Daily Lesson from Life 14 October 2008

"3 to face contempt charge

AG says the kangaroo T-shirts they wore to a hearing involving SDP chief Chee Soon Juan scandalises the judiciary. -Tue, Oct 14, 2008 The Straits Times

THREE people who wore T-shirts in the Supreme Court building depicting a kangaroo dressed in a judge's robes are being taken to court.

The Attorney-General is accusing them of scandalising the Singapore judiciary, and on Tuesday the High Court gave the go-ahead to start proceedings against the trio for contempt of court.


The accused are: Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) assistant secretary-general John Tan Liang Joo, 47, full time national serviceman Muhammad Shafi'ie Syahmi Sariman and activist Isrizal Mohamed Isa."

I just wrote about going against the establishment in the RIGHT Way last night when MM Lee and PM Lee won the libel suit against SDP and it's leaders and this incident happened!

I learned from a radio talk show interview with a practicing lawyer on what is considered libel and she said something that people in the known can reasonably discerned or made connection with your innuendos can be consider libelous!

I guessed wearing the T-shirt with a kangaroo in a judge's rope is not too subtle a message to send to anyone who has some knowledge of what is a kangaroo court will conclude. So, the AG is probably right to ask for a contempt of court charge!

Lessons for me to learn are:

1. when you keeping doing the same thing the same way and expect a different result, it is simply illogical and unwise. It is a tragic waste of efforts and money!;

2. to innovate you need to have the courage to see your errant way and discard it before you can begin to embrace a new approach. A different approach. If it failed after you tried the different approach then at least you can move on to another different way of doing things to seek the breakthrough;

3. unless, of course, the purpose of continuing to do the "same way that get the same 'dis-satisfactory' result" is to let others know that the establishment will consistently apply the same principle and measurement to deal with such so-called anti-establishment behaviors or actions. It will be weired if indeed this is what the SDP and it's leaders wanted to show people.

Another day in court for the SDP folks, another day efforts and resources are wasted unnecessarily. I hope the SDP folks can change their way to continue their pursuit of whatever 'ideal political environment' for Singapore. Do it differently. Please.