Alan Shadrake: I’m not going to be cowed
July 25th, 2010 | 
Author: Former British Weekly writer Alan Shadrake, who is facing two years in jail for penning an expose of the Singapore justice system, was in defiant mood this week when we contacted him for an exclusive interview.
“I’d write that book again,” Alan told us on Thursday, after undergoing a ten-hour grilling from the city state’s Criminal Investigation Department into his book: Once a Jolly Hangman, Singapore Justice in the Dock.
“I don’t believe in backing down from bullies,” Shadrake said, who is best known to BW readers as the author of the long-running and controversial column Shooting From The Lip.
“Everything I wrote (in the book) was true and when I go to court I intend to give as good as I get.”
The 75-year-old author was granted bail on Monday after 24 hours in jail following the high-profile launch of the new book. He could face two years in jail for defamation because of his allegations of institutionalised injustice in the Singapore’s legal system – specifically its application of the death penalty, which many international observers consider to be merciless and arbritary.
The country’s Attorney-General has now served Shadrake with a contempt of court order, saying that the book impugns the impartiality, integrity and independence of the judiciary.
Shadrake told reporters he was freed after a local activist posted bail of 10,000 Singapore dollars ($7,240) for him.
“I’m feeling pretty shaken at the moment,” said Shadrake, whose case is to be heard in court on July 30.
His passport has been impounded to prevent him from leaving Singapore until the case is resolved.
Shadrake revealed that he hade made the decision to go back to Singapore for the book’s launch after extensive consultation with famed legal scholar Francis Seow – himself a former Singapore Solicitor-General and now perhaps the country’s most famous dissident and opponent of Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew. Mr. Seow is now an American citizen and a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School.
“The legal advice I received was that provided I had extensive evidence to back up the claims I make in the book – which I do – then the CID here would have a very hard time making anything stick,” said Shadrake.
“Although they are giving me a very gruelling time here – every day I am interrogated for eight to ten hours, often covering the same ground - I would write the book again in a heartbeat. I am not allowed to have an attorney to be present when I am questioned. But I’m not going to be cowed. I’m looking forward to my day in court.
“I feel I am making history with this book. I have had messages of support from all over the world. I have the British government, Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists on my side and I’m hopeful I will prevail.
“Everything I have written is true. There is a wave of change coming in this country. It’s time for Lee Kwan Yew to stop running Singapore like his own private fiefdom.”
In his book, Shadrake examines the history of the death penalty in Singapore and exposes its unequal and frequently merciless aplication. The books alleges that foreigners and the wealthy are less likely to receive the death penalty. Perhaps most embarrassingly for the Singapore authorities, Shadrake scoops an interview with Singapore’s former chief executioner, Darshan Singh. In an article Shadrake wrote for The Australian newspaper in 2005 – but which has since been removed from its website – Singh is “credited with being the only executioner in the world to single-handedly hang 18 men in one day – three at a time”.
Amnesty International earlier urged Singapore’s government to immediately release the elderly author.
“Singapore uses criminal defamation laws to silence critics of government policies,” Donna Guest, Amnesty’s Asia Pacific Deputy Director, said in London.
“The Singapore government should release Shadrake at once.”
She added: “If Singapore aspires to be a global media city, it needs to respect global human rights standards for freedom of expression… Singapore should get rid of both its criminal defamation laws and the death penalty.”
Amnesty International said last year that Singapore was “estimated to have one of the highest per capita execution rates in the world.”
It said Singapore had executed at least 420 people since 1991, adding that the number was probably higher as “not all sentences and executions are reported publicly”. Singapore, which has one of the lowest crime rates in the world among its five million population, has retained the death penalty since its days as a British colony. Convicts are still executed by hanging.
Shadrake has enjoyed a rich and varied career in journalism, dating back to his days as a Fleet Street correspondent in West Berlin in the 1960s, where he numbered among his drinking buddies two giants of postwar American journalism, Harry Reasoner and Dan Schorr. His experiences in the spy-infested, cloak-and-dagger world of Berlin at the height of the Cold War gave him a lifelong taste for intrigue which served him well as he subsequently became a master of the Fleet Street scoop. In the 1970s he turned to writing books, scoring a spectacular success in writing the first authorized biography of Bruce Lee in cooperation with the martial art legend’s wife, Lynda.
He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s and quickly became a fixture at Ye Olde King’s Head pub in Santa Monica and various karaoke bars in West LA, where his rendition of “Summertime” was often in great demand. He continued to write for US and UK publications including the Daily Mail, The Daily Express, The Mirror, the Globe and the National Inquirer.
Shadrake moved to Las Vegas in 1998, where he specialized in local showbusiness stories before moving on to Singapore after falling in love with a local woman who he met on a BW press junket. For the last couple of years he has divided his time between Singapore and Indonesia.
Source: British Weekly Exclusive
Posted in Editorial
“Everything I have written is true. There is a wave of change coming in this country. It’s time for Lee Kwan Yew to stop running Singapore like his own private fiefdom.”
Alan Shadrake tells it like it is on the ground. Makes me want to buy his book and contribute to his legal defense fund.
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我觉得行动党政府最好就敢敢把Alan Shadrake丢进监狱两年，那么就可以跟当年下令追杀《撒旦诗篇》作者萨尔曼的何梅尼一样，永留青史啦。
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This was an exclusive interview for British Weekly… Delusional?
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All this is lie, lie and more lieing. Darshak singh where got hang poeple one he only work as secuty officer not the hangman! Nobody speak the true except the we all! All the sigapore poele got know this one! PAP where got lie one? We all make pomise sure got delivery promise mah! Thas why when we got sue other poeple, we sure win one, becos why, becos we only speak the true, oter peolpe always lieing! This book the shadke fello writing is make good story book, heh heh heh, but is all lice. Now must sue he to brankruopcy! cannot loose sure win one, at leest one million dollar.
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Way To Go, Mr Shadrake !
We are indeed very proud of you for standing true and tall against unprincipled bullies.
There is no crime for telling the truth.
We fully support the call “The Singapore government should release Mr Shadrake at once.”
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Lets just watch and see if it will get betterer and betterer before reaching the bestest of the best.
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Singapore ranks terribly on the Freedom house 2010 report
http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=546&year=2010
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pr citizen,
like someone said, we’re waiting for your family of prostitutes to come for KAMASUTRA V2.0, pls send them to us soonest.
we all know you come from a family of prostitutes, reason you are here, free loading, spewing shit and pls take back all the shit home to where you thrash belongs.
don’t shit all over, reason we have floods now, too many prostitutes like your kind.
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Dear Mr. Shadrake:
I applaud you for your courage for standing up against the old tyrant and his cronies.
However, while it is right for you to stand on the side of truth, I don’t think you should fight Singaporeans’ battle for them — Singaporeans themselves need to wake up up and realize that for too many years now, they have willingly sold their souls and liberties and that of their children to the PAP in exchange for PAP’s promise of stability.
It is a deal with the devil.
Singaporeans have created a monster, and Singaporeans bear the responsibility for their own sake and their children’s sake to undo the mistakes that they themselves have created.
No point for your to sacrifice yourself to fight the battle others need to fight on their own.
Until Singaporeans wise up and realize their mistake and stop voting for PAP, nothing is going to change.
Sad to say this, but if you fight the old man like this, you will lose big.
The system has too must vested interest to allow you to challenge it.
My personal advice for you — don’t be an unarmed prophet — nothing good will come out of this — please run while you can. Please go to the British High Commission and seek help to escape the old man’s private island.
God bless you!
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Dear Mr. Shadrake,
We’ll all pray for you and for your freedom,may the power of the pen prevail.
The saying goes, “the pen is mightier than the sword” never fails.
History will repeat itself and despot gov run by fools know when their time is “up”.
May the good Lord be with you and the fire of “Free Speech”, “Freedom of Information Act” be incorporated into this island’s main written constitution.
God Bless You Mr. Shadrake!!!
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Singaporeans need to be ashamed of themselves for creating a situation in which they do not even dare stand up against the old man and a foreigner has to put his own life at risk to do so for them.
All those who make fun of Mr. Shadrake here should be ashamed of themselves.
Shame on you!
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Singaporean are darn cowards..If fund needed, I will not hesitate to make a donation, for our cause.
I have suffered in silence all my years. Who share the same?
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i have small money, can it count, no mercs, bungalow, business to lose, only my hide, but should i lose it for selfish locals.
i’ve always said, whenever i speak of the devil, all around me turns away, and distance themselves from me, should i….
even drug addicts and their parents voted for them because they were frighten of the midnight knock….
until obama comes and interven, all locals, think their lives are very “expensive” cannot die for others, not even for myself….
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Mr Shadrake thinks he will get a fair shake in court where he’ll be allowed to state his case…. poor naive Alan… little does he know he is just as likely to disappear without trace before his court appearance…
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PR CITIZEN:
July 25, 2010 at 10:59 am
The God Of No Mercy will show you no mercy when your time comes. So you better run while you still can.
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Mr Shadrake,
You have my support because you dare to speak the truth.
Let the kangaroo court have fun now, one day, they will pay with a heavy price.
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Pr Citizen, Have you done your National Service? If not keep your fucking mouth shut!
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PR Citizen you are getting to be a friggin irritant. I do have some PR friends who have been here much longer than you in this country, and actually do contribute economically and meaningfully, and best of all is that they keep their mouths shut and do not boast and crow over their achievements (have you have even actually achieved anything meaningful here at all besides trolling internet forums daily spewing your hate?). Slime-ing the real citizens here who may or may not have done as well economically as compared to you just shows up your low down ugly character traits, and not really helping your cause, if you actually have any, at all!. So just shut up and be very thankful to this country, including its real citizens, which has allowed you to come here and stay up till now.
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We should feel honoured that alan shadrake has put singapore into the global spotlight, especially with all the attention of media watchdogs. Cant wait to see him bring all the facts and evidence to the table as a basis to write his book and show it to the world.
I see some of the comments above and is quite dismayed. PAP is just a political party, it is not and nv should become singapore! As a singaporean, if we love our country, then we must choose what is best for it, and that is to have a proper democracy with a balance of different parties representing different voices and ideals. Only then the best can be decided for singapore and its citizens!!
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Mr. Shadrake — please run while you have a chance!
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pr citizen
they mean shafing their dicks up your mouth… you’ll love the cumm
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Hey PR Citizen, you look more than Foreign Trash to the Singaporean. You are nothing more than the biggest PARIAH trying to rob potential Singaporean for the job your are doing. What you can do, we Singaporean have the talent too. You are lucky to land a job in Singapore.
It is your prerogative to comment anything in TR. We true native Singaporean are no dogs. Perhaps you are just one poodle, only good at licking your master ass. We don’t need your so called “Foreign Talent” in Singagapore. Singapore have plenty.
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We should be thankful to Mr Shadrake for airing out our long time suffering in silent in exposing the dirty tricks and its machinaries in the running of our country.We’ve been conned and tricked in believing these wicked scums for so many decades and I hope we’ll understand the urgency of our situation and to quickly and resolutely throw these sluts out.Then and only then do we’ve a glimmer of hope for the future.
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any idea where we can get the book?
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Call POLICE! There’s a PR Citizen here who incite us to burn MPs. Charge him under sedition for calling citizens dogs. Bring him to court for insulting NS. Call POLICE arh….hahaha
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U a top forgien talent? Simple ABC words also can’t spell correctly, how can? My toes are laughing hahaha. Or maybe you are one of those who “forged” their resumes? Either that or you must have somehow slipped through our admittedly large-holed screening net some 8 years ago, being a little piece of shit.
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“Shadrake revealed that he hade made the decision to go back to Singapore for the book’s launch after extensive consultation with famed legal scholar Francis Seow – himself a former Singapore Solicitor-General and now perhaps the country’s most famous dissident and opponent of Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew. Mr. Seow is now an American citizen and a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School.
“The legal advice I received was that provided I had extensive evidence to back up the claims I make in the book – which I do – then the CID here would have a very hard time making anything stick,” said Shadrake.”
OMG … why the hell is he listening to Francis Seow? So Mr Seow gave him legal advice that he should come into Singapore and defend himself in the courts.. Did Shadrake realise that Mr Seow himself did not dare stand in court to defend himself but instead flew off to US. So if Mr Seow himself was innocent , why didnt he stay?>
If mr Seow does not believe in the integrity and independence of the courts in Singapore, why did he ADVISE Shadrake to come here?? Makes you think right.
Shadrake, in my humble opinion, is just a pawn being used.
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Minister Mental:
July 25, 2010 at 9:47 am
All this is lie, lie and more lieing. Darshak singh where got hang poeple one he only work as secuty officer not the hangman! Nobody speak the true except the we all! All the sigapore poele got know this one! PAP where got lie one? We all make pomise sure got delivery promise mah! Thas why when we got sue other poeple, we sure win one, becos why, becos we only speak the true, oter peolpe always lieing! This book the shadke fello writing is make good story book, heh heh heh, but is all lice. Now must sue he to brankruopcy! cannot loose sure win one, at leest one million dollar.
—————————————————-
Er…before you head back to IMH, please check that you have no more
lice infesting in your brain or head…
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Kudos to you Mr. Shadrake!!
Thank you for revealing the truth about the atrocities of LKY
and his croonies.
My thoughts and prayers are with you, Sir!!!!
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@PR Citizen. You are just a rambling nut who thinks that he has the power for bull-shitting. Don’t forget that you are here because you are being ask to come here. I’m surprised that Singapore can be an ally to USA when most of the values are so different. USA are shunning Mainland Chinese and Indians while Singapore is happily accepting them and now even Singaporeans are being step on the head by this so-called PR citizen who has yet to earn the right to be a citizen here. Maybe you are just too afraid to go back to wherever you come from because you’re just a bunch of uncivilized and ungrateful ingrate who thinks that you have every right to be here when it’s just pure luck. If the world comes to an end, you’ll be on the lowest chain of survival because no one will even care for your existent, bloody bastard.
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@PR Citizen.
If you are an Indian, I *urge* you to conduct yourself with dignity.
Your behavior is downright DISGRACEFUL. Have some respect for our hosts, please. You’re not being especially “brave” hiding behind an anonymous account.
Read a little about what this gentleman had to say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammapada#Excerpts . The dude knew a thing or two about living a good life.
Thanks!
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PR Citizen: I’m not one to curse people, but I do hope that when you die, your mouth rots the moment your corpse turns cold and that you’ll burn in HELL.
An Indian Citizen: Thank you and Namaste.
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It is sad to hear fellow Singaporeans being so “happy & supportive” when his or her country is being criticized by foreign nationals. I cannot imagine if these “Singaporeans” were to form the government one day.
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Wow,this Alan writer not scared to die man,dare to test LKY court yah.Lucky he got UK and international support or else sure die until very ugly here one.
Actually our garbramen now also in hot soup leh because this Alan so brave,somemore that Youth Olymplics same timing other countries sure know our law not international already.Only here got no freedom of expression but when you see Hollywood movies, always got police or judges or even USA president corrupted but USA court or police never sue the film producer or ban film leh,right?
In fact in real life history we also hear before got judges made miscarriage of justice.Recently some Taiwan judges take bribes also.
So judges are not God leh,same as common people.How can they think they cannot be criticise leh?
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Thanks for exposing all the lies. Good will triumph over evil.
I hope the book is available in Australia and I heard its avail in malaysia. buy at your own risk.
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Alan,
Thanks, show the world what kind of first world country sinkapoor is.
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Where is PR Citizen FTs shithole???
Must be running like a dog with tail in between legs when somebody shout for police.
Do you know how many Singaporeans in jail now becos of you FTs shithole?
Jobs taken up, no job no money waste time doing NS sometime girl friends run away cos of NS, no choice have to break the law….
Dam eat shit FTs, worst then dogs and cats. Those FTs that never do NS you better keep your mouth shut becos you will never understand what we true blue singaporean man have been thru.
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@ISpeakUp:
July 26, 2010 at 12:05 am
It is sad to hear fellow Singaporeans being so “happy & supportive” when his or her country is being criticized by foreign nationals. I cannot imagine if these “Singaporeans” were to form the government one day
————————————————–
Do you understand english?….He’s not critising our country!…but the judicial system and how it is run in our country….
Can’t you tell the difference??
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AMX-13,
We are responsible for how our country is run lor…. so in the end we are actually being criticised for being halpless sheep
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@ Where Is PR Citizen:
July 26, 2010 at 2:24 am
WHY YOU ASK SUCH A SILLY QUESTION?
“Where is PR Citizen FTs shithole???”
His FULL FRONTAL “third leg” has shank until missing. He is running all over town looking to buy some “koyok” to rub on hoping for recovery. His dog is impatiently for his attention. Now you know why his dog got pregnant.
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What time is the hearing?
Maybe we should go there to give him our support..
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@PR Citizen, u say “No wonder the PAP treats you Singaporeans as rubbish cause you Singaporeans have no gradtitude.”
don’t forget, the government is to serve the people, and not vice versa. do you even understand what vice versa means?
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There’s one thing that journalists fail to understand about Singapore. They can NEVER WIN A DEFAMATION CASE in Singapore Ground. Irregardless of whether its the IHT or the Economists, no one ever wins a case against LKY because we know why.
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> I am sure you are subjected to some abuse from the locals despite working a honest job just becuase you never did National Service.
Abuse? Far from it! I’ve found Singaporeans to be a quite friendly and civil lot, and I’m NOT MAKING THIS UP.
I’m sure that the S’porean society has its warts, but which society doesn’t?
> become Mad Dogs
> Singaporeans used to be obediant dogs
> Now they have become Mad Dogs and start barking like crazy
Here are two *suggestions* you might want to consider:
1. Always follow the golden rule. E.g., treat others like how you’d want them to treat you; when you’re in another country, behave like how you’d want visitors to your country behave. Etc.
2. Do not say anything online that you’d not say to another person face to face in real life.
Basics, really.
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PR Citizen: You are but a friggin HYPOCRITE, how OBEDIENT were you towards your OWN GOVERNMENT OF THAT SHITHOLE COUNTRY WHERE YOU CAME FROM?
Singaporeans used to be obedient dogs? EH HELLLOOOOOO, PAP WAS **ELECTED** TO SERVE US, HENCE THE WORD “CIVIL SERVANTS”. UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF *ELECTED* AND *SERVANT* YOU FROM SOME DISEASED SHITEHOLE OF A COUNTRY MUTHERFUKCER??
THEY ARE PAID BY *OUR* TAX MONEY TO SERVE US, FROM SOME DISEASED SHITEHOLE OF A COUNTRY MUTHERFUKCER?
HE PAP ARE *NOT* SITTING UP THERE FOR FREE, UNDERSTAND FROM SOME DISEASED SHITEHOLE OF A COUNTRY MUTHERFUKCER?
You want to get fcuked left right centre, issit? Now open your legs wider..
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PR Citizen, if you are not careful and no thanks to the likes of you and your motherfucking rotten mouth, all foreigners would be beaten up and killed.
You just watch it.
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I observe and report, @Indian Citizen, if only everyone would think like you. I am not a local myself and as much as I want it, I would never get the same amount of respect and benefits Singaporean may get but it’s impossible but consider what I have here and even fair treatment that I receive here than what I have from where I come from. I salute you Indian Citizen.
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@pr citizen
“Why must i be thankful to this country??? Singaporeans need my talent and skills more than i need Singaporeans.”
if u r so good, why dont you just go to another country? seems like u do not want to be in singapore at all.
by the way,reading all your posts makes me wana tell u..
“PLS GROW UP”.
cheers
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Wonder why Alan did not make stories out of the 37 states in USA that still practice death penalty?
Why didn’t Alan write about China’s situation which is much worst than Singapore, where death sentences were being imposed on even white collar crimes (whereas it is only punishable by fines or jail sentences in Singapore)?
Why pick on Singapore only? Is it because we can be easily bullied, or he think we will be easily cowed by his bloody ang-mo sense of superiority?
It’s good that Singapore decided to put him on trial…the world will get to see what kind of despicable liar he is!!!
Ohh…was he an invited guest of SDP, the party full of traitors and are always working with foreign forces to put Singapore down? I think SDP will be in deep shit again…they will certainly be drag into this mess by this stupid but arrogant ang-mo!
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To PR CITIZEN: July 26, 2010 at 9:51 am.
You better be very careful PR Citizen…you are actually breaking a number of singapore laws by inciting hatred and contributing indirect in-stability amongst the peoples of singapore by posting “very negative” posts of locals vis-a-vis foriegn PRs and vice versa.
At the rate you are going; ISD may invite you for kopi soon.
So it is best you try to be more civil in your posts instead of making yourself out to be some kind of bigot…and worse still acting as a bigot in another country where you are suppose to be a “gracious” guest and to have respect of the hosts of the country. But u ain’t showing it you know with your posts.
Unless you are Nuts by the way.
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I notice alot of PAP lap dogs trying to digress the issue from Shadrake’s book and its contend.
To PR Citizen,
Fool, asking for trouble. Calls himself/herself a talent.
hahaha…nice joke. They must be paying you peanuts.
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Ever think PR citizen is actually an anti-PAP Singaporean whose comments serves to allow other like-minded people to criticise PRs and FTs. Creating fault out of none. Smart really…
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Isn’t it obvious that PR Citizen is just some troll pretending to be a foreigner? He even types like a loser with a chip on his shoulder and trying to make foreigners look bad.
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Am I the only Singaporean who sees a sensatinalist milking us for attention? Gentlemen, this man is not Singaporean. He has no interest in this apart from self-interest. Does he love Singapore? I believe he is a failed writer seeking attention. As much as I find the death penalty repugnant, it disgusts me to see Singaporeans actually back this man. If you so firmly believe in your ideals, then stand up for yourselves and not rally around a man who will happily go to jail as long as his name is in the press. This man only serves to lessen your credibility, as well as Singapore’s. Thank you.
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Obsession of western culture with the exotic cultures, Orient, etc. Yawn! been there. Hinduism isn’t that exciting. There is a lot of fundamentalism in it as well. It’s the same as other religions; the West just has an infatuation with it
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I wonder why the coward Alan did not publish his book in China, Iran or other countries where capital punishments can be executed in the most brutal way and justice are not carried out in proper fashion before execution. Why does he choose Singapore? Singapore very easy to bully is it? Fucking foreigner don’t come and tell Singaporeans what is good and what is bad. We are responsible for our own social safety and security. For him, he just make his fucking money from his book, sweep his backside and go. Think he is going to cry for you when your loved ones become drug addicts ? Those Singaporeans who support him and talk bad about own country are really fucking no brains.
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