7 Sept 2005

Activist files complaint against national broadcaster

First saw this on Singapore Rebel. For those of you who have noticed a drop in my production rate I apologise. I am currently in Singapore having passed through immigration freely. As I am only here for a few days I have decided to spend time with good friends and great conversation instead of blogging about the great conversations.

Normal Service will be resumed in October 2005. Postings until then will be less frequent.


Agence France Presse
September 2, 2005
SINGAPORE

A SINGAPOREAN activist has filed a police complaint against national broadcaster MediaCorp for allegedly violating the island's Films Act banning political advertising using film or video.
The complaint, filed by Yap Keng Ho, accuses MediaCorp of screening two programs about ruling People's Action Party leaders and is meant as a protest against Singapore's stringent censorship, Yap said.

Yap told AFP Friday, Sept 2, he wanted to expose a pro-ruling party bias in the legislation banning political films with his complaint, which comes as police investigate independent Singaporean film maker Martyn See for making a documentary about an opposition leader.

The Films Act bans political advertising using films or videos, as well as movies directed towards any political end such as promoting parties.

"I feel that it is a very unfair and biased legislation," Yap, a 44-year-old information technology consultant, told AFP. "I want to show the world whether law enforcement (in Singapore) is going to be fair or not."

Yap's complaint alleges that MediaCorp had violated the Films Act by screening two programs in 2002 and this year featuring Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, respectively.

A spokesman for the Singapore police confirmed they received the complaint "and are currently making the necessary checks with the Media Development Authority (MDA)."

A spokesman for MediaCorp said they were unaware of Yap's complaint.

On Monday, filmmaker See surrendered to police his camera and remaining tapes of the documentary "Singapore Rebel" about Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.

Chee, the most vocal opposition politician in Singapore, is facing bankruptcy after the High Court ordered him to pay S$500,000 (US$300,000) for defaming PAP leaders.

Affluent Singapore has often been criticised by human rights groups for maintaining strict political controls despite its rapid modernisation since becoming a republic 40 years ago last month. Singapore has been ruled by the PAP since independence.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You guys are stupid or what. The PAP already got that covered. One of the MAIN criteria whether a film is "party political" according to the Film Act is : The Minister-in-charge will have the final say on whether the film is party political.

So those documentaries made by Media Corp are not party political - why? Because the minister says so!!!! Its as simple as that OKAY!!! ....

dfgd said...

Anon "you guys" ? When did I become a member of a group or an organisation?

Jon said...

Steve, you adding to insult by posting politically-sensitive topics from Singapore's own soil? How nice if you flew all the way there to do just that...ha :)

Anonymous said...

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/167360/1/.html


isn't it ironic? That Sg's anti terrorism measures are apparently a violation of human rights, while the western world's measures are "a measured response" to the terrorist threat.

Anonymous said...

got rockson supporter slam that guy who complain to ST. Bengue Fever

Anonymous said...

too many sensitive topics (race, religion, nepotism, politician salary, temasek, SPH, NKF, civil disobedience, homosexuality, white elephants, chinese chauvinism...), very hard to start discussion on anything; silence is deafening