Lawyer is mightier than the sword

I enjoy watching CSI. The original CSI.
You know the part where they present incriminating evidence to suspects in the interrogation room?
Yes that's where most suspects start to "lawyer up".

The ancient city of Homs is one of Syria's biggest industrial cities. There is significant Opposition presence and Bashar Assad's has opted to mercilessly lay seige upon anyone and everyone who lives there in a bid to quell political dissidents and maintain grip on power. This at the expense of thousands of innocent lives and the ire of most of the international community.

China has allegedly unleashed violence on dissenting Tibet. There are unconfirmed reports that civlians and even religious have been beaten and imprisoned. The want-away Xinjaing province is apparently also subject to similar actions.

Adolf Hitler consolidated power by absolutely crushing political dissent. Those who were against party ideology were sent to concentration camps or executed. The rest is history. Nazi Germany was totally devastated in a gruelling six year war that left many dead.

But the PAP has refined the art of suppressing alternative voices without resorting to violence. And it's called "lawyering up"!

At the first sighting of one of the founders of the increasingly popular political website TR Emeritus, who up until then (much to PAP's chagrin) were annonymous, PM Lee Hsien Loong immediately served a lawyer letter demanding the removal of a certain posting. The letter "alleged that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong secured or was instrumental in securing the appointment of his wife, Mdm Ho Ching, as the chief executive officer of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited...."

In the days following local media (or government mouth piece) field day with Yaw Shin Leong's fall from grace, there was online buzz that some of PAP's own were also involved in marital indiscretions. This prompted Law Minister K. Shanmugam to immediately threaten legal action.

When Chee Soon Juan was taken to court by MM Lee, yes lawyering up indeed, for allegedly defaming the latter, it was reported (actually not reported by Mainstream media) that even the incomparable statesman had to rely on his counsel to defend cross examination from Dr. Chee. And we all know how the verdict went.

The late Opposition icon JB Jeyaretnam shocked the then impenetrable PAP by winning a seat in the Anson ward and then subsequently getting re-elected. But he was subject to so much legal pressure by PAP leaders that he was eventually bankrupted and expelled from Parliament.

I guess the point is if there is nothing to hide, why the need to stand behind legal representatives?
What happened to good old fashioned debates and then letting citizens decide for themselves?

In the case of Yaw Shin Leong, the right thing to do is to hold the by-election immediately.  Let the people of Hougang judge the Workers' Party, not PAP. If anything, WP did the right (and accountable) thing to expel Yaw. Would PAP have done the same to an office holder in similar circumstances?
It is the PAP who would have let voters down if a by-election is not called asap.

Or maybe they are waiting to "find" more dirt and unleash the ultimate weapon... lawyers!