Police have called up six more people who took part in the Tak Boleh Tahan! Protest on 15 Mar 08 for investigations. They are: Mr Francis Yong, Mr Ng E-Jay, Mr Mohd Jufrie Mahmood, Mr S Govindarajan, Ms Go Hui Leng and Mr Carl Lang.
This brings the number of protesters under police investigation to 18. The show of defiance by the group is unprecedented and is an indication of Singaporeans willing to stand up to the PAP.
Do they regret what they did?
“What’s there to regret?” said Mr Jufrie, a popular opposition leader who stood as a candidate in the 1980s and 90s. “If it’s the right thing to do then we should not fear our actions.”
He added: “It’s about time someone did this. We all need to stand up for our rights.”
These activists have nothing to gain personally. No lucky draw, no medals, no monetary rewards. Just a desire to seek justice and freedom for our country.
They participated in the activity because they could not stand by and see Singapore being pulled down by our rulers’ insatiable lust for money and power.
These are good and decent people, people who only want the best for Singapore. They were willing to put their own well-being on the line so that their fellow Singaporeans might live in a democratic society.
No citizen should have to be treated like criminals just because they want democracy for their country.
Ms Go Hui Leng exemplifies this courage. The young mother of two brought along her toddlers to show that the rising cost of living affects adults as well as children.
She subsequently wrote a letter to the Straits Times Forum which was, not surprisingly, rejected (see below). She echoed the thoughts of many Singaporeans when she said: “What has become of our society if even speaking up has become a crime?”
The SDP salutes the courage of these protesters and we are very proud of each and every one of them. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them in our march towards freedom and democracy.
May the rest of our fellow citizens join us in this proud and noble cause.
Letter to The Straits Times Forum:
20 Mar 08
I refer to the peaceful protest by SDP held on 15 March 2008.
I got to know about the protest through word of mouth and decided to exercise my constitutional rights as a Singapore Citizen by participating together with my two young children. My purpose was simple: to highlight the rising cost of living that is affecting me and my family.
Recent increases in childcare costs, milk powder, transportation and medical costs, are taking a toll on families like me with very young dependents.
What started out as a peaceful protest turned unnecessarily rowdy in the end because the police held up the group of protesters outside Funan Digimall and prevented them from moving.
The police intervention created a scene that attracted big crowds of passersby.
As a Citizen who is non-partisan, I will support causes I believe in, regardless of who the organizers are. In times of price hikes where we were told by our ministers to buy house brand bread, eat frozen meat, I do not think I have the spare cash to enjoy the luxury of junk foods. It’s World Consumer Day on 15 March 2008, so what is wrong with protesting about the recent escalating price hikes?
What has become of our society if even speaking up has become a crime, and peaceful protests end up with arrest, yet limping terrorists are out on the loose?
Go Hui Leng