On 21 May 1987, Operation Spectrum swung into action.
A total of 22 people were detained under the Internal Security Act in two different operations – one in May and another in June.
Those arrested were subsequently accused of being involved in a “Marxist Conspiracy” to overthrow the Singapore government.
In this special feature week, The Online Citizen re-looks the events of 1987 with reports, write-ups, interviews and going back to the archives to see how the local broadsheet, The Straits Times, reported the events then.
“Although I had no access to state intelligence, from what I knew of them, most were social activists but not out to subvert the system.”
(Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 2001, Straits Times).
The detainees were never brought to trial.
For My Friends
Do not feel guilty because I am here
For guilt has no place in your heart or mine
Do not feel sad because I am here
For sadness too has no place in your heart or mine
Do not think I am bitter because you have gone home
For such thoughts show your ignorance of me
Do not think I am demoralized because you have gone home
For by such thoughts you insult me
I am happy that you are released
I am confident that you will see better days
I am confident that you will overcome all pains
I am confident that I will see you one day
Teo Soh Lung
Ex-detainee, wrote this poem after her friends were freed from jail when they abandoned legal proceedings.
March 1989
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how to say who is right and who is wrong
Hi TOC,
My sincere opinions are as follows.
The PAP old-guards had committed many mistakes in the past decades. Amongst the most glaring was the Marxist conspiracy where ISA was misused to destroy the young lives who happened to be idealists and who wanted to change Singapore through the Workers’ Party. In one fell swoop, the legs of WP were cut off and JBJ was alone again.
Show trials like those we see in Cultural Revolution China were used by our MSM to justify why these young people should be locked up.
The misguided action of the PAP wiped out any chance of any idealistic Singaporeans of my generation from seriously considering politics (except through PAP) as a means of helping Singapore to advance. That is why the actions of the present opposition old guards like Low Thia Kiang /Chiam See Tong/Lee Siew Choe /JBJ are all the more remarkable considering the real dangers they faced in those times.
It is only after about 2 decades after collective memory of such farcical trials had faded that young people like TOC and YoungWP ( and SDP) are willing to stand up again.
So was 20 years of apathy good for PAP? Was it good for Singapore?
I hear that the top-level in PAP have mixed feelings about some of their past actions and are willing to try new ways, but although some of us can forgive but how many can forget?
I sincerely hope that the PAP can reform for the good of our nation.
I hope that the victims of Op Spectrum will find closure and move on with engaging with our government constructively so that such “mistakes” can be avoided for the sakes of our children.
Yup, nothing like a total despotic govt to stay in power by rigging the elections by gerrymandeering, and buying votes with HDB upgrading schemes etc. to also rigging the judiciary and the law enforcement and security processes to put innocents behind bars without trial and corrupting the course of justice. The Tengku should have put LKY behind bars under the ISA Act and Sedition Act when in Malaysia so that he would have known what it was like. Then maybe we wld have been rid of him, for good. There were many other capable leaders around.
# Dr Huang,
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I do not believe that. The great despot will never admit to any error, never apologise, never show any sympathy and totally has no feelings at all for anybody except for his own immediate family. He will never back down, back off. Look at the messy losses at GIC and Temasek – have you heard him or his henchmen confess that they had been a tad hasty,precipitous? All you ever heard was pronouncements as if from Mount Sinai which the docile and subservient main stream media and TV networks quickly lapped up without further incisive questioning. LKY has such total control in Singapore over everything by his rule of fear that like the old banyan tree, nothing under it grows, not even weeds. Only over his dead body will the vitality and strength of Singapore’s political life re-emerge. His son does not hold a candle to him and is nothing but an ordinary sissy ex-General and a geek who wld have preferred that his father hadnt pushed him into political life.
Kingrant:
You may be right but then I am a hopeless and recalcitrant optimist.
Where there is life there is hope.
I totally understand why you feel the way you do.
Even after how badly Temasek had performed, the MSM was still talking about “long term investments”. Temasek bought BOA high and sold low and had already realised losses of billions and MSM tell us of long term investments as if these were mere paper losses!
Just admit that Temasek’s honchos are no better than the rest of us!
#Dr Huang,
“You may be right but then I am a hopeless and recalcitrant optimist.
Where there is life there is hope.”
What are you hoping for?? That PAP overnight becomes so benevolent as to decide to recant for their past sons, show remorse and share power? Newton 3rd law says, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. LKY himself admitted so much about how he felt on the way he is treating his adversaries when he said that he is a Social Darwinist. I take it that he meant he emerged the hard way and has kept himself above and ahead of his opponents by being as wily as a fox and courageous as a lion ( to quote from Machiavelli, to which LKY also subscribed). So as long as he lives, I dont expect any leeway. Post-Lee however, will be different. The PAP -sans Old Guards – I see to be weaker, much less street savvy, and untested in the cauldrons of real political battles. Somebody will emerge, someone not nec from PAP. I too think that social darwinism can cut both ways, and that eventually out of the repressive climate there will evolve a stronger, fitter and maybe even more ruthless and dirtier Party led by a powerful orator and manipulator that will capture the political stage and trash the PAP into history’s dustbin. Lee has said that if you want to take him on, fight him in the political arena. He’ll meet you in the cul-de-sac with knuckle-dusters. So that someone has to meet him there, with ninchakkus or mace or parang. If possible, plan an ambush, play as dirty as one can, and take no prisoners! For he wouldnt.
It just hit me that in our political history, the only one who was never imprisoned was the despot. Was it because he has always played according to the rules and law or was it because be was a shrewed weasal to would do anything ti achieve his objection. Which includes even destroying those who helped him in the early days.
LKY was an Marxist Activist during his younger days ! PAP was an communist party before independence. He just ride the tiger of communist ideas to gain power and dispose it later! He also fear Marxist Ideas of Class Displacement hunt him later on.
That nothing wrong with Karl Marx ideas but its applications without realising human selfishness!
There is some truths in Marxism abt the fault of Capitialism. Like the recent financial crises. The greedy Capitalists will induced the normal consumers to ever consume thru credit till it lost is equlibrium.
To understand Economic, there are 3 books to reas and normal degree holders can’t even understands!
Adam Smith – Wealth of Nations
Karl Marx – Das Capital
Keynasian Theory of Economic
Thank you both Dr Huang and Kingrant about your courageous stand and letting us know how you feel through your incisive blogs above.However, looking on the bright side, i can safely forecast the following to take place in the next decade or so:-)—(1) Between 2009–2012—-the demise of LKY;safely buried and gone for good;;(2)Betweeen2012–2015—-the process of a split into 2 or 3 factions in the PAP;;(3)Between 2015–2019—-the rise of a strong opposition party to seize power from the PAP;;Now, dear friends and all those who value Freedom, lets work courageously towards the attainment of this goal.Lets face it 10 years down the road and 2 elections more is not a long time to wait CHEERS
Wake up Idea budamx1952!
By the time 2020-30, the Chinese PRCs will have Overall Majority to take over PAP as compare to the Gutless Singaporeans.
Singapore is just one of the outpost for China Empire just like during British Empire!
LKYism will still apply for China Empire that time, not democracy, liberity and freedom!
By 2030, foreigners who have taken up citizenship or permanent resident status will outnumber local Singaporeans. These people are smarter, more daring and couldn’t care two hoods about the laws or the in-laws. They would rise as a power to grab the leadership of this tiny red dot.
Papees are the wolves in white while these foreigners are the foxes. The foxes will outwit the wolves hands down. Plus they would have better financial standing and great foreign powers supporting them from behind. That would be the demise of the PAP and the eradication of cult of LKY.
So, like what ‘TrueBlood Singaporean’ has said above, I too believe that the kiasu and kiasi local Sinkaporeans will never be able to even have the slightest chance of the freedom and the democracy they are now dreaming for.
Dream On …… Wake Up!
I sense that this 1987 Marxist Conspiracy is the aftermath of Tan Wah Piow Incident.
Both incidents occurred within a short period of time.
TOC, why don’t you interviewed Tan Wah Piow during this anniversary and may get some “udnsiclosed” nuggest fo information not reported elsewhere?
Adn do try to interview the Catholic Church on those chappies who were invovled.
Can you list out the names of all those 22 detainees and where they are now?
TrueBlood Singapoean!;;;;;I guess the glass for you is always half empty!!Let me ask you this: How long did it take Obama to become president?He was relatively unknown just a few years ago til he gave a speech at a Democratic party convention and look at where he is now ;the most powerful person on earth; How did he do it?Not by being in a semi-depressed,unmotivated,whining state ,did he? Now you call Singaporeans Gutless ; please Bro dont assume everybody is like that just because u feel that way;;I stand by what i have said earlier that in about 10 years or so we will be able to kick out the PAP with our modern educated, courageous Singaporean who is fully attuned to the new globlised world
Hi Lai CF,
We have been trying to get in touch with Tan Wah Piow for an interview in London. Our TOC International head Donaldson Tan is working on this. We are waiting for a positive response.
Zheng Xi
knn, ccb, the gov so cruel. The webmaster going to delete this as usual.
We can have video of the live interview, and post in youtube for the whole world to see.
Thanks for the response Zheng Xi.
One of ‘em Chia BT is a successful professional, setting up his own engineering businesses with AMerican and Japanese MNC hsi major clients, after his release.
You can surfed Professional Engineers Board to look at his CV.
I believed he went to UK to study in the ealry-80s (Southbank Polytechnic I think).
Check his backgorund and who he worked for before he went to Uk to study (I think he is a polytechnic graduate then)..it will be most interesting background reading.
cheers.
Did Goh Chok Tong aplogise?
Would PAP apologise for this action and admist to its errors?
Pay a token sum to those who were wrongly incarcerated?
When they do that, it would be similar to Nazis apologising for their war crimes.
Like Dr Huang, I too believe it is a matter of time when the govt come out and apologise if they were indeed wrong and this TOC ‘special’ is not just a figment of their imagination. . I believe our govt is a govt of God, love and compassion and truth will come out.
On that day, we wouold have matured, heal our wounds and really really move forward.
I wonder.
if there is a “Freedom of Informaiton” Acts, will all these “Marxist Cosnpiracy” archvies be declassified for historians to cauterised this wound and starts the healing process?
I
The PAP government would do well to show some remorse over their actions just like Willy Brandt who publicly apologised in Poland for German atrocities against the Jews.