As covered in the international press, there is quite a war of words going on in court, between Chee Soon Juan, leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, and Lee Kuan Yew, former PM of Singapore and former leader of the ruling party of Singapore, the People’s Action Party.
Background: Chee is facing defamation charges from the Lees because of his remarks that the Singapore government is run like the corrupt regime of the National Kidney Foundation. In court hearings over the past few days, Lee Kuan Yew has personally taken the stand and faced questioning from Chee himself.
Since coverage of this court case will be scant in the local media, I’ve compiled a “best of” list of quotes from the exchanges in court between Chee and Lee, just so you can hear it from the horse’s mouth.
From the defendant, Mr. Chee Soon Juan:
“Mr. Lee, we get to meet at last.”
“I couldn’t make this up, even if I wanted to, how much justice has been gagged, bound up, kicked, raped, quartered, and then, at the very last moment, the dagger plunged right through,”
“I may remain a bankrupt for the rest of my life as a result of my obstinacy. It is not a position one aspires to, but it is a cause I find worthy of battle and a call, though sometimes I may resist, I will ultimately trust and obey.”
“I cannot deny that I get angry and even bitter with Mr. Lee Kuan Yew over the things that he has said and done to me and others. But through the years, I have seen the bigger picture and developed a sense of calm and equanimity that comes with knowing my role in society.”
[To Lee] “I don’t hate you, I feel sorry for you. I think you cut a pitiable figure.”
“You will sue me over and over and over again, and continue to make me work to make the money to pay you back so that I cannot concentrate on doing the political work to be able to overcome this system which you have put in place – a system that is undemocratic, a system that abuses the rule of law, a system to ensure that you and your party perpetuate its hold on political power.”
Plaintiff, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew himself:
“He’s a liar, a cheat, and altogether an unscrupulous man. I could also add that I’ve had several of my own doctors who are familiar with such conduct, tell me that he is near-psychopath.”
[In response to Mr Ravi, Chee's lawyer, asking MM Lee if he would consider mediation (instead of litigation)] “It is so bizarre a question, I will need [biblical King] Solomon to be revived, and I do not believe Solomon can mediate between a psychopath and sane, rational people.”
“They [the people of Singapore] know me by now, that if anybody impugns the integrity of the government, of which I was the prime minister, I must sue.”
“The final test is what Singapore was when I became prime minister in 1959 and what Singapore is now. We had less than $100 million in the kitty. [Today,] global financial services assess Singapore to have sovereign wealth funds of over $300 billion.”
“If you want to have any influence, you must get into Parliament. You have disqualified yourself, you cannot participate in any elections, and as long as you stay in that sterile state, you have muted yourself politically, in a constitutional way. And by every further action, as the damages go up on you, the longer the number of years you’ll be disqualified… Unfortunately, Dr Chee, you have not seen the point.”
[On Mr Chee's lengthy questioning of LKY's integrity] “One reason why we have allowed this altercation to go on is because we are leaning over backwards to allow you enough rope to tie yourself up. And you have successfully done that. You have a guillotine, you know you have the time of two hours, and you’re wasting it, frittering it, because you’ve nothing of substance to confront me with.”
“So, at the end of the day, we have had this confrontation face to face. Have you thrown any dirt? Have you dug up any scandal? Are you still saying, as you said before, that this Government is run like the NKF?”
Tags: Chee Soon Juan, Lee Kuan Yew, politics, Singapore
