Hello everyone,
My lawyers will send a notice to Hsien Loong’s lawyers today to inform him of the payment, and I will update you again on the outcome.
I would like to thank my lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, for assisting me during these last few years, and working tirelessly to help me throughout, even with the sudden requests that keep cropping up. Everytime an application needs to be made to court to change the terms of the payment (like this time), Eugene would assist me even if it would seem to me a hassle, but Eugene would do so, and pro bono. Ariffin Sha has also been assisting Eugene with dealing with these requests and I am grateful.
Again, I would like to thank the all of you for coming onboard this crowdfunding movement, for contributing to the campaign, and for helping share the campaign. I would like to thank you for remembering the advocacy I did on the CPF, and for stepping up to help a fellow citizen and fellow human in lifting the burden the powers that be imposed on me. I would like to thank you for standing alongside justice, and against oppression and bullying. And I am so proud to be standing alongside you, in gratitude to you.
There are today a lot more braver people who are speaking up, and this power allows us to be a formidable force against those that want to rob us of our freedom and equality.
I hope that after Leong Sze Hian's and my successful crowdfunding, that we will no longer see the defamation suit be used as a tool to persecute citizens for speaking up and asking questions in the public interest of Singapore.
The Singapore government should no longer stonewall individuals for asking important questions and matters of public importance. These matters should be addressed transparently and with accountability.
In the articles I wrote, I had mapped out how the CPF funds invested in government bonds are then transferred to the national reserves, and invested in GIC, of which Temasek Holdings has access to.
Prior to me being sued, there was no one single government platform where this information as a whole could be found. We did the know that the CPF was eventually funneled into the GIC and accessible by Temasek Holdings.
It was only after I was sued that for the first time in decades, that this information was finally made available for the first time. It was only after I was sued that the connection between the CPF and GIC was publicly acknowledged by PAP's ministers and admitted to in parliament.
For that, I am thankful that I had kept pursuing the truth.
However, even so, 60% of CPF account holders aged 50 to 70 are still not able to save enough inside their CPF to meet the basic retirement sum. And even though researchers at Singapore's universities have calculated that a minimum of S$1,379 is required for a basic standard of living in Singapore, the average CPF payout is still only S$355 and 74% of CPF holders received less than S$500 in payouts in 2018.
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...e-enough-in-cpf-to-meet-basic-retirement-sum/
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...erly-get-only-average-355-per-month-from-cpf/
Also, by 2019, Medisave had accumulated a balance of S$102 billion, but only S$1.1 billion could be withdrawn in 2019 for direct medical expenses, or only 1% of the total balance.
https://www.moh.gov.sg/resources-st...t-health-expenditure-and-healthcare-financing
It has been 7 years since the truth about how the CPF is invested is finally made known, but Singaporeans continue to receive inadequate retirement payouts, and are not able to retrieve adequate medical support from their Medisave.
How many more years of advocacy would we need for things to change? Will the PAP government be willing to change policies, when it took until 2014 for it to admit publicly to how the CPF is being used?
And only after I was sued?
The CPF is of utmost importance in Singapore, because it is connected to the retirement, housing, healthcare and education or Singaporeans, as well as the national reserves, and the monies invested in the GIC and accessible by Temasek Holdings.
Today, the people heading the important ministries managing Singaporeans' finances, CPF, housing, healthcare and education are former principal private secretaries or people connected to Temasek Holdings.
We need answers from them as to how equipped they are to manage Singaporeans' finances and CPF, and how the monies can be equitably returned to Singaporeans.
Once again, I thank you very much for supporting me in this crowdfunding movement, and remembering the CPF advocacy that I did.
I finally feel vindicated after 7 years. While I was found to have wronged by the courts, in the eyes of public opinion, I have been done right by you.
You have shown me that justice will prevail, and there is hope for Singapore.
Today, you have made history by being the heroes behind this movement to say you no longer tolerate oppression and threats.