Press Secretary to MM Lee responds to Wall Street Journal

Yeong Yoon Ying, the Press Secretary to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has written to the Wall Street Journal rebutting an editorial written last month about democracy, freedom of speech and law in Singapore. From WSJ:

Many opposition politicians routinely criticize government leaders, but are not sued because they have not uttered slanderous falsehoods. Contrary to your editorial, Singapore upholds free speech and the right to disagree, subject to the law.

Singapore's laws must be decided by Singaporeans, not by foreigners like Gopalan Nair, who is a U.S. citizen, or by the foreign media. Foreign media are entitled to report and comment on what is happening in Singapore, but they circulate here subject to Singapore law. They have no right to defame, to give a skewed account of court proceedings, or to engage in Singapore politics, for example, by campaigning for their version of Western style "democracy" for Singapore.