MyPaper: NSP Christopher Neo 'in wrong place wrong time'

[aurvandil]

When i read, i thought it seemed a bit fishy... so coincidental, when he's there, kena raided....

So, was Christopher Neo at the Right place at the Right time then?

If you are going to be a prominent Opposition politician, you have to be prepared that you will be watched. To succeed, you need to live almost like a holy man.

 

[RonRon]

I see this as non issue. PAP is open to people who have been committed of criminal charge of Official Secret Act to stand as candidate and be Minister.

And in this case, it is kind of similar whereby it may be committed UNKNOWINGLY.

Jackpot machines do not have stickers on them to say "I am Illegal".

Goh Meng Seng

You vice chairman may involved in illegal gambling ans you see it as non issue?

 

[aurvandil]

You vice chairman may involved in illegal gambling ans you see it as non issue?

What is the difference btw

a) playing jackpot at RWS
b) playing jackpot at NTUC/SAFRA/Civil Service clubs
c) playing jackpot at a billiard hall in Golden Mile?

If the PAP wants the moral high ground on gambling, the PAP should

1) Immidiately withdraw the 2 casino licenses
2) Remove all jackpot machines from NTUC/SAFRA/Civil Service clubs
3) Close down Singapore Pools

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

You vice chairman may involved in illegal gambling ans you see it as non issue?

Our minister was charged and committed for breaching Official Secret Act, do you think that is an issue?

Goh Meng Seng

 

[po2wq]

dat depends which side u r on ...

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

You vice chairman may involved in illegal gambling ans you see it as non issue?

No answers? That settles it.

The point is this, we are not looking for saints to be politicians and there are practically no saints in Singapore.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[RonRon]

No answers? That settles it.

The point is this, we are not looking for saints to be politicians and there are practically no saints in Singapore.

Goh Meng Seng

Hey moron, you expect me to glue my eyes 24/7 on the screen is it? You have to look at the nature of the offence! OSA can be due to negligent and not committed on an intention. If you are quoting such example to justify your man to commit crime, I can only say, you just loose all my respect or do i have 1 at the 1st place?

 

[RonRon]

GMS by the way all these remarks and conversation you made were print screen for future purposes

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Hey moron, you expect me to glue my eyes 24/7 on the screen is it? You have to look at the nature of the offence! OSA can be due to negligent and not committed on an intention. If you are quoting such example to justify your man to commit crime, I can only say, you just loose all my respect or do i have 1 at the 1st place?

Yes, precisely. Negligence is the key, not intentional. That is why even as opposition member, I have no problem with that. Because I know we need all the talent we need for the country to prosper.

Thus, in Chris case, after evaluating all the circumstances, he was caught because of his negligence as well. There is no intention to be involved in illegal gambling, just that there is one legal private club open door for business, with jackpots, just like any other clubs eg. NTUC, SAFRA etc, but the difference is, clients didn't know they operated it illegally.

That settles the case.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[RonRon]

Yes, precisely. Negligence is the key, not intentional. That is why even as opposition member, I have no problem with that. Because I know we need all the talent we need for the country to prosper.

Thus, in Chris case, after evaluating all the circumstances, he was caught because of his negligence as well. There is no intention to be involved in illegal gambling, just that there is one legal private club open door for business, with jackpots, just like any other clubs eg. NTUC, SAFRA etc, but the difference is, clients didn't know they operated it illegally.

That settles the case.

Goh Meng Seng

I thought in you statement you said, youe will respect the due process
and let the police investigate on it. So now you also acted as judge and proclaim it was a negligence case

 

[jw5]

Yes, precisely. Negligence is the key, not intentional. That is why even as opposition member, I have no problem with that. Because I know we need all the talent we need for the country to prosper.

Thus, in Chris case, after evaluating all the circumstances, he was caught because of his negligence as well. There is no intention to be involved in illegal gambling, just that there is one legal private club open door for business, with jackpots, just like any other clubs eg. NTUC, SAFRA etc, but the difference is, clients didn't know they operated it illegally.

That settles the case.

Goh Meng Seng

It may settle the case within your party and it may settle the legal issue, but it certainly will not settle the political situation.
Look at Steve's case, it was certainly not illegal in any sense, there was no issue with the party and probably not an issue with voters like myself, but was there a political repercussion?
We can't be certain, but you could argue that there was. If there was indeed a political repercussion, I think it would be very unfair, but since when was politics in SG fair? I happen to think Steve is one of the brightest and most eloquent opposition politicians to have emerged, but how has he fared with the voters?
It's easy to declare that "it's not an issue or that settles the case", but in this highly unfair political environment, the case is certainly not that easily "settled".
It takes a certain type of person to understand what the pap is and what the opposition politicians are or are trying to be. You are fortunate to be discusssing things with some of these people in this forum, but unfortunately, we make up the minority.

 

[aurvandil]

I thought in you statement you said, youe will respect the due process
and let the police investigate on it. So now you also acted as judge and proclaim it was a negligence case

I think we should let the police get on with their investigation and not let politics get in the way.

The Opposition should not apply pressure for Chris to be let off. Similarly the PAP should not apply pressure to get Chris jailed.

Whatever action that the police and related state agencies take, it has to be perceived to be a fair one. There are many unanswered questions for this case. For example, there were many illicit activies going on in Golden Mile. Based on the press reports, it looks like only the NSP vice chairman and a few other people were arrested. If the police were doing a raid, why were the other people not taken in? Also why was ther club allowed to continue operating after the raid?

If the case can be proven that the police were used to slectively prosecute Opposition politicains, the scandal will be much larger than just a NSP vice chairman caught playing a jackpot machine which he might or might not have known was illegal.

Also with the opening of the casinos, gambling has become increasingly prevalent in Singapore. Before the casinos were opened, you could play jackpot in instituitions which are government related. The most notable of these are NTUC, SAFRA and even the Civil Service clubs. There seems a very strong element of double standard that if you play jackpot in these places, it is OK. However if you are an Opposition politican and you play jackpot in a football club, the police will kick the door down and drag you off to jail.

 

[elephanto]

GMS,

remember dignified wave-off ?

Especially for creeps like RonRon, a 'master baiter' who doesn't deserve further engagement.

case closed.

 

[RonRon]

GMS,

remember dignified wave-off ?

Especially for creeps like RonRon, a 'master baiter' who doesn't deserve further engagement.

case closed.

Good is better for him to say nothing to prevent him for further embarrassment. The more he defend the more weakness he exposed.

 

[phouse3]

Making a mountain out of a molehill?

It won't work on worthy opposition parties like NSP, SDP or RP.

 

[Ramseth]

I won't worry too much about Chris. He's also ex-police. He knows what to do and what to say to police to get off it with miminal damage. I agree with Perspective. Let Chris settle this without more trumpeting.

I have commented on the issue to the media.

1) After listening to Chris on the circumstances of the case, we feel that it is premature to take any actions on Chris. We will respect the due process of police investigation as well as the judiciary process if any.

2) Chris is not the member of the club, neither is he the operator of the club. Whether he is KNOWINGLY involved in illegal gambling, we will let the police investigate on it.

3) I have told the reporters but not reported on the news that there are so many jackpots around Singapore nowadays, particularly NTUC Clubs and Safra Clubs, along with some other private clubs. It is not something "out of the blue" kind of things in Singapore and no one would suspect a private club which open their doors to do business, with jackpot machines are operating them illegally. Obviously, it is just too inconvenient for them to report this fact.

Anyway, it is a bit strange that the Sin Ming Daily reported that the club is still operating after the raid. I thought the police should have forced closures when any business entity is found to operate illegal gambling?

Goh Meng Seng

 

[phouse3]

I won't worry too much about Chris. He's also ex-police. He knows what to do and what to say to police to get off it with miminal damage. I agree with Perspective. Let Chris settle this without more trumpeting.

People with some knowledge know the reason he said those things except Screwball.

Why can't you keep quiet like the rest of us instead of showing off to the extent of spoiling his chance?

Why must you talk like you are so important or always have the last words?

Jackass! Saboteur!

 

[Perspective]

Really a silly explanation. If he has no idea about a thing like that, how is going to know anything about public affairs. Maybe he is working the wrong ground.

The machines are illegal, but the pub is not. He could have been sitting down drinking beer. If the pub is illegal, it is a different story. Then again, how would visitors know?

I do find it ridiculous to arrest everyone there. The police should have just gone for the owners and those who were playing. What if everyone in a hawker centre is arrested because stall owners were operating illegal 4D behind the parapets.

 

[kingrant]

Good points.

The machines are illegal, but the pub is not. He could have been sitting down drinking beer. If the pub is illegal, it is a different story. Then again, how would visitors know?

I do find it ridiculous to arrest everyone there. The police should have just gone for the owners and those who were playing. What if everyone in a hawker centre is arrested because stall owners were operating illegal 4D behind the parapets.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

I thought in you statement you said, youe will respect the due process
and let the police investigate on it. So now you also acted as judge and proclaim it was a negligence case

I think you are totally mistaken. Just like you, even though the judge has made judgment on the OSA case, you could still have your own opinion that that is no big deal because it was due to negligence. So in this case, regardless of how the case turns out to be, I could still view it as no big deal even if he is to be sentenced as guilty, because, it is also part of his negligence.

Don't need to confuse, just ask yourself why do you have double standards? One standard for PAP and another one for Opposition? I am not confused because I use same standards to evaluate both PAP and Opposition. Only people like you who use double standards will be totally confused, by yourself.

Goh Meng Seng