Lee Kuan Yew, the Father of Singapore and father of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore has described Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa as a Sinhalese Extremist and what happened in Sri Lanka in 2009 as ethnic cleansing.
Lee Kuan Yew
This statement of Lee is a matter with great import. All these years criticism from outside was dismissed by the Sri Lankan government as by colonialists. But this is by a respected Asian leader. After Singapore’s Senior Minister has spoken thus, will Singapore feel free to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November?
These comments were made during lengthy conversations with the author of the book Prof. Thomas Plate, Citizen Singapore: How To Build A Nation – Conversations with Lee Kwan Yew, Marshall Cavendish, 2011.
Surprisingly such comments of great import in a 2011 book are making it into the public domain only 2 years later.
Author Thomas Gordon Plate is an American journalist, internationally syndicated columnist and a Professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA as its Distinguished Scholar of Asian and Pacific Studies.
Specifically Lee Kuan Yew has said of President Rajapaka and Sri Lanka, “[Sri Lanka] is not a happy, united country. Yes, they have beaten the Tamil Tigers this time, but the Sinhalese who are less capable are putting down a minority of Jaffna Tamils who are more capable. They were squeezing them out. That’s why the Tamils rebelled. But I do not see them ethnic cleansing all two million-plus Jaffna Tamils. The Jaffna Tamils have been in Sri Lanka as long as the Sinhalese.”
Plate: “So what Asia saw was ethnic cleansing?”
Lee: “That’s right.”
Plate: “They [the Tigers] will come back, you think?”
Lee: “I don’t think they are going to be submissive or go away. The present President of Sri Lanka believes he has settled the problem; Tamil Tigers are killed and that is that.”
Plate: “See, that’s really a fascinating point, because to the extent that we have any sense of who you are at all, we think of you as this hard-boiled force first guy. But in fact your system of government is much softer, consensual and intelligent, whereas what the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka are doing is a caricature of an LKY who never existed.”
Lee: “I’ve read his speeches and I knew he was a Sinhalese extremist. I cannot change his mind.”
Madhavi / March 27, 2015
As pointed out earlier on, I really do wish CT didn’t publish this article, not at this time.
The virulent spewed out by certain individuals against a person, who brought Singapore, a marshy land, to the state it is today, withing just 50 years of gaining independence, well, one has to give home the credit for that.
No one is above the law, I have lived in singapore for well over a decade, and no, I wasn’t discriminated against, the three forces are extremely polite and ever so helpful, and the government offices are run ever so efficiently and with ease. I’m not praising Singapore, but just because one or two expats didn’t make life successful doesn’t mean all.
Here is a city where one can come to at anytime, as we were awarded the status of ‘visa on arrival’. If one learns the language the people over here speak, to say ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ is not derogatory, but simply as we call them ‘uncle’ or ‘aunty’. Example, taxi uncle or cleaning aunty, so on and so forth. Even the most beautiful girl can walk the street at any time of the night, without facing whistling, slang words full of innuendo, and definitely no one would touch her or harm her. No rape, that’s for certain. Even in the most remotest area of singapore.
All have our faults those who point a finger at others should realise that there are four fingers pointing right back to you.
Finally, here is the so called citizens of unpopular nation, standing 10 hours in a queue to pay their final respects to their founding father, and you know what? Even those workers from Bangladesh or India, who have requested their bosses that they too would like to go show respect, have been given a chance to do so. Many a building site were stopped as the workers were not there.
I frankly see a nation, reeling in shock, horror and grief, regardless of whether they are Malay, Chinese or Indian. I see people helping those who’re in lines, handing water, umbrellaS, food, anything they can help out with.
Please do not criticize a man who achieved so much for them, by such callous statements as stated above. It’s insensitive of you all to do so. For the first time in my history of living here, most establishments, and I mean commercial establishments are closed as a mark of respect. This, which does not happen during Chinese new year, Deewali, Pongal, Hari Raya etc.
To those who were resentful of his harsh methods of government, well, had those rules not been there, today this country would not be considered a 1st world country. Look at us, independance gained in the 1940’s, but yet, practically crawling.
To the people of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew was invincible. They may be critical of his rules, but no way can he die and leave them, but today they don’t have him anymore, and the shock is too much to sink in.
Singapore has helped us in many ways, let us at least show our gratitude for that small gesture, and stop bad mouthing a man who cannot defend himself. Let them mourn the loss of their founding father, and let us at this point, support them in their hour of grief.
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nasser / March 28, 2015
He spoke the truth and I’m sure the late PM stood by those words right through.
Don’t see anything wrong in quoting that.
MR or his supporters and brothers can always respond
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Rabok / March 28, 2015
We have to give respect where it is due – Lee Kuan Yew is a role model leader for Leaders of our part of the world – his Multilingual policy , his policy of Meritocracy , High priority on education , high priority on discipline made the Singapore a grade 1 economy in the world – Unfortunately we do not have leaders like him in Sri Lanka – So please do not criticize him but try to learn something from him – then we will be able to develop this country to the level of Singapore – may be after 300 years –
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cholan / March 27, 2015
The respect of a country is reflected by the passport carried by her nationals …..Today Sinaporians can travel all over the world with their passport…without visa..…and receive a good treatment at immigration desk every where…
With SL passport how many countries you can visit without visa?
Go and see at Arab airports how they treat SL PASSPORT HOLDERS …
This is the achievement your so called Sinhala leaders have made since independence…he he he
Even the tiny MALDIVES treat SL WORKERS worse than slaves who are ready to do any job even for
USD 50..shame
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zaman ali / March 28, 2015
“Go and see at Arab airports how they treat SL PASSPORT HOLDERS … “
No need to; Just ask any housemaid who has suffered the ordeal.
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lal / March 28, 2015
The Sri Lankan passport has been devalued overseas, but mainly because of bogus Tamil refugees who have behaved like criminals once allowed in – welfare cheats, drug pedellars, credit card swindlers, welfare cheats, suicide bombers … There are many Tamils behind bars in Western countries and one in Indonesia awaiting a welcome from a firing squad (drug smuggler0. I was asked by an immigration officer in a Western airport if I was a Tamil, and then treated with respect when I said that I wasn’t. Sure, Sinhalese too are disadvantaged because of some scumbags! It would be a great pity the new Government go soft on these criminals and allowed them back into Sri Lanka.
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cholan / March 28, 2015
Sinhala houes maids are being treated worse than slaves at Middle East airports ….is this because of Tamil? No it is because you send your own daughters..sisters..wives …to do slave work
No where in the world they ask the ethnicity of the passport holders …..don`t con…
Today SL is a pariah state in foreigners ….
These are 100 s of Sinhalese including military personnels are entering with SL passport and request asylum….in the West..and murders and robbery are common among them specially in Italy
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Rodney / March 28, 2015
The plight of the SL passport is mainly due to Tamils running away and asking for asylum in European countries, and middle east due to our women going to work there.
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iemerald / March 28, 2015
DID YOU SUFFER THE SAME FATE AT THE HANDS OF THE DIRTY ARABS. IT IS NOT THE NATION IT IS THE COLOUR OF THE SKIN.
THE ARAB SCUM WILL ALWAYS LICK THE ARSE OF A WHITE PERSON
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Goraka / March 28, 2015
Why blame the Arabs for all the problems SL faced? Our women went to work in the Middle East VOLUNTARILY? Surely, they treated our women better than SL treated OUR SERVANTS.
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Javi. / March 28, 2015
You are Coconut Head like Viet_cong muslim.
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gamini / March 28, 2015
For Lee Quan Yu to develop Singapore was made easy by the foolish Sri Lankan Patriots after Independence. While our Pseudo Patriots were anti Colonialists and berating the West at every turn, we lost the Shipping business to Singapore that gladly accepted the Western interests. Meeting Tao the owner of the Twin Towers while I was in Office, he said that he had worked in Sri Lanka before Independence to Sri Lanka as just a Wharf Clerk.
Sri Lanka soon after Independence in ’53 the Port Harthal led by our Golden brains of the left, like NM, naturally helped to squeeze the Shipping business out of us for Singapore’s gain. The thought ran across my mind whether the Port Harthal in ’53 was staged by the Singaporeans through our foolish Politicians for their gain that crippled the country’s Economy with continuous strikes thereafter and the shunning off anything Colonial which became the fashion of the day. Singaporeans adopted the Western culture and stood to gain while we shunned the Western culture and are still crawling for same, just like the English Language which we shunned then, but are desperate in learning today.
Without Lee Kuan Yu saying so, any sane individual knows that we have perished thanks to our attitudes of trying to place Sinhala Buddhist Culture on top over others to pacify a foolish Sinhala Buddhist Nation. Lee Kuan Yu must have been laughing all the way.
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gamini / March 30, 2015
I am now informed that there were many more Singaporeans working here other than Tao, for the Shipping sector in Ceylon then, when we were a British Colony. One need not be a Rocket Scientist to understand the destabilization that followed after Independence with wild cat strikes starting with the Port Harthal in ’53. NM’s famous 21 Demands and as to who funded them is now obvious as to who the real beneficiaries were? It is no wonder we are still at the mercy of outside influence and also within as revealed of the Maharajah Company media Mogul’s sinister campaigns.
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kanan / March 28, 2015
definitely less capable people because uk rulers posted educated tamils for many higher jobs in united srilanka under theire purview.. All we know , slanka united by west for administrative purposes. The earlier tamil leaders made a vast mistake that as a result people of respected culture are still suffering. but definitely sir, there will be a singapore in srilanka and end for all attrocities. Please see sir what happened to Sonia, MRajapakse, gadafi, Sadham, Prabha, and milosifics Wait and see cant get independence in a day
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Anpu / March 28, 2015
” *****educated****** tamils for many higher jobs “.
You have given the reason EDUCATED. Tamils did not get a favour. British employed people who are qualified for the job.
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rohan.dezilva / March 28, 2015
What does the western world want ?? a second Tamilnadu state in Sri Lanka ?
That three quarter of Sri Lanka to be governed by Tamil Nadu ?We should remember that
Sri Lanka is a cosmopolitant country and no extremism should be tolarated in this country,by the Sinhalies or by the Tamils.
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cholan / March 28, 2015
Don’t worry soon Chinese will divide the country ….and they know who are capable to run a successful nation…till then keep quite..
When Chinese complete the port city in the sea …Colombo will become a shanty …..and Port city will be in the hand of Chinese including airspace…..
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Yasin / March 28, 2015
Only if we can stand united we can have a prosperous nation. Sinhalese extremism is what turned the minorities, mainly the Tamils, against the Sinhalese. The
attitude of the Sinhala Buddhists have paved the way for a disunited Sri Lanka.
Saffron clad thugs under the BBS slogan carried this to a level beyond tolerance
and unfortunately the President, who came to power with votes from all communities turned a blind eye and supported the extremist and racial BBS led by the foul mouth Gnanassara. MR, instead of being a President of the people he was a President of the Sinhala Buddhists. Sri Lanka may be a cosmopolitan nation but with racialism and extremism one cannot claim that. Progress and development of nation works on two gears, forward and reverse. One cannot shift the forward gear without National unity and reverse is automatic in disunity.
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Javi. / March 28, 2015
“What does the western world want ?? a second Tamilnadu state in Sri Lanka ?”
The Sinhala and Muslim are illegals was the message given by Modi of the Deccan Plateau. (Deccan means South in Sanskrit and the last battle by english to get the whole of india was 1818 Anglo-Maratha war 3 )
Like the Diego Garcia’s go jump in the Sea – 700 years of muslim of south europe made Portugal more muslim and african until 1496 when they were drewen away by Isabella Catholica.
Geography does not lie Lanka is in the Deccan Plateau; If geography lied you wont be on internet.
History is a liar like the plagiarist of lanka.
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Yasin / March 28, 2015
The success of a nation is the unity of it’s people irrespective of caste, creed or religion. All religions, faiths, beliefs, philosophy etc.. are of no use if it is not practiced correctly and not extremely. Promoting Sinhala Buddhism mixed with racialism has exceeded the limits of tolerance with thugs in saffron robes, openly supported by MR, GR, and some govt ministers openly attacked other religious institutions with the police or military personnel standing idly as onlookers. This situation and the curse of the Gods and people showed the way out to MR and his goons on Jan.8. The successors are in a pickle as everyone are
demanding their share for standing united for the common candidate My3. Ranil has forcibly and unconstitutionally occupied the PM’s seat and so are the other ministers and all other appointments. This situation turned the whole country into a comical state with law and order lost somewhere down the path. The nation is certainly on the crossroads of a division due to unwanted racialism by the majority Sinhalese.Instead of uniting forces and fighting for good governance we are creating barriers and discord which will push the still
to start developments backwards to 50 years. Patriotism is injected by unity
hatred is injected by racialism and extremism.A nation belongs to its people irrespective of their faith. Singapore stands tall based on this philosophy
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Yasin / March 28, 2015
The success of a nation is the unity of it’s people irrespective of caste, creed or religion. All religions, faiths, beliefs, philosophy etc.. are of no use if it is not practiced correctly and not extremely. Promoting Sinhala Buddhism mixed with racialism has exceeded the limits of tolerance with thugs in saffron robes, openly supported by MR, GR, and some govt ministers openly attacked other religious institutions with the police or military personnel standing idly as onlookers. This situation and the curse of the Gods and people showed the way out to MR and his goons on Jan.8. The successors are in a pickle as everyone are
demanding their share for standing united for the common candidate My3. Ranil has forcibly and unconstitutionally occupied the PM’s seat and so are the other ministers and all other appointments. This situation turned the whole country into a comical state with law and order lost somewhere down the path. The nation is certainly on the crossroads of a division due to unwanted racialism by the majority Sinhalese.Instead of uniting forces and fighting for good governance we are creating barriers and discord which will push the still
to start developments backwards to 50 years. Patriotism is injected by unity,
hatred is injected by racialism and extremism.A nation belongs to its people irrespective of their faith. Singapore stands tall based on this philosophy
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Malcom / March 28, 2015
“Yes, they have beaten the Tamil Tigers this time, but the Sinhalese who are less capable are putting down a minority of Jaffna Tamils who are more capable.”
Lee Kuan Yew was a racist and above statement, which is not akin to a sagacious leader, proves that. It’s amazing many of the people in this forum choose to ignore this fact and looking only at his positive, business-like qualities. (Or is it that CT chooses not to publish any comment negative about Lee)?
Lee had a policy of restricting minorities in choosing their shelter, so that the minority communities would not exceed certain percentages in a building or an electorate. This way his political party would always be in power through the majority community votes.
He was a shrewd politician but also a dictator. People of Singapore ignores this fact for obvious reasons. Once he had a plan to create a super-nation by selective breeding. It reminds me Brave New World! The bottom line is he is not Nelson Mandela or MLK Jr. or JFK or Gandhi or Marx or Lincoln…This is a dictator who created a police state.
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Javi. / March 28, 2015
This is a dictator who created a police state. “
Dictator is china where people don’t die of hunger.No not one.they all eat food.
Yakko kadeya cola kandha of prison publish: the whole wide world is commending LKY for his great achievements- china, india ,US All EU africa, asia and most of the academics of City living folk.
You are terrorist/ animal uncivilized in our eyes and of the Queen.
Premadasa and his gang of thieves promised the land and the world 1 million homes he put windows in some and built a dynasty till he paid to have school drop out Rajiv murdered.
____
What percentage owns homes at SINGAPORE??
NINETY PERCENT OF SINGAPOREANS OWN THEIR OWN HOMES TODAY, AND MORE THAN 80 PERCENT LIVE IN GOVERNMENT-BUILT RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
Yakko publish: the whole wide world is commending LKY for his great achievements- china, india ,US All EU africa, asia and most of the academics of City living folk.
You are terrorist in our eyes and of the Queen.
Premadasa and his gang of thieves promised the land and the world 1 million homes he put windows in some and built a dynasty till he paid to have school drop out Rajiv murdered.
His latest book for post graduate studies at City planning.
LEE KUAN YEW: “”ONE MAN’S VIEW OF THE WORLD””
(greatest man for shelter LKY as the
president was informed by the Queen, Passa the shill who purchased the commonwealth chair was one to many of murder lies and lies)
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2014
ISBN: 9789814342568
Cost $45 or £50 next day delivery amazon.
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Malcolm / March 29, 2015
He was dictator and it is a fact. There’s no denying that China is a dictatorial state; but, it doesn’t change the fact that lee kuan yew was also a dictator. What percentage owns homes in Singapore doesn’t have anything to with freedom in the country; there were similar sentiments about gaddafi too a few years ago. lee was an able administrator and a shrewd politician. Comparing him with rajapakse, because he had talked about rajapakse, what can be said is that: rajapakse was a primitive, crude dictator whereas lee was a sophisticated, complex and refined dictator.
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Bystander / March 30, 2015
The additional and main difference was that Lee was absolutely honest and not corrupt!!
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Harsh / March 28, 2015
we all agree Singapore is a highly developed country but in my recent visits I discovered a strand unhappiness and disenchantment talking to ordinary citizens Sri Lanka might not be as developed but we have a naturally beautiful country come on don’t tell me there is no resentment between people of course there is. What I don’t understand is why the world can’t handle the cessation of the civil war in Sri Lanka by its own forces, come on if president Mahinda is a Sinhalese extremist because he defeated terrorism does it make the UN forces and its leaders extremist too as well as UK and US presidents extremists?
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CHOLAN / March 29, 2015
Why don’t you invite these unhappy singaporeans to come and settle in this SL paradise of the World where drugs..prostitution..kidnapping..killing..raping is a daily events ..????
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Native Vedda / March 29, 2015
CHOLAN
“Why don’t you invite these unhappy singaporeans to come and settle in this SL paradise of the World where drugs..prostitution..kidnapping..killing..raping is a daily events ..????”
This is supposed to be a thrice blessed Sinhala/Buddhist nation where more kallathonies cannot be allowed in as it will corrupt Sinhala/Buddhist culture(?).
The alternative is to send Sinhala/Buddhists to rebuild Singapore and make the people enlightened.
As Buddha once preached to Champika Ranawake that Sinhala/Buddhism would not only flourish in this island for another 2500 years but its glory would reach out to the entire world including Singapore.
Remember Singaporeans are the descendants of Sinhapura in Venga the Lata land. They left the shores of Bengal some 2500 years ago to settle down in Sinhapore (etymology – Sinhapura).
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ponnalingam / March 29, 2015
“Surprisingly such comments of great import in a 2011 book are making it into the public domain only 2 years later.”
Maybe because nobody gives a toss about the demented ramblings of some has been senile old man. Even now only these LTTE donkeys seem to care.
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Das / March 30, 2015
whatever it is LKY policy it worked and it is a working democracy based on incorruptibility,meritocracy,multuculture and transparenc.Today the IQ of Singaporean 109 when compared with Sri Lankas 79.Drug lords faced capital punishment,rapists are canned so that girls can walk freely even at 2AM after a shift,absolutelty no unemployment.Singaporeans above 65 known as pioneer generation gets free medical treatment and gets a grant of $900 per year and lots of assistance to buy provisions.To day it is a working democracy that worked.Two Tamil presidents and two Ceylon Tamils as deputy prime ministers and a haust of Ceylon Tamils as doctors,engineers ,top civil servants ,teachers and infact the chairman of the top airline SQ was also a Ceylon Tamil,the top engineer at port was a Ceylon Tamil to reflect his policy of meritocracy.
Any body whoever it maybe,talk about inciting race,religion are arrested and kept inside by the law Internal security.
Sri Lanka can still emulate these virtues and can turn around.So these are the results of his policies.
For his funeral president Bill Clinton,president of Indonesia,prime ministers of Australia,new Zealand ,Japan.Vietnam,Cambodia,Bhutan came and India declaring mauning .He is a true patriotic leader who turned a fishing village to a metropolis and a richest country in the world.
What more can you expect of a leader?
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Bandu de Silva / March 30, 2015
Why didn’t Lee look at what was happening in his very neighbourhood across the Straits in Malaysia under Bhumiputra policy? As I recall one had to be competent in Malay language to be a citizen of Malaysia.That was the least. Under Bhumiputra policy, non Malays were edged out gradually from public service appointments.A good friend of mine who was in the Malaysian Foreign service,(name withheld) whose parents hailed from Jaffna, told me “Bandu, This is our last chance to be in the Foreign Service.We are being edged out.” When he said this he felt more close to me as a Sri Lankan though we are from two different communities.
Why was Lee more concerned about Sri Lanka than with his next door neighbour where his own ethnic kinsmen make a strong minority? Proven capability apart, wasn’t it because it was important to recognise the role of the small Tamil community in Singapore against the demanding Malay ethnic community in that Chinese predominating island country with a sizable Malay component? Yes, Rajaratnam of Sri Lanka origin proved to be an outstanding Foreign Minister. And now there is a Deputy Prime Minister, also of similar background. That helped maintain the facade of ethnic balance.
The important point is that the Premiership remains in the hands of the Chinese origin Lee ‘s family.
One cannot forget the era of bloody riots there which were worse than what happened in Sri Lanka over which Lee’s ethnic balance was built up.
Bandu
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Bystander / March 30, 2015
Of course Singapore has had an Indian President as Head of State and the present Chief Justice is of Indian origin to. It is not a facade but a meritocracy. Will SL ever have a Tamil president ?
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Das / March 30, 2015
Bandu, when both countries were separated,Ceylon Tamils had the opportunity to go to the either side.Rajarstnam and all had the trust inLKY and moved to Singapore while others left behind.However,even in Malaysia Ceylon Tamils are doing well in Biz and lot of lawyers and doctors are also Ceylon Tamils.No discrimination in Biz.In the govt.jobs there is a discrimination ,I agree. And the richest man in Malaysia is a Ceylon Tamil Ananda Krishnan hails from Jaffna.
There is a very nice flowering rose.You can admire the rise or the cow dung at the bottom.
lankan girls are working here as maids and worst as prostitutes please go to Geylang and you see dozens of them.My heart melts when I see thebreports about them.
The govt.should create enough opportunities so that they don’t leave.There is a report says MR has kept billions of dollars in Dubai.If he has any patriotism, he should use that money to create employment in Sri Lanka.You should ask the bloody Chinese instead of building roads and making money to create garment factories,sea food processing factories ,fruit processing factories etc.South Korea built all those factories from the earnings of their workers from foreign countries where as our country men are using the foreign exchange to buy PAJEROS and Mercedes Benz.You have more PAJEROS in Colombo than in Singapore.
Please elect patriotic leaders and not crooks like Wimal,MR,GR for the sake of the country and eliminate drug menace alrogeter if you want to progress.
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Vanguard / March 30, 2015
He did say “but the Sinhalese who are less capable”
Less Capable. That is our problem?
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Das / March 30, 2015
I don’t agree with that Sinhalese are less capable.Tamils are hard working cos of their hard condition in the north,like extreme heat,digging 20 feet for water,no natural resources etc.I had been in teaching prfession for mare than 40 years.Sinhalese are more creative.Time and again our selfish,corrupted leaders didn’t develop them.I have a small biz in Lanka.I notice Sinhalese are more loyal and creative.you must elect good leaders to lead.What Sri Lanka needs is productivity,creativity and value addition of products.Ten years ago only few Indian products found their way in Singapore.Now Indian rice is competing with Thi rice,Indian condiments found their way here.Only Sri lankan product I see is Delma tea.Singapore is an open market and you can bring anything here and sell if you can market it.once you enter Singapore market then you can enter ASEAN market which has a population of 5 billion people.To do that you must have a leader with vision.I see our leaders are bogged down with domestic issues at the expense of development,True,LKY shut opponents locked them up but developed the country.This is a bitter pill but you have to take if you want to progress.
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udara / March 27, 2016
Every person has his own political view about Mahinda Rajapakse…. But that’s based on what u hear and see, how each person is brainwashed and what benifits can be gathered by supporting….
Ex president MAHINDA did not have the best rapport with respected economies like the US as they were against finishing the 3 decade war…. we never treated taimils in Colombo like slaves or threw them out of a socially accepted place like how the Americans and most European countries threw their Black”s. …. We had Army soldier’s who were tails and Muslims and troupe leaders who saw LTTE as terrorist. We had political leaders, greats sportsman ships like Muralidharan who saw LTTE as terror simply because there was no requirement for a war.
Americans or EU would never want Africans calling it their land….. so did Sri Lankan government (not governmentS, we only wanted to stop terror , I have feared to go in the public transport not knowing when I will be blasted , children given guns , suicide bombers killing 1000’s of Sri Lankans all tamil, Muslims or Malays or sinhalese…
The statement made by this great leader is wage and unappropriate…..
MAHINDA did the right thing by eleminating a threat to the man kind. he may have had his mistakes but any leader will not be perfect but only few saw the benifit of a free to walk country and that’s only the people who lived in it not people who read and speak based on statements.
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Dev de Silva / April 3, 2016
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2016/03/singapores-steady-decline-towards.html
Singapore’s steady decline towards mediocrity. Because authoritarianism and education do not mix
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I really do not know what the dictators of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew’s son and his collaborators think, but really, authoritarianism and education, or even common sense simply do not mix. If you try to flex your muscles on an educated population, they simply will refuse to obey. It is as simple as that. And that is exactly what has been happening in Lee Kuan Yew’s son’s Singapore island.
In the most recent election, an overwhelming 70% of locals in the island voted for Lee Kuan Yew’s son’s dictatorship. But contrary to what you may think, that is nothing to be happy about for the dictators. Indeed they should ask themselves who are these people who voted for them anyway. Is it a sign of strength for the regime or rather one of regression and decline?
The truth is, the 70% who supported this regime are inferior individuals, both in mind and spirit. They are the ones who have remained in the island while the educated and self respecting sort who can think for themselves have all left for settlement in Western democracies.
The truth is, anyone who can think independently as has the means to leave the island has already left. So these citizens who appear to support a totalitarian regime are those who do not understand what freedom is, given their poor education or collaborators who work for this regime and whose livelihood depends on them. In addition to these pathetic cases, the government has brought in 2 million or so foreigners mainly from China to work in the island. Since they are from a Communist regime, and have been sufficiently brainwashed not to question authority, they have all of course as expected voted for Lee Kuan Yew’s son and his dictatorship. If necessary they would have voted for a donkey if that is required as well. As you can see, the 70% vote is clearly no indication of any clear thinking men and women intelligently voting; they are just the votes of the misinformed, those afraid, or those who have no principles or any independent thought.
It is not hard to understand why no one with any ability of independent thought would have left the island. You don’t need to be an Einstein to see why the entire system of government there is simply nonsensical. And no one should put up with it.
For example, anyone anywhere who does not like his government or their rulers is entitled to criticize them. But in Singapore this is not allowed. If you do, you are sued for defamation charged in court bankrupted and harassed for the rest of your life. Would anyone even with modicum of self respect would want to tolerate that?
If you don’t like your government, you may want to tell others in public by a making a speech. There is nothing wrong with that. Yet in Singapore, if you did this, you are charged and sent to prison for making a speech without government permission. Why should anyone have to get government permission to make a speech!
Everyone should be entitled to form a society to promote their mutual interests. Yet in Singapore, if you want to do this, you need the government’s permission. What nonsense is this? Why should you need government permission to form a society of friends?
Everyone should be allowed to live their lives in privacy. But in Singapore there is no privacy at all. The Singapore government employs thousands of its citizens in intelligence work, spying on it’s own citizens. It is the Internal Security Department, a sort of Ton Ton Macout. At every moment of time you are watched and any attempt to criticize the rulers will end up in your being tailed and reported on. The Singaporeans who live in the island know this, but they are not the sort of people who would object. After all they are quite happy to live this way, given the 70% overwhelming support for the regime.
Anyone living in a society would expect to have the rule of law and a society run in accordance with the rule of law. In Singapore there is none. The judges are appointed by the dictators based on their loyalty to Lee Kuan Yew’s son and his minions. As a result every case is decided according to the government’s wishes. They are always right and you are always wrong, that is, if you are seen as a opponent of the regime.
If you are seen as openly against the regime, you are charged with trumped up crimes, your face is published prominently in the state controlled newspapers and thereafter you are as good as finished. You will not get a job anywhere, your friends will abandon you because they don’t want to get into any trouble and you will live the rest of your life in misery.
If you have any logic or common sense, you would naturally prefer to read real news, not propaganda. In Singapore you have no choice. You only have propaganda. The entire media, newspapers, radio, TV are all owned and controlled by the state. There is no independent news circulating within Lee Kuan Yew’s son’s island. You can if you want look at the Internet. But that is all you can do.
I am not suggesting that you cannot succeed in Lee Kuan Yew’s son’s island, of course you can. But to do that you have to lead a pretty disgraceful life. Let me put it this way, although the examples are rather extreme, but it serves to explain the dire state of affairs. Adolf Eichmann, Hitler’s adjutant was a very successful individual in Nazi Germany. But he lived a disgusting life, for his success he was killing innocent Jews to please Adolf Hitler. In Singapore you did dirty work to please Lee Kuan Yew’s son.
It is to some extent like that if you wished to succeed in Singapore. You have to publicly declare that the dictatorial government of the island is actually a good thing, abusing the rule of law is a good thing, denying the right to free speech and expression is a good thing and jailing those who criticize the regime is a good thing. It would take a pretty rascal to live a life like that but that is exactly how Lee Kuan Yew’s son and those who profit from his patronage live very successful lives.
But thankfully, the vast majority of human beings anywhere including Singaporeans are not like that. In fact most people in the world are pretty decent people. They would rather leave the island rather than to put up with this nonsense. Which is why the island is suffering from the largest brain drain in the world, leaving only those helpless without any means to leave, the ignorant or the collaborators to remain.
As time goes on, as more and more educated Singaporeans who are disgusted with living in a totalitarian system leave the island, the numbers who are willing to live their lives as slaves will increase. And we can expect in the future that the numbers supporting the regime will become even larger and we might even see what was the case in Nazi Germany where 100% of Germans supported Adolf Huitler or 100% of Singaporeans supporting Lee Kuan Yew’s son’s People Action Party.
But I don’t think this sort of mindless conformism would get Singapore any greatness. It will drive it into the gutter.
Gopalan Nair
Attorney at Law
Fremont California USA
Telephone: 510 491 8525
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
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