Freedom Of Speech
ISSUE
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Singapore is known to be a first-world democratic nation - but are we really? To truly understand whether we are enjoying the benefits of democracy, we should first define what a democratic government is. A democratic government is one that operates on a free electoral system, one that has a system of government, which all eligible citizens vote on representatives to pass laws for them. Freedom of speech and expression is an inseparable part of democracy; citizens need to have the freedom of speech to contribute, participate and spur change in society.
While we often like to refer to Singapore as a democratic country, certain events have suggested otherwise. Singaporeans are often too cautious to voice their political views, especially on public platforms like social media, for fear of being punished for doing so. The current party in governance is not so forgiving when alternative which oppose the government’s agenda are raised, as they are perceived as threats.
In 2015, a blog post written by blogger Roy Ngerng was found to be defamatory to PM Lee. The post on Ngerng’s blog, The Heart Truths, suggested that the Prime Minister had misappropriated the CPF funds of the people.
Ngerng was ordered to pay a hefty sum of $150,000 to PM Lee. For a blogger with relatively low visibility at the time, the punishment was harsh and clearly shows Singapore’s intolerance of alternative views.
Though we claim to be democratic, the law clamps down hard on individuals who share their alternative political opinions with other members of the public.
This clearly breeds a repressed environment where citizens cannot engage in meaningful debates and exchanges about political issues and will only serve to hinder change and development in society.
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CAMPAIGN PROMISE
The 21st Century Democrats believe in allowing the freedom of speech to encourage and facilitate meaningful conversations to propel development in society. We will, as a party, fight for rights to allow opinions to be shared on public platforms on social media, ensuring that citizens can feel free to express themselves on and offline without worrying about punishments.
We will review laws that govern the use of online media, in a bid to loosen the guidelines, which prevent Singaporeans from writing and sharing political articles on blogs and forums.
We will also review SCAP guidelines, set by the ASAS, to ensure that such harmless ads need not come under criticism and face the threat of being removed again. As long as speech and expression do not threat the safety of Singaporeans, they should not have to be removed just because the government is afraid of affecting public sensitivities.
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