Some things you and I should know about this rather troubling turn of events.
- Other than Jacob George, another friend, a leading Singaporean filmmaker at that, was called up and was interviewed by ASP Chan Peng Kuang on Monday. I had known who she was but I had wanted to respect her privacy. A young journalist at TODAY apparently went ahead and got the scoop. Watch for the report later today.
- I have not been told exactly why 'Singapore Rebel' was deemed a party political film. Was the film intended for a political end? Did it contain biased references to political issues? Was it an advertisement made for a political organisation? Neither MDA or the police has told me the exact reason for its classification.
- 'Singapore Rebel' contains not a single mention of 'SDP' or 'Singapore Democratic Party.' The only political party mentioned is the PAP. In my view, it had potrayed Chee Soon Juan as an activist isolated by his own deliberate acts of civil disobedience. But of course this is a totally subjective view, and others who have seen it will harbour diametrically opposite interpretations, and hence it brings into question what constitutes a 'biased reference' in the first place, and also who gets to decide what is 'party political film.' Was the labelling of 'Singapore Rebel' as a PPF a decision made by a commitee or by one individual at the Media Development Authority? And how did he (or they) arrive at his (or their) decision?
- The report below does not contain any statement from the police. Surely the Straits Times must verify with Home Affairs that Jacob George was indeed called up, and the other obvious question is why the need to tap my mobile phone, if indeed it's been tapped.
- On a separate note, I am currently researching for my next short film - on an ex-detainee. And I will probably spend a lot of time hanging out with him, like I did with Chee Soon Juan. But the film will ultimately be my vision, not his or anybody else's. Hopefully, all of you will get to see it, legally of course.
Martyn See
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Film probe : Activist called for interview
BY ZAKIR HUSSAIN
STRAITS TIMES, 22 Sept 2005
The police have called political activist Jacob George, 36, for an interview in connection with the ongoing invetigations into filmmaker Martyn See's documentary, Singapore Rebel.
Mr George said on his Internet blog that he received the phone call on his cellphone on Monday afternoon.
An assistant superintendent of police explained to him that he was talking to friends and acquaintances of Mr See.
No date has been fixed for the interview, he added, but said it would likely be next week.
Mr See's 26-minute documentary chronicles several of the political activities of opposition Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan.
Making a party political film is an offence under the Films Act, which bans the making or distribution of such films, including advertisement by political parties or other political organisations, or films "directed towards any political end in Singapore".
If found guilty, a filmmaker can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to $100,000.
But Mr See, 36, has not been charged with any offence.
Mr George said in his blog that the police officer who called him mentioned that he got his number through their investigations, and Mr George had been in contact with Mr See through SMS.
He told The Straits Times yesterday he had a "very short, pleasant conversation" with the officer, during which he said he had nothing to do with Singapore Rebel.
The film was withdrawn from the Singapore International Film Festival in March after the Board of Film Censors found it objectionable. The board then made a report to the police.
The Media Development Authority said the board had made the report as making a party political film is an offence.
Last month, after a three hour-long interview with the police, Mr See was asked to surrender his tapes and video camera.
On Tuesday, Mr See wrote in his blog: "Not only am I unable to speak freely on my own phone, the police is now closing in on individuals who are totally unconnected with the making of Singapore Rebel."
Human Rights
http://happycitizen.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteSingaporeans must be protected from material such as those disseminated by SingaporeRebel. It shatters their notion of the leadership that rules over them and hences causes distress to their daily living. The PAP acts for the good and protection of its citizens.
how can an inept politician like CSJ threaten a powerful machine like PAP? SDP was doing well under Chiam, and since then it has been downhill all the way for the opposition; it is as if CSJ was a PAP agent infiltrating the opposition to destroy it
ReplyDeleteBut if CSJ was a double-agent, he's done a spectacular job, and within a relatively short time-frame, and so does not deserve the inept reputation for which he is associated and probably in the wrong line of work - he's better off aiming for 'Singapore Idol'and a possible hug from GCT on TV?
ReplyDeleteFrom what is common knowledge (that is, as reported in The Straits Jacket), SDP began recruiting heavily, there were hop-overs from WP, and then CSJ joined.
Then suddenly the white blood cells turned on its leader like he was cancerous while some red blood cells stood-by and other red blood cells abandoned ship. Whenceupon the splinter red blood cells gelled into a separate organism called DPP. The queen then swopped hive that has now assembled into a strain called SDA.
Now, WP has its own web-site, as does SDP. But the swarm is represented by DPP's web-site. JBJ is now shoulder-to-shoulder with CSJ. Pro-SDP publication also mention stuff about Toh Chin Chye and Devan now-you-see-him-now-you-don't-now-he's-dead Nair and Tang Liang Hong. Identify which is the potential clone?
Considering how things panned out, I'm skeptical. Unless you can prove that CSJ has a numbered Swiss bank account? I'm a self-taught amateur in the field of wolf-in-sheep-clothing spotting. Wolf-in-sheep-clothing spotting is actually an art rather than a science. You cannot be an 'expert' in this field unless you've sunk your feet more than knee deep in it, been a tinker, tailor(or barber), soldier and spy, so to speak.
CSJ, a PAP mole but an inept politician doesn't add up.