Michael Fernandez speaking at the Face to Face forum on Dec 16
Former ISA detainee Michael Fernandez submitted a writ against the Singapore government for unlawful detention this morning. Fernandez was held without trial from 1964 to 1973.
Between Novemeber to Decemeber 1963, Mr Fernandez – a labour activist – led a month-long, 10,000-strong strike at the Singapore Naval Base in Oct-Nov 1963. Fernandez was then General-Secretary of the Naval Base Labour Union. Under the Internal Security Act, Fernandez then was arrested for being a member of the ‘Communist United Front’, a claim he has denied.
At a press conference today, Mr Fernandez, who is 77 years old, said that he wanted there to be a record of his experiences before he passes on. He added that the younger generation should know about the history of such detentions.
Mr Fenandez is represented by human rights lawyer M Ravi.
More updates soon.
Watch SDP’s interview with Michael Fernandez here.
This is a fair action, not everyone is as bad as what PAP has wanted us to look. It is time to come clean with PAP, make a clear and honest statement for the new generations to remember us, in good light, before one passed on.
If Fernandez had not committed anything wrong, then justice should be addressed,
and his reputation put right.
It takes more than forty years for a human rights lawyer to emerge to fight for justice. Better late than never.
It is a David and Goliath fight, how would our Judiciary oversee the case, one step out of line, it would spiral into a convenient charge like “contempt of Court”.
God help Fernandez and the dedicated lawyer, Ravi. If wronged, justice should prevail, even forty six years late.
The Sins of the PAPsmears are coming back to bite time. One by one.
Let’s give them a black eye this coming election and sue the pants off them.
Didn’t the ISD re-arrested some detainees the last time they tried to reveal the truth?
Actually lots of ex-detainees have been revealing the truth recently. Government doesnt dare do all that nonsense again now that there is the internet.
Will be great if all the ex ISA sufferers join force to sue the govt.
You don’t need to “join force”. You only need to speak the truth.
He will lose his case. The courts here are corrupt so it is just wasting time and money. He should file his case in the Hague, the Nederlands for crimes against humanity.
I am not sanguine about his success in
our courts.
How many times has the Govt (read PAP) lost cases of political nature in our courts?
Even if they were to lose this one, they would immediately convene Parliament to
pass laws in its favour and retropective too.
Yes it has happened to JBJ before in his successful appeal to the Privy Council.
Dictators do not concede defeat
And if Michael wins the case, (IF AND ONLY IF ), who pays the compensation ?
If government, it means you and me, the tax payers. Is this fair that we pay for it when it was, presumably, done to preserve the PAP’s position ie accusing opposition of being communist when they are not ?
Just 1 person against the whole lot of papies is no good. Must gather the entire group of ex.detainees and do a combined sue against them, then the truth can be out in the open.
@JohnTan,
One could not have articulated any better as you have.
Hope each and every Singaporean can understand that we are all one way or another doomed cows as long as the one-party-rule status quo remains.
Blaming the incumbents for such a sorry state of affairs is utterly futile. It is the apathy of voters who never looked beyond material gains and hence this debilitating predicament.
last time got this table tennis coach also wanna sue the chiwhawah. oops i mean the lee bee wah. in the end all talk only.
until he sue, let’s not even speculate.
ONG T H, interesting point abt compensation. But if it is the state that foots the bill, it might not be that great an injustice to citizens.
Think about it. Like it or not, we have benefited from the strong-arm policies that came together with such detentions. Well, at least in the “early days”. In a very real sense, we sanctioned such mandates, or did little to cast them out. If it is time to pay back what is due, is that so unfair?
Passing thoughts only, dun mind them… :)
Sue ? In sgp?
Now? Why not before ?
No logic.
Wayang?
People, why should you be irritated if this poor man whose life is ruined by almost a decade of detention wanted to sue against the Sg govt? Whatever amount of money (and it most probably won’t even be LSL’s or LKY’s one year’s salary) that could be compensated to him (if his case is ever heard and he wins), it will never ever compensated his wasted life during that period. Imagine yourself in his shoes. You should instead be irritated by all the wrong investments Sg govt has made overseas that you and I and our later generations will have to pay to cover up the losses. Goodness, what are you thinking of when you complain about his writ? Please look at where the bulk of taxpayers’ money is wasted *roll eyes*
To add on, it is without doubt if Fernandez’s ever wins the case, the money will come from taxpayers. LKY will never uses his own money to pay. This is obvious by how even his wife’s funeral is paid by taxpayers under state funeral. Goodness, our grandparents and parents worked so hard for this country and their children have to pay for all funeral expenses themselves even if they are poor. I wonder what LKY is doing with so much money stinge. Even grandchildren’s education paid by the state. Hoildays also covered as work visits to other countries *roll eyes again*
He will lose his case. The courts here are corrupt so it is just wasting time and money. He should file his case in the Hague, the Nederlands for crimes against humanity.
If Mr.Fernandez’s objective is to tell his story by using the court system and not expecting to win,then it is obvious that the state controlled court will just simply throw the case out without even a hearing.I believe he has made a big mistake by coming out making that kind of statement in public.
If everyone thinks that Mr Fernandez is going to lose, then there’s no hope for Singapore. I think he’s a brave man & wants to claer his name; I dont see anything wrong here. He will probably lose but I dont think winning is the main objective here but rather, the opportunity for the public to hear his side of the story.
The other thing is, I wont mind using some of our tax money to compensate him. After all, the government has thrown so much money away already & waste so much of it to attract talents, what’s a few more thousands? BTW, I think it might even not cost us one peanut!!
It is not about whether Fernandez will win or lose the case. Let’s think out of the box of this whole intention of him bringing up his sufferings to court. In his old age, he has nothing to lose and more to gain by trying to enlighten the nation that this govt, the kangaroo and the poodles are not independent. He wanted Singaporeans to get out of the illusion to think we live in a fair systems. If he lose, knowing he will, he actually win proving us his point at the verdict.
Doesnt matter whether he wins or loses or even if a trial never happens. The fact that independent and state media are both publishing this news will already cause a ripple of thoughts.
And from thought, begins action.
Dear Mr. Fernandes,
I’m very sorry to here and know of what you went through and i’m very, shameful and disappointed to be a citizen here.
I know my country is another Urganda or Somalia, where such things happen and i wish to say singapore should not be here when such atrocities happen to innocent unionist fighting for the simple rights of a job and decent wages for mankind.
Please consult a good lawyer if possible and i will contribute 200 dollars for your court fees and i am sure many out there will do the same.
God Bless you and your family.
masterservant,
We shouldn’t feel shameful of our country. PAP/ LKY is not Singapore. It’s the people that makes up the country. If we do not want further atrocities against humanity to be committed, we have to vote wisely.
i just pity this old man. he will sue and lose and he will be in orison again in no time. haven’t he had enough of his time? just move on to other country. he in singapore we can’t fight for human right. just work and pay and pay that’s all, apart from that there is nothing for us Singaporeans here in sg
Regardless of whether he wins or not. It is important that his case be heard and the public becomes more aware of the ISA.
His case and many others show that it is imperative that the ISA be abolish. The government will frame the argument for national security and terrorism to retain it. However, it is unconscionable that anyone can be imprison for any length of time without proper representation and due course of justice.
In Nazi germany, anyone could be taken away without representation. In contemporary times, it happens in North Korean and Myanmar among many other countries.
You can be a victim anytime. Imagine that!
VOTE WISELY!
And in the US, there’s the USA PATRIOT Act.
Is it so difficult to understand that we did not come this far by being easy on crime(not that we’re sure there is a crime being committed here or not)?
If the ISA had not taken action back then, can anyone be sure that Singapore will be what we are today?
Yes, we are all educated now and we want more transparency, more accountability, more of everything. But back then, when much of its citizenry was not as informed, can the then Singapore government afford to allow someone they suspect who could cause unrest to continue unopposed?
Now we know. But back then, the government did what they had to do. And we’ve got to applaud that.
There are some interesting points in time in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as well