Singapore’s government keeps a firm grip on the media in Singapore, be it the presses, television or the Internet, and is especially cautious regarding the Internet, and regulates the political commentary on the Web in Singapore. With strict guidelines that they expect the people to adhere to, and punitive measures such as doing time, censorship or fines, it would be impossible for anybody to say that we Singaporeans enjoy political freedom. Of course, we have the right to vote among other rights, but regulating the content on the Internet could be seen as either a defensive stance, or a cautious stance taken by the government. Thus, these measures have been quite controversial, and have been heavily criticized by people from Singapore and other countries.
While I do not welcome such measures and view them as defensive manoeuvres by the PAP, it cannot be denied that the Internet can indeed inflict serious harm on anyone, much less a ruling party. Rumours are easy to fabricate, quick to spread, and hard to disperse. In an article by the Straits Times, the PAP defended this regulation by stating that if a false rumour was spread, it would be impossible to make sure that every chatroom, every forum and every website corrected it even when it was proved to be fabricated. Slander can hurt political candidates and inciting videos may have dire consequences, as what one sees can change his perception of things. Even if some content on websites are not meant to hurt a candidate’s chances in elections, falsified content or heavily satire videos and cartoons may subject him to public ridicule, eroding the respect that the public has for him. Thus, while such strict political regulations could be a mite too rigid, there is indeed some sense in this and the government does have a point. Of course, there are some exceptions and not all satirical or political websites are banned, as can be seen from the famous Mr. Brown or the website ‘Talking cock’.
In my opinion though, I feel that these measures stifle the freedom of us Singaporeans, and while the government defends itself by saying that as long as we abide by these rules, there is nothing to fear, these political regulating actually achieves the opposite effect. With the ‘fine-print’ easily allowing for loopholes, and without the wherewithal to fully comprehend what do the guidelines mean, most of us Singaporeans decide that we would rather quench this desire to voice out our thoughts on political issues and rather play safe by not blogging or writing at all. After all, even if what we say is beneficial to the country, if it is not phrased correctly, we face legal action and a jail term. While there is no denying the talent and capability of our government, there is no refuting the fact that Singapore also has many people who are not only gifted, but genuinely want to improve our country and share their views not because they want to undermine confidence in the government, spread false rumours about political candidates, or humiliate anybody. With this system, these voices that the government would do well to heed are silenced and this would not be beneficial for Singapore in the long run.
Singapore’s government should lax these a bit as only then will more Singaporeans dare to comment on political candidates, the government or the way Singapore is being run, and no matter how smart the government is, it is the citizens who elected them and it is these points of view that should be respected. The government and the citizens can adopt a symbiotic relationship, as long as each does not cross the line: We can offer constructive feedback to keep the government in check, and they grant us the freedom of speech and more political freedom.
Such as how almost everybody is respectful in ‘Meet-the-MP’ sessions, we Singaporeans will respect the government and strive in helping Singapore to improve, but first, we need and want more freedom of speech on the Web.
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