DISQUS

silverkris · 2 years ago

Lee Kuan Yew certainly can take credit for helping to turn a tiny, impoverished island state surrounded by hostile neighbors into a prosperous economic powerhouse.

However, unfortunately, one of Lee's legacies is the heavy authoritarian rule and the squelching of dissent. The People's Action Party (PAP), which is the ruling party of Singapore for the last 50 or so years, is so dominant that you could think that they could run on their accomplishments alone. However, they are so intolerant of opposition that they will often use libel laws to silence opposition politicians (what few that still exist) or individuals by suing them, often into bankruptcy.

Under Singapore law, Any criticism of government policies by media stipulates that the government agency in question can rebut or reply - it's called the right of reply. Periodicals such as the Far Eastern Economic Review, a respected regional news publication based in Hong Kong, have run afowl of the Singapore government such that it is now banned in Singapore.

One would think that a mature, stable and prosperous society such as Singapore's can certainly withstand a little dissent or opposing voices here and there. But sadly, the PAP doesn't feel that way.

Nicole Lee · 2 years ago

Thanks silverkris; I was about to post almost exactly the same thing.