To track some personally noteworthy events, observations and thoughts, letting them age and savor/regret them again a long time later.
Friday, May 30, 2014
An absurd defamation suit
We are seeing a new low in defamation suits. This is a return to ancient times when you could get into trouble for bad mouthing the monarch. I can understand if the PM sues another politician; a professional of standing or a media person because that fellow is credible. But who is Roy Ngerng? Furthermore there are so many homophobic characters out there and Roy who had publicly declared himself to be gay cuts no ice with this large segment of society - that's why 377A still exists.
To me it is laughable to suggest Roy could defame the PM with his blog posts. Far too many of us do not think he analyze the CPF issue correctly anyway. How many readers of his blog are so inane to only read him and not others including expert views before making up their own minds. We are no longer in the Middle Ages or a very undeveloped country where people believe and spread silly rumors.
The PM stand to lose more by suing this nobody for defamation. And if he thinks Roy is the monkey he is out to kill as a warning to the rest of us, I think he has achieved some success. However this is not worth it because in the privacy of our votes, we will "defame" him with our choice which he cannot sue us. Especially those who are 33 years old and younger, who did not lived through the dangerous times that brought us to today.
Nobody except the PM's lawyers is going to gain from this lawsuit. In fact Singapore also lose.
Update: 7:35pm
Man i.e. the PM, is seriously out of touch. Did he foresee this? It was a no brainer. Has it only been a day or two only, and Roy has raised almost $15K. It is not just the money but the each few tens of dollars is a vote of disapproval of this absurd lawsuit the PM is bringing against a small guy.
And what is the PM's likely response? Most probably he would pretend not to notice, in which case folks out there would have to make it deafening, i.e., everyone is talking about him that it is embarrassing for him and his ministers to pretend this is not happening.
But like I said earlier, there is no upside. Whatever the outcome Singapore lose and the PM was the guy who started it all. Sure one could also say Roy started this but if it weren't Roy, it would be someone else eh? Anyone can be a blogger and defame the PM or his ministers. Nearly all of us, me included have no credibility and only the really stupid would take what we have written to be gospel.
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and imagine this, pm and his adviser allow this to play through
ReplyDeleteit's either they're stupid or
u simply dont have the big picture
Small minded people are very insecure people. Small fly make mosquito noise must use machine guns to kill. If not cannot sleep at night. Conscience will bother them. When go overseas( holiday )and meet important people, got no face because face a lot of mosquito bites
ReplyDeleteSmall minded people also need big pay cheques for themselves to feel important or no face to business.