Non-Available Books by Political Dissidents, Critics and Opponents of the PAP Government

To the Chief Executive of National Library Board, Singapore:

Please take the time (and expend the necessary effort) to carefully read this letter, posted liberally in this liberated blog of mine. It is an important document that has taken me much time and effort to create.

I wish, chiefly, to draw your proper attention to the disappointing, perplexing and puzzling NLB policy and practice of:

1. keeping most books written by political dissidents, critics and opponents of the PAP Government of Singapore in the REFERENCE Sections of your public libraries (where they are only available for mere consultation, reference and on-the-spot reading);
2. NOT keeping most of the same already-mentioned books in the Adult LENDING Sections of your public libraries (which ensures that these books could not be BORROWED by readers interested in Singapore politics);
3. NOT ensuring that important, relevant and outstanding books written by political dissidents, critics and opponents of the PAP Government of Singapore should be freely AVAILABLE not only for reading by the public in the Reference Sections of the public libraries but also, and more importantly, for BORROWING by interested readers, who may want to retain these books at home or in their possession for at least 3 weeks (the permitted borrowing period for books)--so that they can have enough time to absorb and understand the contents of the books at their own convenience and leisure;
4. NOT maintaining a high standard of professional library service to the Singaporean public as civil servants--by not PURCHASING and DISPLAYING in the Adult LENDING Sections of the public libraries (for readers to borrow) all the following important, relevant and outstanding published contributions and works on Singapore politics by critics, dissidents and opponents of the PAP Government of Singapore--namely (just to give you a brief list of these books):

• To Catch A Tartar: A Dissident in Lee Kuan Yew's Prison (Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut: 1994) by Francis Seow;
• The Singapore Miracle: Myth and Reality (Insight Press, Australia: 2006) by Rodney King;
• The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle To Build Free Societies Throughout the World (Times Books, New York: 2008) by Larry Diamond;
• Beyond Suspicion? The Singapore Judiciary (Yale University, USA: 2007) by Francis Seow;
• The Media Enthralled: Singapore Revisited (Lynn Rienner, Boulder, Colorado: 1998) by Francis Seow;
• Those Who Dare: Voices of Asia's Democrats (Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia: 2006);
• Singapore: The Ultimate Island (Lee Kuan Yew's Untold Story) [Freeway Books, Australia: 1990] by T.S. Selvan;
• Singapore, My Home Too (SDP, Singapore: 1995) by Chee Soon Juan;
• Dare To Change: An Alternative Vision For Singapore (SDP, Singapore: 1994) by Chee Soon Juan;
• The Power of Courage: Effecting Political Change in Singapore Through Nonviolence (SDP, Singapore: 2005) by Chee Soon Juan;
• The Singapore Puzzle (Westport, Praeger, Connecticut: 1999) by Michael Haas (editor);
• The Political Economy of Social Control in Singapore (Macmillan, London: 1994) by Christopher Tremewan.

For your kind, deep, thoughtful, honest, wise, careful, unhindered, unhampered, unconstrained, unobstructed, unimpeded and unrestricted consideration, attention and, most important of all, action!