Cheap Sleazy Tactics

Somehow, someway, the opposition party is stopped from leaving the country. Before you know it, he'd be put behind bars, made a bankrupt, and lose everything he's worked for all his life. These are intelligent men who have opinions. But in Singapore, when you have an opinion that deviates from that of the People's Action Party, Tag You're It!

This is why the PAP gets less respect every year from the younger generation. They are the reason why I hate the country and can't imagine ever living there long term again. Democracy? Yeah, behind an iron curtain! It makes me so mad when I read articles like that.


SINGAPORE, May 8 (Reuters) - A Singapore opposition politician who stood in the general election at the weekend said on Monday he had been barred from leaving the country.

James Gomez, a Workers' Party candidate, was stopped by immigration officials at Changi airport on Sunday and told he could not leave the country. He was then detained at a police station for seven hours of questioning.

"The police are investigating me for a case of criminal intimidation," Gomez told Reuters on Monday.

"My passport has been impounded and the police have told me that I have to stay in Singapore as long as investigations are ongoing."

Gomez, 40, was on his way back to Sweden on Sunday, where he works for a political think-tank.

Police said on Sunday that the Elections Department had filed a complaint against Gomez.

Gomez came under attack from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) after he wrongly claimed that the Elections Department, which comes under the Prime Minister's Office, had lost one of his polling forms.

Gomez apologised and said he had been "distracted" during the busy campaigning period.

PAP leaders repeatedly condemned him as a "liar" during the campaign and accused him of trying to discredit the election office.

The PAP, led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6 percent of the votes cast and 82 out of 84 seats in parliament.

As with the previous polls, Saturday's election was also overshadowed by defamation lawsuits -- a timeworn PAP tactic that has bankrupted some opposition leaders, thus disqualifying them for parliament.