More 'nameless' bloggers airing political views

Nov 3, 2004
More 'nameless' bloggers airing political views
Online diaries sprouting - one even has strategies for opposition
By Sue-Ann Chia

AN INTERNET-SAVVY generation of younger Singaporeans, who have their opinions and are willing to share them on the Web, has spawned a new trend here of political blogging - online diaries expressing political views.

They include the likes of 'Xeno Boy', a Singaporean studying political science in Britain, who started his blog two months ago. He has written four essays so far, including one on political strategies for the opposition to mobilise younger voters.

He is not the first. A handful had started penning their views online earlier. An Internet search threw up blogs such as 'Policestate' and 'Vox Leo'. Political watchers and bloggers expect more to sprout up.

Poet and writer Alfian Sa'at, 27, whose pet topics include freedom of expression and Malay rights, said this is because more Singaporeans are becoming 'cynical and disenchanted with the unapologetically partisan political analysis in the local media'.

Editors of The Void Deck, a local political website which started to feature political blogs recently, said the ease of setting up blogs and the appeal of going online contributed to more alternative views being aired in cyberspace.

But Nanyang Technological University communication and information lecturer Randolph Kluver disagreed that more blogs will flourish.

'I just don't see much of a future for them until regulatory policies are relaxed somewhat, or until some sort of event occurs in which a blog can provide information the media cannot,' he said.

A Media Development Authority (MDA) spokesman said Internet content providers engaging in the propagation, promotion or discussion of political and religious issues relating to Singapore must register with the authority.

These include all political party websites and sites like Sintercom, an online magazine and forum on politics and current affairs. Individual sites and blogs need register only if the MDA asks them to do so.
A blog is an individual's collection of commentaries and is frequently updated.

Local blogs have been around for at least two years, with the bulk being personal musings or teenage angst. But some have moved to focus on socio-political commentary.

One popular blog is Mr Brown, who pokes fun at policies in addition to providing updates on his family. Other lesser-known blogs include 'Acidflask', by a Singaporean graduate student in the United States who discusses science and the fallacy of meritocracy.

Then there are 'Molly Meek' and 'Jeff! Lim', whose blogs are filled with sarcastic barbs against the Government and reflections on everyday life. Others have names like 'PAP!PAP!' but carry disclaimers that they are not political sites.

Blogs can have a major impact - like in the US where sites like those of Time magazine essayist Andrew Sullivan or University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds have been influential in shaping public opinion.

Most bloggers who talk about Singapore politics hide behind the cloak of anonymity, like 'Xeno Boy' who does not list an e-mail address.

One who revealed his identity recently was Irishman Steven McDermott, 33, who is behind 'Singabloodypore'.

'There is a perception that getting involved in politics will get you into trouble,' he said, adding that he revealed himself only after he left Singapore last month.

Blogger 'Vox Leo' would only say he is a Singaporean in his mid-20s studying history in a Missouri university. He started his blog in July because 'too often, there is only one source of information for Singaporeans'.

Still, their reach is limited as Web traffic to individual blogs tends to be low given the vastness of cyberspace and the millions of other websites vying for attention.

But the so-named Lee Kin Mun of Mr Brown's blog believes it is no longer possible to ignore online views. 'I think the Government knows that, and has become more transparent as a result. If it does not address the facts directly, the online discussions will decide (on issues) for it,' he said.