...his 1st post detention speech in singapore
Synopsis of Dr Lim Hock Siew's speech:-
"Today they are asking us to be magnanimous. What does magnanimity mean?
Only those who have suffered have the moral right, the moral standing to be magnanimous, not the culprit. The culprit can seek forgiveness if they admit their mistakes and apologize for it. Not for the victims of this torture to seek forgiveness.
We are the ones who have to be magnanimous and we are prepared to be magnanimous provided the culprits admit their mistakes and seek our forgiveness."
"On that question of release unconditionally – that we stood firm. I stood firm and had to suffer for two decades. That is the price we had to pay for our integrity.
In Singapore we have a situation where the government leaders said they have integrity that has to be sustained by the highest pay in the world, but yet they demand from political opponents and detainees an integrity that has to be sustained by the longest imprisonment in the world.
These kind of two types of integrity – to compare them is to compare Heaven and Earth.
Why should anybody has to sacrifice so much just to sustain his integrity and his beliefs? And the government have to reward themselves with so much high pay.
This is the immorality of the political situation in Singapore today."
"Detention without trial is not a peaceful action. It is an act of violence. They come to see you not in the daylight with an invitation card. They come in the morning at 4am that is the time when decent people sleep, and when political terrorists and tyrants strike. And when you are detained you are subjected to all kinds of mental and even physical torture."
"Some of you may have heard that when you are young, you are idealistic, when you’re old , you are realistic. Now this is the kind of rubbish that is used by those who have either lost their ideals, or have sold their ideals for self-interests.
Each should not wither one’s ideals or convictions. If anything, it should only consolidate and make it more resolute. If age has anything to do with it, it is only by way of expression and application of these ideals and convictions having the benefit of youthful experiences.
And a Life without convictions, without idealism is a mere meaningless existence."