CIVICUS Monitor Has Recognised My Voice of Dissent (Part 1)
CIVICUS Monitor has recognised my struggle for justice and accountability in its 2024 country report on Singapore.
Not only does my whistleblowing and the state-backed campaign of retaliation against me highlight academic misconduct, systemic institutional cover-ups, and the abuse of power by establishment elites under Lawrence Wong's PAP regime, it also underscores the importance of protecting whistleblowers and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability within public institutions.
The concept of a “restrict[ive] civic space” often evokes images of dissidents or critics being actively persecuted by authoritarian regimes. However, the definition of “a dissident” should extend beyond those who are the targets of overt acts of repression. The “state policy of silencing dissent” can also manifest in more subtle ways. What happens when state agents commit wrongdoing, and the state refuses to admit it, much less to take responsibility, while simultaneously suppresses the victim from taking the perpetrators through a judicial process or other regulatory processes? What if this oppression occurs over a long period of time where the dissident’s every effort to make things right and restore justice is thwarted? Prolonged suppression, where every attempt to seek justice is thwarted, can have a devastating impact on dissenters and their communities.
The goals of dissidents are the same whether they encounter repression, suppression or oppression from the state. Dissidents challenge the status quo, question dominant narratives, expose wrongdoing, hold institutions accountable for their actions and advocate for social and political change. Their pursuit of a more just and equitable society unites them and transcends the specific tactics employed to silence them.
Despite my relentless pursuit of the establishment elites for their misconduct, perjury and brazen abuse of power, the authorities have resolutely shielded those wrongdoers from accountability, acting as their protective patrons and leaving me to bear the brunt of their retaliation. The fallout associated with state-backed retaliation against whistleblowing and the steadfast refusal to be silenced includes career setbacks, character assassination, reputational damage, public humiliation, social stigma, personal distress, bankruptcy, and financial ruin. I experienced them all firsthand.
(To be continued in a subsequent installment “Part 2”).
Not only does my whistleblowing and the state-backed campaign of retaliation against me highlight academic misconduct, systemic institutional cover-ups, and the abuse of power by establishment elites under Lawrence Wong's PAP regime, it also underscores the importance of protecting whistleblowers and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability within public institutions.
The concept of a “restrict[ive] civic space” often evokes images of dissidents or critics being actively persecuted by authoritarian regimes. However, the definition of “a dissident” should extend beyond those who are the targets of overt acts of repression. The “state policy of silencing dissent” can also manifest in more subtle ways. What happens when state agents commit wrongdoing, and the state refuses to admit it, much less to take responsibility, while simultaneously suppresses the victim from taking the perpetrators through a judicial process or other regulatory processes? What if this oppression occurs over a long period of time where the dissident’s every effort to make things right and restore justice is thwarted? Prolonged suppression, where every attempt to seek justice is thwarted, can have a devastating impact on dissenters and their communities.
The goals of dissidents are the same whether they encounter repression, suppression or oppression from the state. Dissidents challenge the status quo, question dominant narratives, expose wrongdoing, hold institutions accountable for their actions and advocate for social and political change. Their pursuit of a more just and equitable society unites them and transcends the specific tactics employed to silence them.
Despite my relentless pursuit of the establishment elites for their misconduct, perjury and brazen abuse of power, the authorities have resolutely shielded those wrongdoers from accountability, acting as their protective patrons and leaving me to bear the brunt of their retaliation. The fallout associated with state-backed retaliation against whistleblowing and the steadfast refusal to be silenced includes career setbacks, character assassination, reputational damage, public humiliation, social stigma, personal distress, bankruptcy, and financial ruin. I experienced them all firsthand.
The extract below is from “Singapore: New Prime Minister continues policy of silencing dissent by criminalising protesters and harassing critics” published by CIVICUS Monitor on 29 August 2024.
(To be continued in a subsequent installment “Part 2”).
