Let me say this first. You should be shot dead if you have not heard of Dr Ang Swee Chai.
Dr Ang Swee Chai is a Singaporean orthopaedic surgeon who was trained, qualified and practiced as a government medical officer in SGH. In 1977, ISD in an operation to detain those suspected of being involved in the Euro-Communist plot began a series of arrests and detentions. One of those they were after was Francis Khoo, the lawyer who defended the 2 marine workers who were charged with Tan Wah Piow for rioting. Francis is the brother of SC Michael Khoo of JBJ fame and Victor Khoo the ventriloquist. Francis however fled to London and escaped the dragnet.
ISD then picked up Dr Ang, his wife from the operating theatre of SGH. They detained her hoping to flush out her husband Francis. She must have been the smallest person that the ISD or its predecessor Special Branch to have arrested and detained. She is a indeed a tiny person. She was released after a week and asked to persuade her husband to return. It is now 39 years and she has been in self-exile but never free to return. She has served in Palestine and in Lebanon operating on the injured and saving lives. These are trips that she makes from her home in London and taking time off from her own practice.
She has only returned once to Singapore to intern the ashes of her late husband in 2012. She was given special permission on compassion grounds for this. She was not given that clearance earlier when he mother was dying or to attend the funeral. She first applied for a British Passport to meet her elderly father in JB and thereafter to facilitate her humanitarian travel. Prior to that she was using UK Refugee status travel document. She is afraid that she will be stripped of her Singapore citizenship if she returns. She has asked for assurance but the Singapore govt wants her to renounce her British citizenship first which puts her in an awkward position as she has built a separate life in London.
Here is the dilemma most sane people would have. She herself has done no wrong (which does not mean that her husband did). She is a Singapore citizen and she has brought fame and glory to this country by her humanitarian work. She is the only Asian and one of 6 non-Palestinians to be awarded the "Star of Palestine" by Yasser Arafat. She was also summoned to Jerusalem to testify on the massacre of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camp by militias men while the Israel Army stood guard outside the camp.
Why can't the Singapore govt allow this ex-student of Kwong Avenue Primary School, of Raffles Girls School and University of Singapore to return home with her British citizenship. She deserves the exception. This is a person who has given to all to the care and welfare of human beings who have lost their land and had no voice for decades. We should be proud of her. At 67 years of age, and in exile for 39 years is a lot of runs on the board for sure sign of compassion for someone who has done no wrong.
Dr Ang Swee Chai is a Singaporean orthopaedic surgeon who was trained, qualified and practiced as a government medical officer in SGH. In 1977, ISD in an operation to detain those suspected of being involved in the Euro-Communist plot began a series of arrests and detentions. One of those they were after was Francis Khoo, the lawyer who defended the 2 marine workers who were charged with Tan Wah Piow for rioting. Francis is the brother of SC Michael Khoo of JBJ fame and Victor Khoo the ventriloquist. Francis however fled to London and escaped the dragnet.
ISD then picked up Dr Ang, his wife from the operating theatre of SGH. They detained her hoping to flush out her husband Francis. She must have been the smallest person that the ISD or its predecessor Special Branch to have arrested and detained. She is a indeed a tiny person. She was released after a week and asked to persuade her husband to return. It is now 39 years and she has been in self-exile but never free to return. She has served in Palestine and in Lebanon operating on the injured and saving lives. These are trips that she makes from her home in London and taking time off from her own practice.
She has only returned once to Singapore to intern the ashes of her late husband in 2012. She was given special permission on compassion grounds for this. She was not given that clearance earlier when he mother was dying or to attend the funeral. She first applied for a British Passport to meet her elderly father in JB and thereafter to facilitate her humanitarian travel. Prior to that she was using UK Refugee status travel document. She is afraid that she will be stripped of her Singapore citizenship if she returns. She has asked for assurance but the Singapore govt wants her to renounce her British citizenship first which puts her in an awkward position as she has built a separate life in London.
Here is the dilemma most sane people would have. She herself has done no wrong (which does not mean that her husband did). She is a Singapore citizen and she has brought fame and glory to this country by her humanitarian work. She is the only Asian and one of 6 non-Palestinians to be awarded the "Star of Palestine" by Yasser Arafat. She was also summoned to Jerusalem to testify on the massacre of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camp by militias men while the Israel Army stood guard outside the camp.
Why can't the Singapore govt allow this ex-student of Kwong Avenue Primary School, of Raffles Girls School and University of Singapore to return home with her British citizenship. She deserves the exception. This is a person who has given to all to the care and welfare of human beings who have lost their land and had no voice for decades. We should be proud of her. At 67 years of age, and in exile for 39 years is a lot of runs on the board for sure sign of compassion for someone who has done no wrong.
