Contempt of court trials begin tomorrow

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Monday, 03 November 2008

Singapore Democrats

The trial for contempt of court against Mr John Tan, Mr Shafi'ie and Mr Isrizal will commence tomorrow at 10 am in Hight Court 6B. The three were charged for wearing T-shirts with a picture of a kangaroo. The hearing is expected to last from 4-6 Nov 08.

Attorney-General Walter Woon is asking for imprisonment or "other punishment as the court may impose", and for the cost of the legal action.

In meantime, the trial of the 18 Tak Boleh Tahan (TBT) activists in the Subordinate Courts has been adjourned because the contempt case was scheduled in the midst of the TBT trial (23 Oct 08-7 Nov 08) Mr Tan and Mr Shafi'ie are among the defendants.

The three are charged for wearing the T-shirts within and in the vicinity of the Supreme Court building when a hearing was being held before Judge Belinda Ang for the assessment of damages payable by Dr Chee Soon Juan, Ms Chee Siok Chin and the SDP to Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

In addition, Mr Tan is also cited for pointing to the picture of a kangaroo on his T-shirt and saying, "This is a kangaroo court" to Mr Lee Kuan Yew when the Minister Mentor walked past him outside the courtroom.

Mr Tan also pointed out that had it not been the Straits Times that first published the photograph with the "kangaroo three" and the current legal actions from the AG, the wearing of the T-shirts itself would never have impugned the reputation of the Singapore Judiciary.

Also starting tomorrow is the trial of Dow Jones, which publishes Wall Street Journal Asia (WSJA), Mr Daniel Hertzberg, Editor of WSJA, and Ms Christine Glancey, Managing Editor of WSJA.

The AG's Chambers are accusing the newspaper of alleging that the Singapore Judiciary is not independent, and that it is biased and lacks integrity by publishing three articles involving Dr Chee Soon Juan.

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Comments (17)

Tue 04 Nov 2008 9:04 AM | About Time - The Heart Was Pinched

When the sentence of "this is a kangaroo court" reached his burnt ears, I personally believe that his heart was so pinched that Shit Times was instructed to publish this incident as outlaw without realizing the consequences that they had affirmed themselves correctly as kangaroos at play.

Tue 04 Nov 2008 12:29 PM | AGitated - A waste of time.

The outcome is already sealed --- verdict guilty, heavy fine, jail sentence --- all the going to court is just to fool the public.

Mind as well also cane them, skin them.

Going to court is a damn waste of time when the outcome is already predetermined.

Tue 04 Nov 2008 4:00 PM | Bernard Chan - Sue

With the current economic and financial crisis, worldwide leaders, including rival HK are busy helping their people and yet LKY and cancer Loong are suing their kangoroos to sue the world press and its own people for speaking the "truth".

Tue 04 Nov 2008 4:22 PM | Disappointed Citizen - POwer Crazy Government

Already given up the unfair judical system in Singapore. The govt has just from bad to worst and its craze for power has continued despite its common people displeasure.

It's a laughting stock in many developed countries. Just refused to hear people's out and continued to tax until we die.

New government needed if you want better days.

Disappointed

Tue 04 Nov 2008 4:59 PM | | jacys - Free offs again for Shafie ?

Looks like Recruit Mohd Shafie is going to get 3 off days to attend the court case, surely he has to repeat BMT at this rate.

Well done, SDP ! You manage to produce the most CHAU KENG recruit in the history of Singapore !

Tue 04 Nov 2008 6:51 PM | | Monde Sans Singapour - Great headlines for you, mate!

[size=large][color=maroon]"FINED, JAILED FOR WEARING SAFARI KANGAROO T-SHIRTS"

"AUSSIE UNI SACKS LECTURER FOR POLITICAL ACTIVISM"[/color][/size]

Yea, but during times of turmoil and crisis like these, will western governments - defenders and upholders of democracy and human rights - even bother to take notice?

BROWN: "We have money woes right now, need to court those Arabs (dictators) first. Can't help, sorry. May God bless you though."

RUDD: "You have my sympathies, mate. but John, I really can't do anything about James Cook
- you see, GIC and Temasek have taken over that institution (by proxy - who else but Optus/SingTel) -
and my Beijing masters have specifically instructed me not to mess with the Lees, who are ranked above me in the servitude list. Sorry, mate."

SARKOZY: "You 'ave money? No? Go away!"

BERLUSCONI: "You d'Crazy! Mi, I'm mafia, just like Godfather Don Kuan-yew Lee!!"

BUSH: "Er, um... oh, my term's comin' to an end; there're things I need to do for Cheney - issue him offical presidential pardons, get Haliburton more Iraq contracts... hell, tons of stuff, I'm sorry. But He will help you surely, take care of you and your family while you do time, are out of work - go work as secuity at our embassy out there in Singapore, yeah? Peace."

ANWAR: "Gila la you, call me for what? Apa macam lah ini... "

OBAMA: "ONE DAY, MY FRIEND. ONE MORE DAY!"

Tue 04 Nov 2008 6:53 PM | Anonymous - I am your friendly oP(A)Position!

[quote]Make you wonder why WP's Sylvia Lim is still teaching at Temasek Poly.

The school's administration even changed their rules to allow her to stand for elections.[/quote]

Why the wonder?

Lee said as much before: "These (Chiam, Low) are GOOD opposition."

With the draconian rules - and tricks - governing Singapore politics, there should only be a House comprising ALL PAP Members!

But why persistently these two?

For show to the world-at-large - "We are a democracy, not some Kim state or Saddam country with 99.94% victory, blah blah blah"

And therefore you have 'opposition' in the form of NMPs, NCMPs.

Oh yes, of course, and Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Kiang & his pock-marked face of a law lecturer-mistress too.

Tue 04 Nov 2008 7:03 PM | Anonymous - Wise words from The Sage of Singapore

[quote]And the compliance of the "Australian university" is hardly surprising in itself. "Westerners" who need to come here to make a living include those who could not get a similar position back home. Those are what Goh Keng Swee once described as "second-raters" who were "good enough" for talent-scarce Singapore.[/quote]

Indeed.

And still rings so true, even today. Demonstrates what wisdom De Goh - the REAL archiect of modern Singapore - has.

Smart enough to see thorugh Dirty Harry's scheme of tricks and so long ago left this God-forsaken place - "Yew, you want to swallow up the whole of this land for yourself for yourself? Fine, be my guest. I ain't gonna play YOUR game!" - and till today, is still kept by the PRC almost as if he is their living national treasure.

What would it be like if Singaporeans hadn't been fooled by LKY and had made Keng Swee PM instead?

Only one answer: We would have risen up the ranks of industrialised nations and maybe even have become another Japan! And much earlier too, instead of us going sideways and mostly downwards in these last 30 years!!!!!!!!!!!!

Long live GOH! (Not that stupid 1.96m of height - developed of physique but underdeveloped of brains - Hokkien of Eng Choon County GOH CHOK TONG, of course!)

Tue 04 Nov 2008 7:17 PM | C.U. In-Hell - First World Nation - STINKaPOO

In truth, the west has already, in some form and measure, been Singaporeans try to rid themselves of the Lees and their cronies and pet kangaroos.

Just look at the articles western media have been writing in defiant criticism of the Lee Dynasty time and again, despite knowing they will be hauled to court to answer non-existent charges that already also carry with them pre-determined outcomes - first in the world to do that, our courts, mind you, haha; another first, yea!

It's in fact Singaporeans who are letting these western media and pro-democracy, pro-human rights folks down by their own very impotence.

And in so doing, Singaporeans are also letting themselves down - not to mention of course their future-borns!!!!!!

Shame on you, Singaporeans. If I were those do-gooders, I'd much rather turn my attention elsewhere - Myanmar, Zimbabwe, etc, anywhere but here - and rather see you guys sink in the stinking pile of P(AP)OO that you have managed to form and take shape and continue to accumulate in your STINKapore!

So, please, c'mon, leave those JCU dean/CEO angmohs alone, will ya? When you can'teven rid yourselves of shit that you poo'd!

Tue 04 Nov 2008 7:51 PM | | Anti-F15 SG Surface-and-Air-to - Erm, excuse me, but...

... is this James COOK - of great British explorer fame - University?

Or is it actually the James CROOK University? Since it is now in apparent cahoots with crooks the likes of Lee Kuan Yew and family and Hakka clan.

Tue 04 Nov 2008 7:59 PM | Ali Baba & The Forty (By Two) - Grow smarter liao

[quote]The three are charged for wearing the T-shirts within and in the vicinity of the Supreme Court building when a hearing was being held before Judge Belinda Ang [/quote]

Aiya, i noe oredi, so if wear such tees far far away fm Courts buildings mean okiez lah?

Okie dokie, i m gg 2 wear kangaroo t-shirt wen i go 2 mt MP @ Tg pagar 2nite - so mata cannt catch me ya?

Oso wear anoth i invented 2 TP MPS next wk - in front say "WANTED - FOR ESCAPE - MAS SELAMAT", behind reads "NOT WANTED by Singaporeans for Ministership - WONG KAN SENG"

Boleh?

Tue 04 Nov 2008 8:13 PM | Brendan - Offs because he already leant what to be covered i

[quote=jacys]Looks like Recruit Mohd Shafie is going to get 3 off days to attend the court case, surely he has to repeat BMT at this rate.

[/quote]

Acutally, he has learned mastered enough courage that he can skip 50% of his BMT training.

We need people like him should Spore go to war.

Of course, he still need to learn the basics of handling weapons.

On top of that he has another tenet of TD under his belt - Psychological Defence.

If anyone were to be asked to name all the tenets(that's if you can remember all five), will at most remember 2 - economic and military.

Tue 04 Nov 2008 9:02 PM | MOE teacher - re: Free offs again for Shafie ?

[quote=jacys]Looks like Recruit Mohd Shafie is going to get 3 [color=red]days off[/color] to attend the court case[color=red]. Surely [/color]he has to repeat BMT [u]at this rate[/u][color=red](??)[/color].

Well done, SDP ! You [color=red]have managed [/color]to produce the most [color=red]"chao geng"[/color] recruit in the history of Singapore ![/quote]

Wed 05 Nov 2008 3:10 AM | ah beng - sinking of S'pore

Even tho I like this country, I sometimes wish this country deserves a bloody tsunami to bury it undersea. This style of governing is out of date and touch. See you all in hell.

Wed 05 Nov 2008 3:21 AM | Anonymous

Singapore and Lee, more of the insane and the same. LOL

Wed 05 Nov 2008 3:43 AM | LIEN, Hwey (Head, Lotus Gang & - What poetry your mouth weaveth, Beng

[quote]Even tho I like this country, I sometimes wish this country deserves a bloody tsunami to bury it undersea. This style of governing is out of date and touch. See you all in hell.[/quote]

Best beng-speak in a century and a half!

Bravo! We see you have upgraded yourself and not remained 'stagnant' like that moh-peng Li Guohuang, haha

Keep it up - you may get your PhD in time to come. Then, it'll be "Dr. Beng" - how's that? Hehehe

Wed 05 Nov 2008 3:58 PM | ah beng - re: What poetry your mouth weaveth, Beng

[quote=LIEN, Hwey (Head, Lotus Gang &][quote]Even tho I like this country, I sometimes wish this country deserves a bloody tsunami to bury it undersea. This style of governing is out of date and touch. See you all in hell.[/quote]

Best beng-speak in a century and a half!

Bravo! We see you have upgraded yourself and not remained 'stagnant' like that moh-peng Li Guohuang, haha

Keep it up - you may get your PhD in time to come. Then, it'll be "Dr. Beng" - how's that? Hehehe[/quote]Thank you so much