The Rule of Law - A Matter of Principle

The Rule of Law - A matter of principle

Very few people really understand the term Rule of Law in Singapore and they are more emotionally swayed rather than looking at things from the perspective of Rule of Law.

When I decided to stand up and protest against the cruelty and ill treatment of Amos Yes back then, many friends privately tried to dissuade me from doing so.

They opined that he is an idiot, rude, no big no small, "deserve it" and most importantly I will risk losing support and votes by "defending" such an idiot.

It made me ponder for a long while. I told all my friends and well meaning supporters that I do not like Amos Yee as well and I agree he is really a spoilt brat. However I find the police and government abuse of the system, using the whole government controlled machinery to crucify him just because most people find annoyed by him, is more intolerable than his acts of defiance on the net.

I said that even if it is a big bad criminal who have raped or murdered anyone, he should still have the proper treatment under the rule of law instead of mental torture.

My protest of his ill treatment doesn't mean I support his rude behavior but rather I am defending a proper system of legal procedure which takes human rights into proper account. I am against Mob Rule and totally intolerable of it.

Obviously I am the only STUPID politician who sticks his neck put for Amos Yee which by political calculations, a vote losing move. Not even the MPs in parliament with lawyers care to talk about the intolerable systemic torture the police state exert on a juvenile, while should I bother? It is definitely not a "politically correct" thing to do!

True enough, there are lots of attacks from the White and Blue camp on my appearance in the protest held in HK but I care less. Sometimes as a politician of conscience, we will have to choose between being politically correct of making the right choice and our matter of principles in doing the right things. We have to garner our own Moral Courage to do the right things.

I stick to my guns and persevere. I may be made to look stupid once but at least I can sleep with my conscience clear at night.

A leader should not be slave to the votes he seek but lead the votes that seek him.

Goh Meng Seng