By Choo Zheng Xi / Editor-at-large
On 6 March 2010, Mr Gopalan Nair asserted that sources had informed him that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had suffered a massive heart attack and had been warded in intensive care at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Less than a day later, after exciting interest across the whole blogosphere, Mr Nair admitted that it was a hoax.
Whatever political point Mr Nair was trying to make by his despicable joke is likely to be overshadowed by the backlash against Mr Nair from ordinary Singaporeans.
Mr Nair’s initial post was picked up by almost a dozen blogs, making the headlines on several popular Singaporean websites.
In response to Mr Nair’s post, TOC sent out requests for two of our writers to be on standby to attend Monday’s parliamentary sitting and look out for motorcades or unusually tight security at SGH. We also asked all our writers to closely monitor online forums like Channelnewsasia, Sammyboy, the comment sections of Temasek Review, and several public Facebook groups for leads.
TOC also emailed the Prime Minister’s office, wrote to Mr Nair requesting a phone interview, and contacted several sources who have connections to SGH.
All this turned out to be a waste of energy, and many involved in chasing Mr Nair’s wild goose felt outraged.
Wasted interest and effort aside, it is completely tasteless to deliberately lie about someone’s death regardless of how much you despise him.
TOC has been a consistent proponent of community moderation, arguing that the abuse of free speech in the form of spreading deliberate misinformation has the potential to cement the public’s perception of the internet as untrustworthy. Further, it provides the Government with the best excuse to regulate the internet to prevent such misinformation from spreading.
TOC has never held back from attacking the government’s positions or questioning public authority, but we have always made these criticisms on the basis of our belief in contributing to a political culture of transparency and accountability. Deliberate misinformation from any side of the political aisle is inimical to that culture.
Mr Nair, who styles himself a “Singapore dissident”, should know that no dissident from even the most repressive dictatorships would deliberately put out blatant lies that can be easily debunked. All this would do is undermine the credibility of the dissident in question.
That should be Mr Nair’s fate.
Mr Nair, when revealing his hoax, asked:
“Is it not stupid that a mere blog like mine, which is not a major newspaper and not a news source of any major importance can be taken so seriously and cause such worry and uncertainly?”
The online community could do Mr Nair a favor by taking him at his word now and completely ignoring anything else he has to say. We would be stupid indeed to do otherwise.
Gopalan Nair’s orginal blog post, which he updated on Monday to reflect that it had all been a grand hoax, as well as his latest blog post, which effectively makes a mockery of all those who believed him:
___________________________________________________
Comic insert courtesy of the Singaporean Says blog
_____________________________________________________________________
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
It’s one thing to be a no fan of the MIW but a man of integrity must never resort to fabrications of any sort for any purpose. We leave such low level tactics to their likes; i.e., even if the MIW is capable of such too. Credibility is key to any professional discourse.
This GN is done. He just committed social suicide. So much for the mantra of finding out the truth on his blog and claiming of setting up his legal business in the US. How do you expect any client/associates/friends to believe you if you pull such a stunt? Really really stupid.
It’s good for Gopalan to admit it’s a hoax.
We now know that he is a joker and not to be taken seriously. His imprison in Singapore was also a big joke.
Salute to Gopalan. He is showing what a tiny Blog of anyone else can do to the whole community.
Treat it as a lesson to learn.
totally agree with Kumantong .. a tiny blog can do so much .. imagine how much more a national newspaper like the ST which is pretty much read by all citizens can do!! Again there shouldbe the double the outrage for all the lies/propaganda in the national media!
I cannot believe that a lawyer would make such tasteless “joke”. It says a lot about his character!
harry, are you 12 years old?
what makes you think that lawyers or politicans are not evil and arrogant people?
jeesh.
the only fool here is you.
gopalan nair is just another fat bald angry old man.
now all plp talking
Not only has this man cracked a sick joke (you don’t joke about death unless you are doing black comedy), he has also shot himself in the foot. He’s gained a lot of attention that’s for sure. But he won’t be getting much more attention after this. His credibility has vanished into thin air- yes, just like that. That’s not just his political credibility.
Also, did he take positions on the Singapore stock market? Did he go short on Singapore?
You should read his response and admittance of the hoax – how imaginative he was about the effects of his blog….
He said that the stock markets jittered and caused tightened security at SGH.
Question: His post was made on Friday night after the market closed and he said the stock market jittered….by pure imagination?
SGH security tightened? Where? Photos? People’s accounts? Where? Another imagination.
Once again, he has proven himself to be of great vivid imaginations like what he did at the elections office years ago….claiming that he submitted somewhere when he didn’t.
I think he needs to seek treatment for schizophrenia before he see dark figures of special forces trying to assasinate him at night….
Hansen… this expressed my shock that someone who should uphold high standard of integrity could do something so stupid. Not that I did not believe he did it… don’t be so literal.
Come on guys…. all of us know it was not true. If LKY really had a heart attack, it would have been big news. This hoax caused a stir in the net mainly among Singaporeans and yet the local mainstream media chooses to be quiet. It still remains quiet. That’s amazing censorship and I’m not happy with it. Are our journalists sleeping?
Do I blame Nair for the hoax? Well…. it got me thinking that we have depended on LKY for too long already. He is connected to the economy of Singapore. We’re really not worried about him but our money and our lives.
come on, how many ppl liked the joke?
This hoax clearly shows Gopalan Nair cannot be trusted and believed in whatever he says from now on. When caught with his pants down he claims it is a hoax. If not, he claims it is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as claimed in his previous blogs when prosecuted for criminal offences in Singapore High Court. In short, what he said previously in the Internet were also hoaxes too and could not be trusted and believed. Do not believe him anymore!
It was pretty obvious to me from the first very instance of reading his blog entry that it was a hoax. Gopal Nair couldn’t fabricate a believable story even if his miserable life depended on it.
Pathetic loser.
I think Nair really did send out those emails. He’s a liar.
It’s also a blatant lie that the police inspector got his email password and sent out those emails.
Liar, liar.
“a tiny blog can do so much” just like the little boy who “cried wolf”
It just give the PAP and MSM more thing to say about the new media and some say no harm done.
Revolting . . . .
THIS DOUBLE-HEADED SNAKE.
Now he knows what’s life is living in good all USA.
He’s darn envious of Singapore that he wants to bring it down with him.
Sorri aneh . . . .
We not stuPid.
It undermines a person’s credility having a personal vendetta.
Real bad taste!!
Very good work TOC. We post on this website because we are tired of the monochromatic bullshit we see in the papers and hear from the Government. If we are pursuing what is true, then we must reject what is rabble rousing and false whatever the political affiliation of the speaker may be. Gopalan Nair has gone too far this time. He is a waste of space.
this guy is a mornon!
aiyoh! wat the big fuss! i don’t care a damn even if the evil old fart kick the bucket! anyway it’s a
matter of when that’s all…..lives will still goes on! it’s not the end of the world. He will be doing
singaporean a great favor if he decide to go earlier!
Coincidentally, nair could have given people an impression that there are some anti-establishment people who just want to destroy the gonmin by creating lies and spreading rumors about them.
I think this side effect is coincidental because i suspect nair did not intend to create this impression on people. That this is just a foolish act he committed without the intention to create this bad impression. So, his article could have indirectly, coincidentally, unintendedly given a bad impression on people who hold Anti-Establishment views.
What a pure coincidence to have created such a side effect. I am sure no one asked him to do this act of foolishness.
Cheese so Soon will be eaten by Juanita.
GopaLIAR…
Point proven. Gopalan Nair is stupid. Period.
People dont be bloody hypocrites!! Its a fact that all of us wish that this monster splits the scene ASAP. So what if Gopalan Nair has propagated a hoax. Compared to the amount of damage LKY has done to us Singaporeans, what damage has GN done us. So leave out the Hypocrisy and 3 cheers to GN for having for so long shown the world the truth about LKY and the PAPies.
did a quick check with one news portal that carried the hoax “A Pakistan News” and they said they recieved the ‘news’ via email from Nair. Sad sad sad, Nair your already thin credibility is shot, and ironically by his own hand
this is the last straw! how arrogant & selfish is he to be f**king around with people’s lives like that!
Now I don’t regret that he was jailed.
I urge TOC and all associated blogs to ignore this schizoid idiot in future. He has lost all credibility with Singaporeans.
Budamaxx, you are missing the point here. It’s not about wishing and wanting LKF death. But stooping to such misleading lies. This spells a lot about this person character. Much as I want the PAP out of the government, I wont want this guy to be the new government either.
If Mr Gopalan Nair has no meaningful purpose creating such a cheap hoax, he is a loser.
Or….could there be a cyber hacker instead of Mr Nair himself?
Are you angry at being easily duped? Is MM correct that people are daft?
Budamaxx, will you do the same thing as what this nair had written? i.e. write something similar with similar intention?
If you do, then there is nothing to talk about, you are the same species as him.
If you don’t, why the defence?
I feel that what G Nair is stupid, tasteless and naive..people should never joke about another person’s health or personal matters (regardless of how you dislike him/her). To do so would only reflect your own lack of intelligence and responsibility. In addition, it also betrays a lot of people in many way but most importantly, trust. Such jokes would eventually only help to add ammunition to PAP’s comment about the lack of trustworthiness in online alternative media as compared to the MSM. Grow up Nair!
I must admit that G Nair gave me hope, and I kept my fingers crossed all night. Now I can’t uncross them!
Hoax… but it put a smile on my face.
LKY was born in 1923, it is 2010 now.
Any time now.
Lee Dynasty supporters can expect a great mourning session that exceeds Michael Jackson’s memorial service or the Chingay Parade in grandeur.
Neutrals can look forward to an extra day of public holiday.
The rest of us can rejoice over this miscreant’s carcass.
Death by heart attack is too good for him.
Gopalan Nair should do it on April……April fool :)
If Gopalan Nair’s deliberate mis-information is deemed despicable, then those of you who spread mis-information here abou CSJ is equally, if not more, despicable. You have no other agenda than to run a person down. It is more cowardly than what Gopalan did.
Has Gopalan’s hoax hurt anybody? Why is it despicable? Is it more despicable than the following hoaxes perpetuated by Lee’s govt? That the CPF will see through Sporeans’ retirement. That HDB flats are affordable. That foreigners work harder than Sporeans. That the GRC system was implemented to ensure minority representation in Parliament. That there are no poverty and homelessness in S’pore. That ministers’ salaries are meant to ensure that only the best talents enter govt service. That two child policy was good. That there is no white horse platoons in SAF. That opposition like JBJ and CSJ are out to destroy S’pore. That Mas Selamat escaped through the toilet. Many of us do not even acknowledge these as hoaxes because we have swallowed hook and line these lies over the years via the MSM. I applaud Gopalan Nair for reminding all of us to investigate ALL sources of information. TOC should not have been so quick to pass judgement.
This Gopalan Nair has lost his credibility long ago. His latest lie simply does not go well with men in the street; he does not understand how much respect ordinary men and women have for the Minister Mentor.
Just because someone shares the same bus with you don’t mean you both have the same destination. Perhaps it is good that we are reminded that some sickos like this Gopalan guy have no intention to arrive at ANY destination with anyone but in fact only interested in blowing everything up.
Gopalan Nair is a strong supporter of Singapore’s opposition parties and has close contact with the members.
He is probably a reasonable reflection of the types of people working for the opposition parties.
I seldom use this word on anybody,Mr.Nair is a bloody idiot.He thinks he can get away with his idiotic prank.Maybe,but i think for sure,he dares not to step foot on Singapore soil again.He deserves it and good ridden, he not a local politician.I regretted supported his cause before.
Some posters here should STOP associating Chee Soon Juan with Gopalan Nair because these two people simply have nothing to do with each other.
Let me tell you the facts: No opposition leader has associated with Gopalan nair for a long time. And that is the truth.
Those who insinuate that CSJ is associated with GN are misleading others here, in my opinion. Would appreciate if you stopped this perpetrating this falsehood.
Has Gopalan’s hoax hurt anyone? Are we running him down because he dared to joke about the inevitable? Yes, it may be tasteless, but is tastelessness wrong? Are making tasteless movies wrong? Who are we to pass moral judgement on taste? Yes, he lied. But did he lie to hurt you? Or did he lie to make a point that even the great Lee Kuan Yew will pass on? Would it cause as much offence to you if he had played the prank on April 1st? Would you be less offended if the joke was on, say, SR Nathan, Wong Kan Seng or Kim Jong-il? Do you think that lying about someone getting a heart attack would put a curse on that person? Do you feel offended by Gopalan’s lie because you hold a deep seated superstition about curses and death? When you join TOC in calling for a boycott of him, are you behaving like Lee Kuan Yew when he sues his opponent? Because LKY sues his critics not to correct one slander. He sues to silence and destroy them. Think about all these questions.
How is Gopalan’s hoax despicable? Has he hurt anyone? Has he told you, through the media over the years, that your CPF will see you through retirement? That HDB flats are affordable? That foreigners work harder and they sustain the economy? That the GRC system ensures minority representation in parliament? That the judiciary is independent? That the stop at two policy was good? That high ministerial salaries attract best talents? That there are no white horse platoons in SAF? That opposition like JBJ and CSJ were out to destroy Singapore? That one party dominance is the only way to govern Singapore? That Mas Selamat escaped through the toilet? Why are we not calling these proclamations despicable? Are we too quick to judge Gopalan Nair because it seems righteous to do so. And safe too because he’s been demonized before and that he won’t retaliate like the govt would?
Gopalan is not only despicable, he is also a moron!
At least, TOC did the right thing and clarified the matter…it is one thing to fight for freedom of expression, and another to go round telling lies. I meant, what if someone comes and tell you your mother is a whore, and then claimed that it is his or her rights to say anything I want?
Gopalan had proven that he is a person of questionable character. This incident clearly proven beyond doubt what he really is. If he has the guts, come back and fight just like CSJ and JBJ. Don’t hide outside of Singapore and conveniently put his tail in between his legs, and bark and bark and bark and bark…
haha, he’s only fault is that he gave the sinkies false hope! they don’t dare to admit, so they take it out on him
I think andy’s point is that the PAP has told lies of bigger consequence than Gopalan Nair ever did. And the PAP’s lies are more than just hoaxes. Absolutely agree on that. But still I don’t think what Gopalan Nair did was good.
Let’s wait for the reaction by the PAP on this one. Are they going to just keep quiet? It seems like a huge change of policy from before, when they will sue political opponents over almost nothing. I guess they realized that from their experience of whipping mrbrown, they can only lose if they act tough. We have had someone calling Lim Swee Say a clown (I agree on that assessment as well), and we haven’t seen the PAP suing anybody yet.
Is the PAP trying to say that it is okay to say that LKY is in trouble in future, as long as it is clarified as a hoax?
while we may question his method, i do think everyone is missing his point. he was trying to point out something which is very important, this whole “messiah” myth that we have created around a living person, who is very much just that — a person. i hope his intended irony is not lost upon the people.
to put it more bluntly, he was pointing out how we need to burn the image and legend before real change may come.