Dear ASS Editors,
I am a 35 year old man living in Singapore. I served my NS and still serving my reservist duties. The only difference is, I am a gay man living in this country. I have been in a relationship with my partner for 10 years. I am faithful to my partner and try my best to be a loyal model citizen.
I may love my country but my country does not love me back. Whenever I go out shopping for groceries at the wet market or supermarket with my partner, we attract stares from others like we are animals on exhibit. When I hold my husband's hands in public, people give us the death stare like we are murderers of their family members. When I give my husband a peck on his cheek while strolling along East Coast Park, people stare in disgust and tell their children to look away.
Why is Singapore the way it is? Why are Singaporeans so brainwashed to the point of discriminating against your fellow countryman because of our gay orientation? It is the PAP's fault, their gutless policy of keeping a law which discriminates against homosexual men. When our political leaders have no bravery to do the right thing and uphold basic humanity, it is why Singaporeans learn to discriminate against others different from them. I have written umpteen times to my PAP MP but never once have their spoke up for me and my husband in Parliament.
I have given up on the PAP to give me equality and basic respect in my own country. I want a country where I can walk freely on the streets with my husband, holding hands without any prejudice. I want to have a country where I can get married to the person I love regardless of gender. I want to have the same legal status as any married couple and not having to travel to California to get married legally. I want my country to protect my basic rights as a citizen and treat me as a human being, not a digit.
Dr Chee is the only politician in Singapore who can change all these injustice. Dear Bukit Batok residents, please do the right thing and vote for Dr Chee into Parliament. He is the man who will lead us to a true modern democracy where race, religion and sexual orientation no longer matters. He is the leader for the new Singapore. Look at the WP, when have they ever spoken up for the LGBT community in Singapore. They are the PAP-lite version, wary of upsetting the majority and unwilling to make the tough choices for Singapore.
It is hard for me to live in a place where I am rejected and unaccepted. Please Dr Chee, get into Parliament and be my voice. Do not pander to the unreasonable wants of the majority and sacrifice doing what is right. Please save us Dr Chee, you are me and my husband's only hope left in Singapore. If you do not get into Parliament, I am afraid I have to consider migrate from this place I call home.
Muhammad Iskandar
A.S.S. Contributor
"I have never lost faith in Singaporeans. Even in the bleakest moment, I have always knew we will triumph, that democracy will eventually come and that justice would ultimately be real. How am i so confident? Because the human spirit can only be suppressed, never crushed."
-Dr Chee Soon Juan, 3rd September 2015
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