Labor activist Michael Fernandez 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 was arrested for being a member of the ‘Communist United Front’, a claim he has denied. He was detained without trial from 1964 to 1973.
(Michael Fernandez was present at the Face to Face forum organized by The Online Citizen on 16th Dec 2010. He posed the question on whether the opposition agrees that ex ISA detainees should receive compensation from the Government.)
The following is SDP’s interview with Mr Fernandez recorded earlier this year in which he talked candidly about the events leading to his arrest, as well as his nine-year detention.
Read also ISA: Nine years in Changi and after
And also ISA still in active use today – Teo Sor Lung
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What he has gone through is indeed horrific.
If he is not sued for this, which I hope not, does it not mean what he said is true?
For me, i do believe he is telling the truth.
ai yoh, you have so called unions buying buildings to house themselves and rent out to others too, is this a union, for the people, by the people or fly by night union.
only at night it fly, by day, it sleep and workers get fleece…
today these two unions with own buildings have foreigners as union members, paying via collective agreements which they don’t even understand, but if you need a job, just pay, same like “kwa tau lue”, but no jobs for locals…..why, locals are daft
is chiatilik SDP or is his newly formed Socialist Front a subsidiary for SDP? THIS IS VERY CONFUSING!! in the videoclip it states that chiatilik is a SDP PRESENTER.
Who who is the bastard or bitch behind this inhuman detention? Doesn’t he/she not afraid of retribution?
doubt it, but karma will sure get those buggers, you will never see lamestream media reporting such events.!!!
Sounds like the Russian KGB in the Cold War Days, or the Red Guards of China during the Cultural Revolution, purging those deemed against the Communist Regime.
Very sad after reading this :(