SDP vigil for ex-WP member

June 4, 2008
SDP vigil for ex-WP member

Over a dozen members and supporters of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) held a four-hour vigil outside the Police Cantonment Complex yesterday, calling for the release of former Workers' Party (WP) member Gopalan Pallichadath Nair.

Nair, 58, a lawyer who is now an American citizen, is in remand for a week at the Central Police Station in connection with being charged on Monday with insulting a public servant.

He is accused of insulting High Court judge Belinda Ang in an e-mail.

In it, he commented on her conduct as a judge during a three-day hearing last week to assess damages in a defamation suit that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew won against SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan and his sister Chee Siok Chin.

The Chees joined last night's vigil at 10pm.

Among those present were Nair's lawyer Chia Ti Lik, SDP vice-chairman Francis Yong, assistant secretary-general John Tan and film-maker Seelan Palay.

The group wore placards bearing Nair's picture, calling for him to be freed. They dispersed at 11pm.

KOR KIAN BENG