Due to intense scrutiny and legal suits for defamation over the past 20 years, there is long list of opposition parties members whom had picked their bag and left Singapore but only ONE stood to his ground, perverse and never left the home soil.
Dr Chee Soon Juan Sec-General of Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)
An enigmatic figure in Singapore's political opposition, Dr Chee has been arrested and jailed several times for his political activities, mainly for making speeches and staging public demonstrations without a police permit. He has also been sued for defamation on multiple occasions for comments he has made about members of Singapore's governing People's Action Party (PAP).
Dr Chee was previously barred from standing in parliamentary elections because he was declared bankrupt in 2006 after failing to pay damages from a lawsuit, however, on 24 September 2012, Chee announced that he had raised the sum of S$30,000 needed to be discharged from his bankruptcy, paving the way for him to contest General Election 2015
Global Accolades and Awards
Painted as untrustworthy, a liar, a gangster, a psychopath by the mainstream media in Singapore, Dr Chee is highly regarded as a passionate speaker on democracy and human rights internationally. He is the Chairman of the Asian Alliance for Reforms and Democracy. He was awarded a Hellman/Hammett Writers Grant by Human Rights Watch in recognition of his courage in face of political persecution in Singapore, He is also a recipient of Parliamentarians for Global Action's "Defender of Democracy" award and Liberal International's "Prize for Freedom" award. He has since served as a research fellow at the Monash Asia Institute (1997), the University of Chicago (2001), the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Program at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C. (2004),[and most recently as a visiting fellow at the University of Sydney (2014). Dr Chee is also recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience.
An enigmatic figure in Singapore's political opposition, Dr Chee has been arrested and jailed several times for his political activities, mainly for making speeches and staging public demonstrations without a police permit. He has also been sued for defamation on multiple occasions for comments he has made about members of Singapore's governing People's Action Party (PAP).
Dr Chee was previously barred from standing in parliamentary elections because he was declared bankrupt in 2006 after failing to pay damages from a lawsuit, however, on 24 September 2012, Chee announced that he had raised the sum of S$30,000 needed to be discharged from his bankruptcy, paving the way for him to contest General Election 2015
Painted as untrustworthy, a liar, a gangster, a psychopath by the mainstream media in Singapore, Dr Chee is highly regarded as a passionate speaker on democracy and human rights internationally. He is the Chairman of the Asian Alliance for Reforms and Democracy. He was awarded a Hellman/Hammett Writers Grant by Human Rights Watch in recognition of his courage in face of political persecution in Singapore, He is also a recipient of Parliamentarians for Global Action's "Defender of Democracy" award and Liberal International's "Prize for Freedom" award. He has since served as a research fellow at the Monash Asia Institute (1997), the University of Chicago (2001), the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Program at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C. (2004),[and most recently as a visiting fellow at the University of Sydney (2014). Dr Chee is also recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience.
International Appointments
- Fellow, University of Sydney, Australia (2014)
- Prize for Freedom, Liberal International (2011)
- Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy, Washington DC, US (2004)
- Defender of Democracy Award, Parliamentarians for Global Action (2003)
- Hellman/Hammett Writers Grant, Human Rights Watch (2003)
- Fellow, University of Chicago, US (2001)
- Fellow, Monash Asia Institute, Australia (1997)
- Chairman, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (2008-2010)
- Chairman, Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (2000-2015)
Author of 12 books
On Why He Never Left Singapore
When asked why he didn't leave Singapore for greener pasture despite offers from overseas, Dr Chee calmly replied “That thought has never crossed my mind,” he said. “This is my home. I know of no other. If I leave, there will be one less voice against the government…If PAP wins, the people will lose. I was born Singaporean. I was raised Singaporean. And I will die Singaporean.”
One Single Man Against the Entire System, without true grit, beliefs and determination, many others would have given up and migrated to greener pasture or simply retire from politics. Yet Chee soldiered on. For that, he earned the respect, of many whom felt deeply the huge price he and his family has to sacrifice to stand by his political belief.
“....seeing you so despondent made my own morale wobble – but I know you were feeling depressed and anxious because of yet another lawsuit,” Dr Chee said. “We made a pact that night, that while we may not yet be able to beat them politically, we would not allow them to defeat us on the personal front. They may take away all our possessions but they will never take away our will to speak up!”
Dr Chee has authored 12 books, and has written extensively in various established publications. He has also been invited to give public speeches at international forums and conferences. He is married to Dr Huang Chih Mei (黃智美) and they have three children.
Dr Chee Soon Juan a.k.a "The Red Knight of Singapore " ?
Dr Chee is a complex character with dare-devil defiance with a capital letter D. Having witnessed the social disparity in Singapore between the rich and the poor, he swore to fight for the rights of the poor and less fortunate, an oath tempered with a sense of justice. Dr Chee trains himself both physically and intellectually and crafts a bat-inspired persona to fight social inequality in Singapore and on International stages.
Dr Chee Soon Juan. What makes the man? What are his motivations? What is his game plan?
Dr Chee believes in and advocates for democracy, human rights, transparency, accountability, justice and equality for a better Singapore. As the leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), he seeks to lead the party in bringing about progressive ideas, humanitarian values and positive changes through alternative policies, which he sees as his duty in public service.
On Why He Never Left Singapore
When asked why he didn't leave Singapore for greener pasture despite offers from overseas, Dr Chee calmly replied “That thought has never crossed my mind,” he said. “This is my home. I know of no other. If I leave, there will be one less voice against the government…If PAP wins, the people will lose. I was born Singaporean. I was raised Singaporean. And I will die Singaporean.”
One Single Man Against the Entire System, without true grit, beliefs and determination, many others would have given up and migrated to greener pasture or simply retire from politics. Yet Chee soldiered on. For that, he earned the respect, of many whom felt deeply the huge price he and his family has to sacrifice to stand by his political belief.
Dr Chee Personal Pact with Mr JB Jeyeretnam
Dr Chee - A loving Husband and a Caring Father of 3
Dr Chee and his family been through a lot. He had been bankrupted through defamation suits by PAP politicians. Whilst both Dr Chee and his wife are PhD holders, they live in a crammed 3-room HDB flat with three kids, leading a simple life. Check out this documentary about the human side of Chee and his family life.
On Asked Why He Involved His Children in Political Work.
Dr Chee replied, I do it because I want them to learn about the hard work of standing up and speaking out, I want them to learn about integrity and character. These are life's lessons they'll not learn in the classroom but lessons infinitely more important.
A Fight for Clean and Policy Driven GE 2015 ?
Character Assassination and Political Bullying
Despite the Mandate by Prime Minister Lee for GE 2015 to be focused on Policy and the Next 50 years, PM Lee's fellow PAP comrades have systematically conduct character assassination on Dr Chee on National TV and again during election rallies and Press Conferences .It was almost like he didn’t spend 15 years out of the election game: he strode on stage confidently, thanked the crowd for their presence and warm reception (“I am humbled”), and promptly went on to speak in no less than seven languages — Mandarin, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Malay, even a sentence in Tamil, and finally English.
Dr Chee coming on Stage
Dr Chee shared "...I have never lose faith in Singaporean and even in the bleakest of moment, I've always believe that we will triumph, that democracy will eventually come and justice will ultimately prevail .. Why.. because the human spirit can only be suppressed but never crashed".
By-Election 2016 Election - Rally Speech
Politics in a Minute : Dr Chee on what SDP will stands for...
"If we don't change, we die – it's as plain as that. And the one thing that we must do to change is that our political system must allow the people the freedom to speak, to express themselves without getting sued by the Prime Minister, without media filtering what we say and without constantly portraying the PAP as the party of heroes."
On his opponents:
"Never kick a man when he's down, there's no honour in that. For all I know David Ong is a good guy. But sometimes good guys make bad mistakes. My criticisms of Mr Murali is not about his person, it's about his political views. So I tell my colleagues in the SDP and I hope all our friends and supporters will abide by this too: Please do not launch personal attacks against my opponent."
Our Sincere and Humble Outreach to You. The Voter
Whether you or not you agree with his political views, Dr Chee’s absence had deprived the Singapore political scene of a great orator who had a unique and absorbing take on the subjects of oppression and triumph.
We are not saying you should agree with Chee and blindly vote for the SDP this election, but at the least, we thank you for taking the time to read this article to have the information to make a more informed decision.
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Next Read >> Singapore Democratic Party's Commitment to You
Next Read >> Singapore Democratic Party's Commitment to You
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