With his Dickensian muttonchops and parliamentary speeches, delivered in an impeccable British accent, Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, 75, has become the symbol of opposition politics in Singapore. But unless he wins a court decision in June — and the odds are stacked against him — he will be pushed off the political map.

"If the court rules against me, I will be a bankrupt, and I cannot continue to keep my seat," he told the Asian Reporter. "And more importantly, I will not be allowed to stand in the next elections."

In sharp contrast to the political and economic chaos that has swept through many parts of southeast Asia in recent years, the city-state of Singapore is an island of stability. Its 3.1 million citizens enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world, and its economic growth — last clocked at an impressive 9.9 percent — was barely dented by the currency crisis that roiled the region in 1997. Located in a part of the world plagued by ethnic and religious tensions, Singapore has escaped the periodic eruptions of violence that have beset its neighbors.

But Singaporeans have paid a steep price for their prosperity. The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has kept an iron grip on power since 1959, has enacted numerous curbs on individual liberties. Under the draconian Internal Security Act, the government can indefinitely detain anyone it deems to be acting in a manner "prejudicial to the security interests of Singapore." The domestic and foreign press are on a short leash; public gatherings of more than three people require a permit; jazz musicians can’t even hold jam sessions without a license. In 1996, the government launched a campaign to encourage Singaporeans to smile more often. It was followed by a competition to identify the nation’s cleanest public toilet.

For the past three decades, Jeyaretnam has raised a lonely voice against the less-attractive policies of the PAP. In 1981, the former judge stunned political observers by winning a by-election in the Anson constituency, becoming the first opposition politician to crack the PAP’s monopoly in parliament in 16 years. Known as a champion of the underdog, he is now one of just three opposition members in the 93-seat chamber.

But his outspoken opposition to the PAP has come at tremendous personal cost. He has paid millions of dollars in damages and legal costs resulting from an avalanche of libel suits brought against him by PAP leaders, especially his nemesis, Singapore patriarch and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

In 1986, after an epic series of legal battles, Jeyaretnam was found guilty of mishandling three checks totaling less than US$2000. He was banned from parliament for five years and spent a month in jail. Condemned to wander the political wilderness for more than a decade, he staged a remarkable political comeback in the general election of 1997. Although the five-man team he led failed to capture a majority, he won a "non-constituency" seat in parliament under a rule that reserves a seat for the closest runner-up.

Jeyaretnam’s immediate problem is financial. He owes US$285,000 to eight members of Singapore’s Indian community who won a defamation suit over a 1995 article in the Workers’ Party newspaper, the Hammer. In January, a Singapore judge declared Jeyaretnam bankrupt after he missed the deadline on one of his installments by a single day.

Jeyaretnam’s ability to raise funds was severely hampered last year, when the government passed a law restricting anonymous contributions to political parties. After a party has reached a total of US$3,000 in anonymous contributions, all further contributors must make public their identities — a highly sensitive issue in Singapore, where many citizens are afraid to be publicly identified with the opposition.

As a result, raising money has been extremely difficult. "I’ve been put to the agony of finding $23,000 dollars every month," he told the Asian Reporter. "It’s been terrible for me, running around, trying to raise the money, worrying if I can make it. It’s been a real trauma."

Unless it is reversed by Singapore’s court of appeal, the judge’s ruling spells political disaster for Jeyaretnam. Under Singapore law, bankrupts cannot sit in parliament nor practice law. Moreover, unless he can pay off his debts, he will be prevented from running in the next election, scheduled for August 2002. "Of course, I will continue to speak," he said. "But what chance do I have of being heard? The local media will ignore me. As it is, very little of what I say is reported."

Shortly after the 1997 election, PAP leaders launched another battery of libel suits against Jeyaretnam for telling a crowd of supporters that one of his teammates had filed a report with the police regarding PAP election tactics. Although Jeyaretnam’s statement was true, the judge declared him guilty of libel because of the implication that PAP members might have committed an offense. Jeyaretnam now faces thousands of dollars in damages and legal costs stemming from that decision.

Despite the overwhelming odds, Jeyaretnam refuses to be silenced. Lashing out at the "climate of fear" that pervades Singapore, he vows to continue his struggle until the final gavel comes down. "I have sometimes considered [giving up]," he said. "But it’s only momentary. I come back determined to fight on. It’s one of my convictions as a Christian that you do not live for yourself, but for others. The poor, the defenseless. They need a voice, someone to speak up for them, to stand up for them. That’s my belief."

Chris Lydgate is a staff reporter at Willamette Week. He is currently writing a political biography of Jeyaretnam to be published by the University of New South Wales Press.