Singapore's opposition leader Chee Soon Juan has paid a heavy price for his career in politics. Since joining the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in 1992, he has lost his job, his house, his car and his savings. He has been called a cheat, a compulsive liar, and a traitor.
Were this not enough, January's general elections spelled further disaster: Dr Chee's SDP, until then Singapore's main opposition force, lost all of its seats.
Dr Chee believes his story says much about Singapore. He argues that his experiences shed light on the realities of Singapore's political system. And that they contain lessons for Hong Kong, particularly as Singapore is frequently cited as a post-1997 role model for the territory.
During a visit to Hong Kong last week, Dr Chee warned of the dangers of adopting the Singaporean model of government and stressed the importance of preserving Hong Kong's existing political freedoms. He also met with democratic politicians, trade unionists and human rights activists in the hope that they could learn from his difficulties.
The Singapore Government's treatment of its political opposition has attracted international criticism. Its tactics have been compared to attacking a mosquito with an atomic bomb. Dr Chee chooses his words more carefully.
A neuro-psychologist and university lecturer (until he was sacked), Dr Chee does not come across as a radical or even that much like a politician - he lacks the patter and seems too profoundly ethical. He speaks neither with vehemence nor with anger, but instead with an air of despondency and exhaustion.