A Journalist's Weblog:
Monitoring Suppression of Press Freedoms Around the World
Saturday, September 13, 2003
Loosening the Reins in the Airconditioned Nation? Censorship Review Committee Recommends Changes to Existing Framework
Singapore has always been regarded as a strict country, some even term it facist, communist or militant. Perhaps from an outsider's perspective, the governance of the country comes across as such.
Lee's Law, a book by journalist Chris Lygate studies the perils of opposing the ruling party in Singapore, the People's Action Party (PAP) as exemplified in the case of JB Jeyaretnam - a prominant and vocal opposition politician - who has been crushed with defamation suits and bankruptcy, loss of his lawyer's license and expulsion from parliament.
Politics has always been a treacherous track to take in pushing for change. Opposition politicians, especially in Asian countries, often fall victim to ruthless silencing. Cases include Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia and Aun Sun Suu Kyi in Burma.
Change is a slow creature and the evolution of a country is something that happens in minute steps, not strides, and certainly not leaps. The political arena is perhaps not the best front for the battle of freedoms, though it seems the most effective and certainly the most prominent one.
The cultural sphere however, may be the best way to build awareness, acceptance and action. In Singapore, the public sphere, as populated by mass media such as movies, music, plays, publications, television programmes and the internet has always been subject to various forms of censorship, licensing or restrictions.
These regulations have come under review recently, giving much hope to media activists, artists and the general community.
The Censorship Review Committee was set up in 2002 and has just submitted a report to the Ministery for Information and the Arts. It states, "Censorship is not just about classification, or access control; nor is it simply about liberalisation or tightening up. Censorship is multi-dimensional, relating media and artistic expression to the social values of a community".
Balancing media and artistic freedoms with social cohesion has always been the cornerstone rationale for regulation in Sinagpore. Often the balance is skewed towards the latter, restricting much freedom for expression.
This is the way it works:
In liberal democracies, it is all about freedom of the press from government; in Singapore, it is about the government's freedom from the press. The PAP therefore maintains that the press should be independent, but subordinate to an elected government. In practice, this means that the tone of stories is crucially important. Stories can be critical, but must be respectful towards the country's leaders. They cannot ridicule or lampoon, or erode public respect for those in office. If disagreement persists, it is the government's duty to make a final decision, and journalists should not use their access to the public to continue plugging their contrary point of view. If they do, they would be judged to be engaging in politics, the proper place for which is in the electoral battlefield.
In Singapore, the press is not the bastian of democracy. Democracy resides in the elected government, which as George writes, "is the embodiment of democratic statement. Government, which expresses the will of the people, must be protected from the unelected press, which is prone to being swayed by private commercial interests, narrow ideological missions, or, at the very least, the hubris of journalists' inflated egos".
Journalism in Singapore is thus, based largely on the media model of the social responsibilty theory. Bound by the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act, self-censorship and organisational controls, newspapers strain at the leash of freedom of expression.
The CRC and the Minister for Information and the Arts has recognised the need for more freedom of expression.
Minister Lee Boon Yang writes, "Singapore has undergone a significant transformation. The influence and effects of globalisation are now even more pervasive. The Internet and infocomm technologies have had an enormous impact on many aspects of our life, work and leisure. Innovation and creativity have become important economic imperatives. Looking ahead, it is quite apparent that these changes will continue to exert enormous influence and impact on our society."
Recommending changes against a backdrop of Singapore's social structure and cultural make-up, the committee has proposed a tetrapartite formula that involves regulators, industry players, community and the artists. It has also suggested a belting scheme for television programmes that is very much like the Australian model.
Should these measures be enforced, there will be more chance for change given the leeway for informed debate, alternative viewpoints and increased awareness.
Opening up the cultural sphere may be the catalyst to change, the prod to Singaporeans' mute consent, and a subtle way of putting important issues into the public arena.
One hopes that if Singaporean journalists cannot or will not offer contrary views, then artists, playwrites, movie-makers might have to take up the mantle for freedom.
