Thursday, October 23, 2014

Pricing Justice In Singapore

The following lines are from "America: Imagine the World Without Her", a 2014 American political documentary film by Dinesh D'Souza based on his book of the same name.
"I made a mistake and I'm not above the law. No one is.
But we don't want to live in a society where Lady Justice has one eye open and winks at her friends and casts an evil eye at her adversaries. Where will they stop?"

D'Souza critical examination of various accusations against the United States can easily be applied to the Little Red Dot.

Dr Susan Lim was taken to the cleaners because her inflated bills for an ailing Brunei royalty were seen by some circles as a dire threat to the medical tourism industry. Yet no one objected to litigator and member of parliament Alvin Yeo's over-invoicing that could torpedo the country's reputation as a neutral, efficient and reliable dispute resolution institution in Asia. The International Arbitration Centre was meant to help parties manage the financial and other practical aspects of arbitration, and facilitate the smooth progress of arbitration. Presumably without interference from third parties with vested interests.

An ugly reminder of lessons unlearnt is the $10,000 fine slapped on a doctor who administered a wrong drug and changed the documentation to cover up his malpractice. The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) initally had actually dismissed victim Michael Balensiefer's 2009 complaint about the botched liposuction which destroyed his career as a US Navy rescue swimmer. Whatever the US Navy pays the merchant marine for his day job, the loss of income has to be more than 10 grand, the kind of money Dr Kevin Teh Tze Chen might spend for a skiing holiday at the Swiss alps. Compare that to the potential $100,000 fine for a pet owner who neglects a trip to the vet. We now know, of course, justice has a different price tag when even animal activists can succumb to politicisation.

9 comments:

  1. Clearly what happened in Sin regarding the Cases mentioned were not buried surreptitiously or kept secret by anyone.
    The Locals and International Communities have their freedom to engage and work with whoever they choose.
    Even crooks get accomplices, what more are professionals out to make killings by themselves and or with collusion. Evils are as much and real as there are good and benevolence. This is reality.

    Why do mankinds have to fear god?
    Why not simply say love god?

    patriot

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    Replies
    1. Because there is no god.

      What supernatural agency people like to attribute to "evil" (because they are either unwilling or afraid to confront the reality they humans are capable of taking bad behavior to extremes) doesn't exist either.

      Delete
  2. Fair quote but Dinesh D'Souza is a massive tool. Even after getting convicted for a felony - which he pleaded guilty to - he still found the time to be smug about it.

    Just be aware what kind of person he is.

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    Replies
    1. Well, he did admit he made a mistake, unlike the cads we have in office who hide their gigantic mishaps.

      Delete
  3. Whence Tyranny is accepted, tolerated and condoned and no active resistance and action are taken, the Power will do what it likes and please.
    There were no protest at Parliament House, proof that the People are happy with the System.

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  4. If what this Dinesh D'Souza guy said, in a fit of pique, had been directed at OUR Lady Justice, his ass would have been hauled so fast to court, for scandalising the judiciary, that he will have no time to say habeas corpus. It's alright to say that justice is blind, but saying that it is half-open and winks at her friends, is no different from saying that it is "limp as a flag on a windless day", as one of our bloggers has found to his cost. This is our System.

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  5. Justice is priceless.

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  6. There's no Ministry of Justice in Singapore. Only Ministry of Law.

    ReplyDelete