Daily Lessons from Life 17 June 2012 - Fear of the Laws Favouring the Rich?

A famous, and rich, plastic surgeon was fined S$1k for abetting an elderly employee to take the rap for 2 speeding tickets issued in 2005 and 2006 that had no physical harms being inflicted on the driver nor any other road users.

This has stirred disquiet in the cyberspace with questions being asked about: why it was not a heavier sentence given that some drivers who did something similar were jailed and fined? why it took so long for the cases to be mentioned in 2012? are the laws increasingly favouring the rich and wealthy in Singapore, a just and social democrat society? etc...

The Attorney General Chamber (AGC) and the Minister of Laws have to, in a way, explained that this was NOT the case. That the laws applicable to the offences were not as strict as those that were passed in 2008. That the interpretation of the laws are still being done by the independent judiciary branch. There is NOTHING the executive and legislative branches can do anything to interfere!

Well, this shows how the general population is becoming like in the newly rich China, where the ordinary people are increasingly questioning if there is 'justice for all' or that 'some are more equal'! In a social and democratic Singapore, the ordinary people MUST never have to doubt this. IF NOT, it will be another tragic development that Singapore MUST not get into but yet did!

Welcome to the new era of a questioning populace. Not a welcome thing but got to learn to deal with it - wisely, decisively and non-defensively.