawyer, “How do you feel now?” She hesitated. She had to search and think of an answer to make sure that she gave the correct answer. From the television programme that I saw, it was so obvious that a lot of editing was done. When they continued to say a lot of good things in their favour, it was cut off. When they were saying something which implicated them, all right, there was a close-up view, zoomed. We are all living in the 1980s. Everybody knows this thing. You cannot hide anything. Nobody will believe you. What evidence? There are a few letters of exchange between Tan Wah Piow and a few of them. I think there must be a lot of people having letters of exchange, what they can and cannot do against the Government. But does that exchange of letters justify their further imprisonment after you have put them through such humiliating situations? You have already broken them down. What more do you want? You have got more than your pound of flesh.
Perhaps the Minister could confirm that there was no continuous interrogation for 72 hours. I read somewhere that there was one girl who was interrogated for 12 hours, and she broke down. Really she broke down. Why? There were signs. She vomitted, got sick. She just could not take it any more. I think there must be hospital records to show that she was admitted to hospital. Poor thing. She could hardly, I suppose, walk, not to say, run. And she was handcuffed to the bed. Why the need to handcuff her? The poor girl was already sick and suffering, and you handcuffed her. Is she a common criminal? She is not a common criminal. In fact, all of them are not common criminals. They should not be arrested in the way they were arrested. I am sure a telephone call to any one of them, and they would gladly come to the Internal Security Department and cooperate with them in any way they wanted. Don’t treat them like criminals. They are not.
What is their real crime? To my mind, their real crime is that they are against the Party in power…
You have got powers of detention without trial. You say you want security. But there are also other important considerations for our country. We have to ask the question: What sort of Singapore do you really want? You have to tell the people. Do we want a Singapore where only because of a slight dissent against the Government, people are arrested? Do you want a country that has a widespread fear, apathy? Do you want to continue with your authoritarian rule? Is this the Singapore you want? I know there is apathy in Singapore. I walk around a lot of places in Singapore. There is a lot of apathy.
The PAP is purported to want to have freedom because they want to fight colonialism. They want to be independent. They want to be free. What is colonialism? Of course, the classic definition of colonialism is one power ruling another country by force. They are made the subject people of a country that is in power. But more importantly, what are the characteristics of colonialism? When we talk of colonialism these days, we do not mean one country ruling another country because there are very few left. The characteristics of colonialism are fear, apathy, lack of democracy. These are the more important aspects. If we want really to get rid of colonialism in our midst although we are supposed to be independent, we should get rid of all these characteristics. Then we can really progress. There must be a free exchange of ideas. Just because somebody stands up and says something different from you, you thumb him down. It is no different from the early days of Galileo. He said, “You know, I can look into the sky.” All the church members at that time were very angry with him, “How dare you! That is heaven.” If there are no people like Galileo, how can the world progress? Similarly, in Singapore, there must be people with differing opinions. If everybody thinks like you, then I do not know where we are going.
We have reached, of course, a certain stage of affluence. We have. But as the former President has said, we have got no soul. If a man has no soul, then it is really not worth living. If a man has lost his soul, of course, he has lost everything. Is there a soul in Singapore?
—–
Read also:
Operation Spectrum – 22 years later
Passion for activism extinguished… but not for long
May 1987 – A conspiracy un-proved
TOC Exclusive: Teo Soh Lung – In her own words (Part One)
The Marxist Conspiracy – Not forgetting the evil things that have already been done (Ravi Philemon)
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Also:
“Marxist Conspiracy” revisited
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Related posts:
45 Comments
Daniel
Zefly (aka Joshua Chiang)
Wow Chiam got guts!
iliveinuk@uk.com
Chiam is truly a man i respect. I sincerely hope more will rise up like him to take up the mantle after he is gone.
I believe these catholics were arrested for a reason far greater than just a “marxist” conspiracy. They probably had something the government wanted that they refused to give up. Maybe the holy grail or something
Dreamer
Here is the reason why opposition members should be in Parliament not outside of it. If TOC gets 10 new readers for every existing reader every month, and half of these new readers are convinced of the need for alternative voices, we can raise our hopes higher that a GRC will be sending an opposition team into parliament.
Wynnx
Wow! My respect for Mr Chiam has gone up another notch after reading this article!
Daniel
It is no doubt to me that the reason there is Marx conspiracy is mainly because these people helping the opposition party and want to create a fairer election system, reasons like communist or make-up stuff are just excuse for persecution.
prettyplace
Some people will have to live without a soul…..forever and ever….
Do they repent….or will they repent….
What will they do to repent…..
I wonder how the officers who carried out the detention feel now….
Their In-Charge who gave the orders….
The ones who edited the video clips…
The cold water treaters….
I wonder what their kids are doing now…
afetr 20 years….most of them must have grown up….
Do they know what their fathers or mothers were involved in…
Or do these order following robots even wonder…
What they have done to Singapore’s future…
How they have taken away a generation…
I hope they are at least happy to see where we are now as Singapore…
Not for long ….these people will see a worst Singapore….
The bright idea of materialism….not to kiss your wage increases good-bye…
has stopped for you all….
The Idea which kept you afloat has gone…..THE CURSE…has began….
Try this economic crisis….it is going to teach all of you a lesson….never to forget….
After selling your soul completely….to whom you know…..and yet if you can’t put food on your table…..you will know….the curse has caught up with you….
This is the most beautiful way repression can pay you back….
LOL
That was a really good energetic speech
Stranger
Dreamer@4: Oppostion GRC need to raise at least $13000 per candidate to stand in eletion. How to raise? Talk is easy, but who got money? Who wanna give money?
ACACIA
Well I hope those PAP MPs’ who spoke against Chiam are reading this, I’m sure they are and are regreting their actions. The facts are now speaking in another medium, the “softcopy” . Lee , the elder, is now very uncomfortable in his chair reading this, and perhaps too when he goes will keep turning in his grave, cause the whole truth of the PAP is coming to fore. He knows he or the present government can’t do anything about it. Keep up the good work TOC.
Angelina
If not for the internet, there won’t be TOC, Wayang party, bloggers, forumers etc and without them, Singaporeans will never get to know things they should know, never get to hear the other side of the story and never get to see the true colours of those in power. I wonder how those who were shocked by my comment that Straits Times is biased and full of propaganda think about it now, I wonder how ST can still win awards after awards.
Well done TOC for enlightening many ignorant people esp. the younger generation.
The Holy Grail was the desire of the people then – what they had was their Holy Writ ; aka Marxist Conspiracy – which they tried hard to force upon those naive citizens and went about grilling innocent people,
The aspects of colonalism : fear , apathy and lack of democracy as uttered by Chiam See Tong are what Singaporeans must strive to rid off.
Daniel
“I wonder how ST can still win awards after awards.”
Because they are essentially giving awards to themselves, after all they are part of a big happy family.
Well Written
You have further earned my respect Mr Chiam. Despite hearing about you for years, this is the first time I have heard of this story.
Please continue the good work that you have done to Singaporeans.
You will always have my support!
Well done TOC… we need more such great articles from you guys!
hmmm
Thank you TOC.
Thank you Chiam See Tong.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission needs to be set up for all those unfairly persecuted by the ISA. I have every reason to believe that the 1987 arrests set back the development of civil society in Singapore for at least two decades.
It was also a funeral for idealism, with the PAP ideologues toasting each other.
OnlyMe
It is high time the media give coverage to Mr Chiam who deserves it more than the president or WKS. ST never will just because he is oppo member, so well done, TOC!
brainwave
CHIAM SEE TONG FOR PRESIDENT !!!
CHIAM SEE TONG FOR PRESIDENT !!!
CHIAM SEE TONG FOR PRESIDENT !!!
if only Singaporeans can vote to select their President.
aiyoyo
aiyoyo
need more of this type of ELITE! (like Chiam)
aiyoyo
gemami
In the whole of Singapore, Mr Chiam See Tong is the man I respect most. I tell you why.
There was once, after a squash match at Potong Pasir and my friends and i headed to our car but to our horror we realised that we have left the car keys inside the car. We went round the corner to see if Mr Chiam could help us and you know what he did? He told us to go home, leave down our phone numbers, leave the car there – and he will call us in the morning to come and get it. He gave assurance that nothing will happen to our car.
Which PAP MP would do this?
IMS
CST is really a kind man, he fought for injustice while some of the PAP MPs did not check their conscience. I really hope you can leave Potong Pasir, pass it to your next gen leader and move to take on a GRC and defeat one of the ministers and change the landscape of Singapore.
Wanna
#aiyoyo
Poh Da!………….He can be President in Potong Pasir only!
cheersforchiam
Wow the man has guts. I never knew he actually called the PAP pp authoritarian to their face! Wonder how he managed to be an opp MP for so long without being smacked?
cheersforchiam
here is the amnesty report for ISD actions pre-1980s:
http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2007/02/life-in-singapores-political-prisons.html
very hsien
Chandra Das liked to shout from his seat with cynical remarks when opposition members speak. his behaviour was most immature and unbecoimg as a mp.
but he has been duly rewarded with lucrative GLC posting. He has got what he wanted.
T
You can read an account of this from Francis Seow’s book,”To catch a tartar”. A review of the book is available on amazon as well as on this blog: http://mindbloggingstuff.blogspot.com/2004/07/lee-kuan-yew-that-very-few.html
I’m not sure how much is true, but certainly one has to read both sides of the story to judge for oneself. The book presents it from Francis Seow’s side.
Alan Wong
If the arrrests had indeed been wrongfully made, does this mean that those who give the orders are actually criminals in the eyesof the law ?
To put someone in jail based on some drummed up charges, away from their loved ones, is to me damn cruel.
If this ruthless person is still alive, should he redeem himself for his crimes against humanity ?
Dreamer
#9 Stranger, Opp Party are already contesting some GRCs, now the question is how to make their contest an effective one. And I feel, rather than have PAP backbenchers who are practically spectators in parliament, it will be better for the opp team who has the courage to speak to be there. And reports like this will seriously help to present the credible side of the opp parties
Jim Raynor
PAP is exposed. lol.
Finally…
doctorwho
Is the “To Catch A Tartar” book available in singapore bookstore? I would like to read it during my idle times like long MRT journeys, lol.
Thanks.
tank
Ng Kah Ting? The PAP had him to thank for losing Hougang in 1991. His screw ups when he was MP for Punggol (where the Hougang SMC boundaries used to be under) accumulated and with Tang Guan Seng putting the final nail in the coffin by further screw ups, it landed in the WP’s hands for so many years.
Anon
Shame Shame Singapore!
I wish for the day when our sons and daughters get to read about this – the TRUE version – during their History class.
Daniel
“Ng Kah Ting? The PAP had him to thank for losing Hougang in 1991. ”
We have Ng Kah Ting to thank because for every screwup of PAP, it give us hope, the hope of waking us from make-believe world.
joe
doctor who
i think you can only purchase the book in malaysia. but it was published so long ago, they may not carry its stock anymore.
good luck finding though
#22) cheersforchiam
‘ Wow the man has guts. I never knew he actually called the PAP pp authoritarian to their face! Wonder how he managed to be an opp MP for so long without being smacked?’
………………………………………………….
I think LKY realised CST has got his facts right and didn’t meddle in sensitive matters related to the LKY’s family, so Chiam was not hit by a sledge hammer like JBJ and CSJ.
Chiam is the only person who had sued the PAP for defamation and won. It was settled out of court. LKY told the three ministers/members to pay up. It was reported they paid Chiam $20K each.
Why did LKY think the PAP has no chance of winning the case when the PAP/government has never lost a court case?
Nisha
President? I’d much prefer to have him as our P.M. From what i’ve read about the role of the President in Singapore, he has the same amount of power the Attorney-General has in Australia. Which really isn’t much.
Mohamad Hamim
Long live Chiam See Tong………..
aiyoyo
aiyoyo
really need more ELITEs like Chiam!
aiyoyo
Chiam See Tong « Fragmented Angel
[...] See: Chiam’s Finest Hour Part I. [...]
alibaba
PAP not only no soul, but no hearts as well. No wonder kena burnt lah. Then the other one soon kena sued by the table tennis coach.
notalone
We need people like CST to stand up for Singapore.
We dont need P65 hip hop dancers, we dont need politicians going down to Zouk, we dont need fully lavish government buildings and facilities, we dont need MUPs, we dont need Elected President, we don’t need GRCs, we don’t need ‘pay me highly or i won’t serve whole heartedly’ ministers…
We need a sense of belonging, a sense of ‘proud to be Singaporean’. We need a ‘fear-me-not but respectable Government’ here in Singapore.
We need Singapore to be alive, to have a soul that connects.
Raja Gopalingam
If Chiam is not considered by some as Aggressive enough, these people too have not been able to achieve what Chiam has accomplished in his career.
This implies 2 things at least:
1. There is a real shortage of talents to speak up for the alternative 33%.
2. Many people conveniently criticise opposition members when they cannot even compare with a ‘less than aggressive’ alternative leader.
Lai CF
After reading this, it si sadder that left SDP when the CEC ousted him.
Iamgine, without Chee Soon Juan in 1989………..
Charles Stewart Lee
@notalone #40
Great post!
CST needs some real ammo that appeals to any Singaporean in these tough times.
Things that will provide people with real solutions to hurdles they face everyday.
Actions that will sway their votes and increase their calls for real benefit to Singapore.
Charles Stewart Lee
Well obviously, CST has the support of the people in his ward.
There are good people trying to manage Singapore’s pathway too. I just hope that whatever actions and policies they take is for the good of the country and not at the expense of the spirit of the people.
Even though I am overseas now, being born and spending my first 10 yrs in Singapore is something that has undeniably forged a fierce patriotism for Singapore.
Singaporeans are VERY creative, inventive and durable. The source of Singapore’s future growth are ideas that can be nurtured and originated from Singaporeans. Government, please remember that the people are what gives a country its soul. Do what is in the best interests of the people, address their concerns, listen to their gripes, take criticisms constructively, provide them the dignity and respect they deserve and economic challenges will get addressed because of the resilience and character of the Singaporean people.
Reverse the Brain Drain of Singaporeans leaving the country.
I hope it is apparent to the Government that the fact the people ‘complain’ like we do is because this feedback indicates that the people really love the country.
After all, people only air concerns so honestly and passionately because they really care about this Little Red Dot. By criticizing constructively, does this not show that people are very engaged and really care.
Isn’t this a hallmark of Democracy?
Tan Wah Piow: Let the people judge « Jacob 69er
[...] TOC’s series of articles from May 2009 here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and [...]
Wow, please expose more.
I never remember reading such brutal truth in my life time. Shi-tty time deliver those S-H-I-T of Propaganda then and that everyone believe then.