Woah Miss Baey wins the"Woman of Courage" award given out by AWARE!

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/nus-undergraduate-monica-baey-among-three-women-awarded-gender-equality-efforts

Swedish Student Vs HK Student Vs SG Student LMFAO

Student charged with taking illicit videos is on 'indefinite suspension': Yale-NUS College

Brandon Lee Bing Xiang, a Yale-NUS student who has been charged with taking illicit videos of several women, is shown in a photo posted on Humans of Yale-NUS Facebook page. The link has since been inaccessible.

SINGAPORE: Yale-NUS College student Brandon Lee Bing Xiang has been on "indefinite suspension" since March while under investigation for insulting the modesty of a fellow student, the institution said on Friday (Oct 4).

Lee was charged on Tuesday for taking shower and upskirt videos of women at the college between August 2017 and March this year.

"He was immediately suspended the day after the college was notified about the incident in March 2019," said Yale-NUS College Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs) Joanne Roberts, in response to CNA's queries. 

"The college is in the midst of reviewing the case and will mete out appropriate disciplinary actions based on the evidence on hand."

"He is on indefinite suspension during the investigation and disciplinary process."

The college has reached out the affected female student to "render the necessary support", said Prof Roberts.

"The matter is currently before the courts and it would not be appropriate for the college to comment further on Lee’s case," she said.

The offences occurred either in a classroom or a shower cubicle at the liberal arts college, the charge sheets showed.

Lee is accused of targeting at least four women, according to court documents.

Prof Roberts said the colleges "takes a serious view of allegations of sexual misconduct" and has an "established process to firmly address such matters".

Full story at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/yale-nus-student-brandon-lee-upskirt-shower-videos-suspension-11969824

SINGAPORE: A National University of Singapore (NUS) student who allegedly filmed a fellow student in the shower changed his clothes after the incident to avoid being identified, the police said.

Joel Rasis Ismail, 26, was charged on Monday (May 13) with one count of criminal trespass and another of insulting a woman's modesty.

According to charge sheets, Joel is accused of filming a 23-year-old woman in the shower at a residential hall on the university's campus at around 6.30am on May 11. Joel and the woman are both residents of the hall.

He is also believed to be involved in other similar cases, the police added.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/nus-student-filmed-shower-joel-rasis-ismail-changed-clothes-11527290

THIS DUMB FUCK OWNSELF POSTED HIS FULL RESUME PLUS NRIC NO. AND HOME ADDRESS ON HIS WEBSITE LMFAO:

https://www.joelrasis.com/resume

Even ATB also say is throw face.........why don't go Geylang?

Why can't this be disseminated and shared with the general public? NUS has something to hide or what?

NUS FUCKED UP SO BAD AND NOW TRIES TO SHUSH THINGS?

https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/bnatkv/another_incident_at_nus_today/

Jialat, yet another peeping Tom case has happened........ NUS might as well rename itself as National University of Sex.

NUS Peeping Tom case: Another female student allegedly filmed in bathroom, male student arrested

SINGAPORE - A female student at the National University of Singapore (NUS) was allegedly filmed by another student in a bathroom at one of the residence halls on Saturday morning (May 11).

A police report has been made about the incident at Raffles Hall and the suspect has been apprehended by the police for further investigations, said an NUS spokesman.

Police said they received a call for assistance around 8.10am, and subsequently arrested a 26-year-old NUS male student, a resident of the same residential hall, for criminal trespass.

The man is also being investigated for insulting the modesty of a woman, added the police.

The NUS spokesman said "the university is working closely with the police in their investigations, and will take the necessary disciplinary actions". The university is also providing the student with "dedicated support and assistance".

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nus-peeping-tom-case-another-female-student-allegedly-filmed-in-bathroom-male-student

LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR NTU AGAIN.......

https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/third-peeping-tom-incident-ntu-three-weeks

Well done NUS, now folks won't no longer be afraid of voyeurs, but rather they will be scared of dying from suffocation with the whole damn hoarding going up like this..........

LOL THE IRONY...............

NUS Peeping Tom case: Monica Baey urges online bullying against Nicholas Lim to stop

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nus-peeping-tom-case-monica-baey-urges-online-bullying-against-nicholas-lim-to-stop

Monica seeking closure liao.......

Look at Melissa's face can suffer from permanent erectile dysfunction.

Melissa Wix aka the girl who won Miss Bikini Asia Singapore but later had her title stripped because of nude photos posted online acts all busybody:

NUS peeping tom case becoming example of ‘trial by social media’

I refer to the recent peeping tom case at the National University of Singapore (NUS). As a female alumnus of NUS, I have followed the case in the news and can empathise with Miss Monica Baey's predicament.

She naturally feels upset and seems frustrated with the punishment handed to the offender, deeming it inadequate.

After she posted about the events on her Instagram account, it triggered a public outcry, leading to Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, NUS president Tan Eng Chye, and various committee bodies and senior management from the university weighing in on the matter.

So much so that even the Singapore Police Force has to justify their rationale in deciding the form of punishment for the offender, going to the extent of publicly clarifying his parents' background and professions.

In my opinion, this case has become a classic example of "trial by social media", where many people enter the fray, without being completely privy to the facts of the case, and dictate to the authorities how they should have done their job.

And it could set a dangerous precedent in Singapore where anyone with a grievance can turn into a Shylock and demand their "pound of flesh" by merely complaining on social media.

As an educated and compassionate society, we owe it to both the victim and the offender, to allow the authorities the space to carry out investigations on their part, and arrive at a fair judgment without getting carried away by emotions.

I sincerely hope Miss Baey can receive the required support from the authorities, if she disagrees with the actions taken, without having to do so via social media. Furthermore, she should also be offered counselling to overcome this traumatic event in her life.

https://www.todayonline.com/voices/nus-peeping-tom-case-becoming-example-trial-social-media-sets-dangerous-precedent

Another brave girl came forward to share about her ordeal:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/rachel-koh/of-punishment-and-social-media/10156307137077076/

[Author’s note: This post was originally written for a closer group of friends but was made public later. The link to my old fb note regarding my own experience of sexual harassment below is restricted to friends only for personal reasons. I think the substance of this post can be understood without knowing the details of what happened to me, and there is some detail scattered in the post already where I thought fit to include. I ask that you please refrain from trying to dig up past events and from sending me friend requests, thank you.]

I need to clear my head.

I followed the first leg of the Monica Baey saga, until there was too much floating around and I couldn’t take it anymore, and this saga is making me uncomfortable for multiple reasons.

The first reason being that it brings up memories which I don’t want to remember and feelings which I have long buried. Most of you who have been my Facebook friends since university would know my experience, but for those who don’t, here’s the background: https://www.facebook.com/notes/rachel-koh/dealing-with-sexual-harassment/10152641334682076/

The second being that the internet mob is baying for blood and I really, really don’t like this.

My note is going to have a few parts:

1. my experience with NUS/law enforcement

2. thoughts on adequate/inadequate punishment

3. thoughts on social media frenzy

(1) My experience with NUS/law enforcement

I preface this by saying that there are a number of differences between Monica’s situation and mine, so some differences in the way things were handled are to be expected.

In my case, I reported the matter to NUS only at first (I shall not count the earlier 2 police reports a few years earlier since those were “closed”).

The faculty and staff who were in direct contact with me were extremely supportive and contactable during that period. They responded quickly to events as I updated them, and were readily available. They encouraged me to make a police report, accompanied me to the police station, stayed there with me and accompanied me back. Once the police report had been made, they’d follow up with me here and there, and were contactable in case of anything. Apart from that, I received no news from NUS for a long, long time.

I went for exchange and came back, but there was still no news from either party. At some point, I got in touch with a prof and brought up this matter in the context of some questions regarding online harassment (a topic in that module I took). He spoke to me personally and also set me up with the Dean of Student Life (?) for my home faculty, and she sat with me over coffee to ask me what I thought NUS could do to help. I told her that what I really needed was closure, since silence for almost a year was unacceptable. She agreed to help me check on the status. At the same time, I reached out to the original faculty member who brought me to the police station.

A while later, and I honestly can’t remember how long since this was years ago, I received an email from the latter to let me know that the perpetrator had been suspended from NUS for a while, not allowed to stay in campus housing again, expelled from the supplementary programme we were in (but not his home faculty), and the email also attached his apology letter. [EDIT: I’m sorry, I have just retrieved my lost email password and dug out my emails and this is incorrect. NUS sent me the apology letter but did not mention anything about campus housing and expulsion. His apology letter says he voluntarily withdrew from the programme.]

I would say this of NUS – yes, I received more support than Monica did based on her account, and I do appreciate that I was fortunate. I do believe that in general the faculty members who have direct contact with the students are very supportive, but with respect to the internal investigation and timeliness of updates, I wish they were more forthcoming.

As for law enforcement, once the police report had been made, it was just a couple more visits to make more statements, and again, silence for a long, long time. Probably about a year later, I received a letter letting me know that he had been sentenced to 18 months’ probation and mandatory counselling. [EDIT: my memory failed me - the letter states 18 months’ probation but not mandatory counselling, sorry]

In Monica's case, it seems to be a one-time occurrence. In my case, the perpetrator had committed a series of acts against multiple girls over years. This would explain the difference in the sentences. But probation isn’t a jail term either, though it comes with certain conditions, such as regular reporting to an officer.

Is this enough still? Even now, I don’t know. Which brings me to my next point.

(2) Adequacy of Punishment

What is adequate punishment? Heck, I don’t know. If you’ve read my previous note, there’s a part where I ramble about how I felt that 10 or 20 years’ imprisonment weren’t enough for me to feel vindicated.

I understand perfectly how she felt. I’ve been exactly there, caught up in all-consuming rage and hurt and thinking “I want him to suffer for what he’s done”. At that point nothing can satisfy the victim, nothing. And timing is crucial, because the initial rage that clouds judgment really does boil over.

For me, since I only received news of my perpetrator’s punishments from both NUS and the police perhaps a year later, and I had so much time in between to sort out my thoughts and find my way. By that time, I was quite dull. My only thought was, well, I think he’s had his life shaken up already, if he is remorseful and he doesn’t do these things again, then I’m fine, because it means that the punishment did its work.

You see, that’s the difference that time makes.

Monica received news just ~2 months later. I could say she was lucky not to be kept in the dark for a year by both institutions. But the short time period also means that it is still fresh, and she’s obviously still angry. Add that to hearing from the police that it’s just a conditional warning, and hearing from NUS that its just suspension and an apology letter, to someone who is still experiencing the hurt, I can see how this is not enough.

But then so what is enough? Does she, and do all these armchair critics know what they think to be enough? There is currently a petition going around to have him expelled – don’t even get me started on the multiple issues I see with that – but expulsion is a big thing, it really, truly is. Thing is, I feel that the current punishment isn’t optimal either, and I think expulsion is too harsh, but I myself don’t know what could be in between that would satisfy me or most people. A petition for harsher punishment in general, I can get behind. But a petition for expulsion? Who are we to decide that's appropriate?

[EDIT: having seen and heard various perspectives regarding expulsion, I am prepared to re-evaluate my stance on the harshness of expulsion. I welcome any views/anecdotes/information so I can widen my perspective on this.]

We are all humans. We all make mistakes. We should be responsible and bear the consequences of our mistakes. But punishment meted out should be proportional. It shouldn’t be decided in a fit of rage. And mob justice is a truckload of short-term, high-energy passion and rage.]

[EDIT: A couple of people below have pointed out that my use of the word “mistake” is misleading.

My idea of “mistake” had been something akin to a moment of folly, a lapse/error in judgment, but upon further reflection I realise that it carries the connotation that something is unintentional and trivialises perpetrators’ actions. This was not my intention – I made a mistake, and I apologise for giving the wrong impression.

I want to affirm that I think what he did, and what perpetrators do, are wrong. Whether as a result of a moment of folly, lapse in judgment, bad decisions or premeditation, these actions hurt people and they are wrong and they should not be condoned.]

Is NUS the only university that has been caught up in drama surrounding their handling of such cases? Nope. Can NUS (and other institutions as well) improve its procedures? Most certainly.

Let’s also talk about the punishment from law enforcement. Here’s what I understand of it: it is based on past precedent, it is the result of formal investigations which are now closed, and it was concurred by the AGC.

This guy isn’t the first, and most certainly won’t be the last, peeping tom. Let’s be real, there are lots of perverts around us. Some get caught, some don’t. and for those that get caught, how many do we hear of? There are only so few reported cases that come out in the news. Do any of us have statistics on the number of peeping toms caught and how many of them are given conditional warnings? Do we also have statistics on how many of them go on to reoffend after the conditional warning? I most certainly don’t.

But what if this conditional warning really is the standard? What if the statistics showed that some 80 or more % of people with conditional warnings never reoffended again? Would it change people’s perspectives on this? It can never be 100%. There will ALWAYS be people bound to reoffend.

It wouldn’t quite be fair to give everyone super harsh sentences just so less people will offend/reoffend, especially if there is a group of people there who would have been sufficiently deterred with less. Yet it wouldn’t do to give lax sentences such that people aren’t sufficiently deterred at all.

Perhaps the conditional warning tries to balance this – to the X% who are sufficiently deterred by the conditional warning, it actually works and they’ve changed for the better without scarring their entire life based on one mistake. To those who reoffend, they’re the ones identified as needing further punishment because obviously a conditional warning isn’t enough. Would these people have reoffended still if they were instead sentenced to a few weeks' jail? These are people who already didn't give a shit about the threat of formal action looming over their heads.

The unfortunate downside of this is that even that few % of reoffenders means more victims. This is something that I struggle to reconcile, and I know that this is what most people feel.

If it really is the case that conditional warnings are generally ineffective then by all means, I wholeheartedly support a harsher punishment. The point is that no one really knows right now, but everyone talks as if they know for a fact that it doesn’t work most of the time. That’s what irks me.

I know I’m doing a lot of theory-crafting here, and I’m also doing this as a third-party observer who happens to have experienced something similar some 5 years ago, distanced by space and time. I am not by any means an expert in conditional warnings or sentencing and punishment, but perhaps we could all take a step back and stop letting our initial outrage take charge.

(3) Social Media Frenzy

The great thing about social media is that we can get news about these horrible things out quickly and inspire change. The bad thing is that it tends to lead to mob justice.

What’s happening right now is most certainly mob justice. The guy has been named and shamed. Even his girlfriend has been named and shamed.

Once upon a time, I was a fan of mob justice. I thought, well, people who do wrong should expect backlash from society and this is how we signal that certain actions are inappropriate. This isn’t wrong, but the angry mob has shown time and time again that they have no sense of proportion and no limits. Naming and shaming, doxxing, targeting innocent loved ones, targeting companies they work for… some of these can be so extreme.

When I wrote my first note, I thought long and hard about putting it out there. I made it restricted because I wasn’t sure of the full implication of making it public. And I didn’t want to name names because so many things could happen. I didn’t want this kind of attention, and honestly, it probably wouldn’t have gained much attention because there was no name and no face for a mob to direct its anger at. Such is the internet.

This saga went public and viral, and she has gained lots of attention. The power is now in her hands, with lots of supporters. I only hope she uses this attention for good in the long run.

I’m glad that this saga has called for change, and has spurred at least NUS to review their handling of such matters.

I’m not in any position at all to determine her motives. I can perfectly understand if it were out of rage, anger, hurt, a desire for revenge and to make the guy suffer – as I said, I’ve been there. If her dominant motivation was personal vendetta and attention, I don't blame her, but I also wish it could have been done in a better way. And if her motivations were purely for change, without any vengeance on her part, I would have immense respect for her, because it sure as hell is hard as a victim to be purely altruistic. It is in all likelihood a mix of both, because things are rarely that clear cut.

It is her prerogative how she chooses to tell her story, and everyone can have their opinion on how it was done.

At the end of the day, knowing the power of social media, I just hope that we all realise and acknowledge the kind of power we could hold in our hands, be cautious with it, and do our best to keep our motivations in check.

--

There’s just one last important note I have: let’s all try not to compare experiences and say who has it better or worse (for the avoidance of doubt, I would count sexual abuse and rape in a separate category that is unquestionably worse). It really doesn’t benefit anyone to do that.

Someone told me something to the effect of “at least yours wasn’t so bad, you saw his penis only”. I instinctively felt upset. That really isn’t the only thing that happened, and I can tell you that now, 5 years on, whether my eyes are open or closed, I see with absolute clarity the pornographic photo that my perpetrator had photoshopped my face on, and it makes me feel dirty. It is burned into my brain and it will never leave me in my lifetime. All I can really do is learn to live with it.

Being filmed changing/in the shower once has an impact on the victim, even if it’s just for 10 minutes or less. Having one’s butt grabbed for 3 seconds has an impact on the victim. Being randomly kissed on the lips for 1 second by a stranger in a bar without consent has an impact on the victim.

Each of us is hurting in our own way. Please understand that.

[EDIT: Some people think that I am trying to impose my standards on other victims. Let me clarify that I am not – I acknowledge that everyone reacts to and deals with situations differently. That I have done something in a certain way, or that I would have done something in a different way, does not mean I expect them to have done it my way.

Some people think I am against Monica and/or against her bringing this to social media. No, I am not. I am not trying to put down or to dismiss anyone’s experiences. If anything, I have repeatedly affirmed her feelings in this note, and if you’ve read to the end of my note, I implore everyone to be sensitive in speaking to people who have experienced sexual harassment, because each one of us is affected in some way or other.

I am fine with bringing this to social media. In fact, I’m happy that social media is inspiring change in this instance. I only dislike the negatives that came along with it because I personally dislike lynch mobs, and question if engaging the lynch mobs was necessary.

You may see my lengthy response to Raeanne in the comments below for detailed clarifications.

I hope my readers are able to see beyond “if you are not for us, you are against us”. Life isn’t so simple, as much as I wish it was.]

Students disappointed by lack of answers at NUS town hall meeting

They came to be heard and to get answers. Instead, many among the National University of Singapore (NUS) students who attended yesterday's 1½-hour town hall meeting left complaining that they were not given enough time to air their views, and that administrators failed to address their concerns directly.

Speaking to the media after the session, NUS Students' Union (Nussu) president Benjamin Loo said: "It would have been a more fruitful town hall meeting if the relevant members of the review committee were present."

More at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/students-disappointed-by-lack-of-answers-at-town-hall-meeting

ST premium article hacked at Reddit Singapore

https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/bhf6zz/st_article_interview_with_nicholas_lim_the_man_at/

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/no-excuse-it-was-very-wrong-nicholas-lim

Exclusive interview with Nicholas Lim: No excuse, it was very wrong, says man at centre of NUS sexual voyeurism case

Soon after undergraduate Nicholas Lim took a video of someone in the hostel shower on his phone, he confessed the act to his girlfriend. The girlfriend was also on her phone: She had received a message that there was a Peeping Tom on the university campus. Together, they met Ms Monica Baey so he could own up and apologise.

"I wanted to confess it was me," Mr Lim, 23, a chemical engineering student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), told The Straits Times.

Asked if he did so only out of fear that he would be caught as a result of his image being captured by surveillance cameras, he said no. "I did something wrong. I wasn't planning to hide from it, to run."

In his first media interview, the man at the centre of a high-profile sexual misconduct case that has prompted widespread discussion about how such incidents are handled on university campuses said, when asked how the past week had been for him: "I don't think I am a victim. I'm the perpetrator. I did what I did. My point is not to justify my action. Not to say I was drunk. Drunk or not, it should never have happened."

At turns emotional, Mr Lim, who was accompanied by a male friend at the interview at a coffee joint at Leisure Park Kallang, said that he is now going public because he wanted people to know "how truly sorry I am".

He broke down twice - burying his head in his arms, his voice trembling - especially when talking about the impact the saga has had on his parents. At one point, his friend patted his arm.

Last Thursday, Ms Baey posted on social media about the incident which took place last November, and her anguish about the lack of steps taken to penalise Mr Lim. He did not know how to react after reading it, he said.

"I was worried, scared. Then came the media coverage. Everyone was posting online." It was then that he told his parents about the incident which happened.

The following morning, his 83-year-old grandmother died from a heart attack. It was not from the incident, he clarified.

But it was painful seeing how much hurt he has caused his parents who, at the same time, had to prepare for his grandmother's wake. "My parents were very worried and kept asking if I was okay. As a son, the last thing I want is for them to be so worried about me at their age, when I should be the one taking care of them," said Mr Lim, the only son of a taxi driver, 69, and a housewife, 59.

"They now have to bear this uncertainty with me," he said, referring to his future.

Mr Lim had joined insurer Great Eastern Singapore as a financial adviser last year while still a student. The company suspended him on Monday, and he later submitted his resignation.

"My dad is a taxi driver and he works very hard. I can tell he is worried sick," said Mr Lim. "There were definitely moments where I felt I could no longer hold it together, but I was lucky to have the support and encouragement of my family, friends and even strangers who have kept me going.

"They were angry at what I did. They were also willing to let me redeem myself - had the faith and belief in the person that I am, to be able to learn from my mistake and become a better person."

His girlfriend, whom he declined to name, has also chosen to stand by him, he said.

Other than going to his grandmother's wake, Mr Lim spent most of his time at home. "For me to step out of the house is not easy. I am worried over what's out there and how people would perceive me."

Mr Lim insisted he does not know what came over him that night. The touch rugby player had gone out to celebrate the end of season with his club mates.

His friend sent him to Eusoff Hall, where he had planned to sleep over in his girlfriend's hostel room.

But as he was walking to the male toilet to take a shower, he passed the female toilet and heard someone in the shower.

"The thought came and I did what I did. It was a hasty decision. I didn't know who was inside. I wasn't dead drunk," said Mr Lim.

He insisted he does not know what came over him.

"I have no excuse why I did it, alcohol is no reason. It was very wrong. I am deeply remorseful. I have and will continue to seek counselling and help," he said.

A key issue heavily debated the past week has been NUS' "two strikes" policy, as well as the police's decision to let him off with a conditional warning.

On whether he felt he should have been charged, Mr Lim said he was not in a position to say if his punishment has been fair or unfair. But it is something he has to deal with.

"I hope that through this incident, there will be fewer occurrences of such offences, whether due to social media presence or by review of systems and regulations to formulate deterrent measures."

Much of the public anger was also fuelled by speculation that he had got off lightly because he had influential parents.

He said: "I hope that people realise the power and impact of social media, and use it for the good of the society. That being said, I am in no position to claim what is fair or not, nor right or wrong. I personally hope that nobody else, along with their loved ones, would have to go through the scrutiny and shaming we did. I would not wish that upon my worst enemy.

He added: "I want to say that I have been and still am truly sorry for what I have done. Nobody should ever be put through the kind of trauma that I caused Monica. People have condemned me and my actions - I deserve it. I condemn myself. I seek everyone's forgiveness.

"And I resolve to work on becoming a better person; to be someone that my parents will not ever be ashamed of in the future."

OH NO!!!!!!! FAGGOTY ROY NGERNG IS PEEVED THAT SPF AND PAP RUINED HIS FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!

In defending the man who filmed a female student while she was showering, the Singapore police said: "A prosecution, with a possible jail sentence, will likely ruin his entire future."

When the prime minister sued me, did the government think about how it would "ruin my entire future"?

When the hospital I worked at fired me due to political pressure, did they think about how it would "ruin my entire future"?

When the prime minister sued Leong Sze Hian, did the government think about how it would "ruin his entire future"?

When Jolovan Wham was charged and now faces jail, did they think about how it would "ruin his entire future"?

When Seelan Palay was charged and jailed, did they think about how it would "ruin his entire future"?

When Soh Lung Teo was jailed on fabricated lies, did they think about how it would "ruin his entire future" as a lawyer?

When Vincent Cheng was jailed on fabricated lies, did they think about how it would "ruin his entire future" as a church worker?

When Chee Soon Juan 徐顺全 was sued, charged and jailed, did they think about how it would "ruin his entire future" as a university professor?

I can go on and on.

There have been too many, too many people who have had their futures ruined because the police chose to ruin their futures, because the PAP government chose to ruin them.

Good people. All ruined. Because of the police. Because of the PAP.

To think the Singapore police had the audacity to make claims when it has very weak moral authority to do so disgusts me to the core.

If you want to apply the law, apply it fairly. If you cannot apply the law fairly, then don't pretend to take the moral high ground.

Singaporeans have eyes to see.

I think, it saddens me that Singapore's laws and its police have become a joke. The PAP has complete influence over how the law should be interpreted, how it should be used to persecute, and when they think people should be let off or when they should not be.

In the fake news law the PAP proposed, they have decided to make "fake news" a crime, but yet have given themselves the power to decide who should or shouldn't be punished for it.

How, how, how can you accept a government which believes it can play god with your lives? I cannot.

I don't know where to start. It makes me angry.

I have always believed in forgiveness, in believing that people have a chance. And people should have chances.

But we have a system of justice, and people who have committed deeds deemed as going against the principles of society must be suitably rehabilitated under this system; in the process they shall be made to thoroughly appreciate in solitude how their actions have inflicted distress and harm on others before finally being allowed to emerge once more as souls reformed.

We have a system, and the system has to be properly respected for it to work.

Then again, if the system chooses to persecute people who should not be persecuted, while letting those who deserve to be punished get away scot free, pray tell how exactly do we continue to preserve faith in such a system that we know cannot no longer protect us?

This is not to defend the prison system which can be overbearing in its punishment of people, while not giving people the opportunity for proper rehabilitation. But the point is, if the present system is not good enough, we must change it for the better.

But fundamentally, if truth, justice, fairness and honesty can be bent and changed on a whim, then is there still truth? Can there still be justice?

And what of the people who have been put in the prison system unfairly, or if they are poor, or people who fall into a life of crime because the system failed them?

How would you begin to describe a system which does not protect the weak and vulnerable, which allows those in positions of power to hold complete sway over the common folk, to let them walk away unscathed despite mucking up?

I am angry. I want change. Because it is unfair. And it should not be this way. It does not have to be this way.