4 October 2004
Dear Dr. Chee,
I read your article of Sept 7th, 2004. I agree entirely with what you said.
I only recently read Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and was cursing myself why I didn’t read it earlier. It dawned on me that during my time in Singapore, it was very much like Alice in Wonderland, which continues to exist till today.
In every other democracy in the world, the matter of the $17 billion loan to Indonesia would be raised since it is these questions that make a democracy, that is, with people participation.
The sad thing about Singapore is that we have stupid, I repeat, stupid leaders in Singapore. They are stupid because they do not seem to understand that all Singaporeans respect you. They know that you are an honest men. They know that what you do, you are doing for Singapore. They know that Singaporeans, being taxpayers, have a right to know where their money is spent. They know that that their salaries are being paid out of their wages. If they have no right to ask these questions, then they should not be taxed.
Personally I have great admiration for you. I wish I had the courage and the strength that you have.
You are not going to have right thinking discerning citizens in Singapore. And as I write this email I am sure that independent thinking proud Singaporeans who can no longer take the nonsense and the arrogance of Lee and Co, are packing their bags and heading to Singapore Airport en route to Australia.
God be with you, Dr. Chee.
Mr Gopalan Nair was a Workers’ Party candidate taking part in the general election in the 1980s.
GOPALAN NAIR