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Updated: July 29, 2010
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BRIT AUTHOR ARRESTED IN $HEEP CITY; $INGAPORE EXERCISES RIGHT TO TELL BOOKSHOPS NOT TO SELL HIS BOOK
Alan Shadrake has written a book about $ingapore's use of the death penalty. $ingapore police have arrested him on criminal defamation charges which carry a two-year prison sentence. However, the government says the book - which includes an interview with a former hangman - has not been banned but is not easy to find. The government told the BBC last week that the book had not been banned but that it had the right to advise bookshops not to stock it.
Mr Shadrake, 75, told reporters before his arrest that he was expecting trouble when he went to $ingapore at the weekend to promote his book. His book, Once a Jolly Hangman - $ingapore Justice in the Dock, includes an interview with Darshan Singh, the former chief executioner at $ingapore's Changi Prison, who has since retired.
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10680143
UPDATE: Mr Shadrake has been charged with "contempt of court".
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WHY SO QUIET $INGAPORE?
The
nation-builder press, Feb 22, 2003.
Nation-builder Neo Hui Min wanted to find out why "$ingapore was one of the few modern cities in the world that did not stage a peace rally last weekend." We offer some possible answers from her own nation-building press.
HE PROTESTED AGAINST THE ISA IN A MARATHON
The nation-builder press, Feb 23 2001.
Chee Soon Juan wanted to organise a marathon on Human Rights Day in December 2000 but the authorities refused permission. He and his sister run the 42 km from Whitley Road where the ISD keep their prisoners to Speakers' Corner. It was peaceful.
HE SPOKE UP FOR THE TUDUNG
The nation-builder press, July 31, 2002.
Chee Soon Juan speaks out at Speakers Corner and ends up in court and loses his right to stand in the next General Election.
HE HELD A RALLY AT THE ISTANA
The nation-builder press, Oct 10 2002.
Chee Soon Juan is sent to jail for organising a peaceful May Day Rally in front of the Istana. He wanted to speak up for workers rights.
HE TRIED TO ORGANISE A PEACEFUL MARCH
The nation-builder press, Dec 11, 2002.
JB Jeyaretnam wanted to organise a peaceful march [actually a short walk of 500m] against the GST hike on his 77th birthday, Jan 5 2003. The authorities refuse permission.
"As far as we remember,
the only time workers openly demonstrated in $ingapore was in March 2002 when
Chinese nationals working in $ingapore, gathered in front of Parliament House.
Although they broke all the rules, not a single one was arrested. Who dares
[and if you're a Chinese national] WINS!!!!"
– The young, restless and cynical Mirror of Opinion, Feb 22, 2003.
+ + + + +
WHY
SO QUIET $INGAPORE? PART 2
When Time magazine went searching for thinking Muslims, they headed to Kuala Lumpur. In Time's March 24, 2003 issue, they interviewed five, including lawyer and activist Latheefa Koya. Here's what she told Time magazine:
"There's paranoia against Muslims. My two female cousins, who are sisters, staged a peace protest in front of the US embassy in Singapore. Though they were just collecting signatures, they were detained and interrogated. And then, their computers were taken away, and one husband was asked why he had so much Islamic reading material at home.
"These people are Muslims,
the women wear the Muslim head scarf, but they are innocent. Can they be charged
for inciting peace?"
"STAND UP... AND BE COUNTED"
- The young, restless, cynical and FFFURIOUS Mirror of Opinion, Mar 24, 2003
ALL TOGETHER NOW - THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF THE PRESS
The nation-builder press, Straits Times, Mar 21, 2003
The above article concluded
with this quotation:
"For an editor to
make such a decision is responsible journalism. It is not censorship by the
government," said Mr (David) Lim.
[Note: Mr
David Lim is Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts]
The nation-builder
press, Streats, Mar 21, 2003
The above article
concluded with this quotation:
"For an editor to
make such a decision is responsible journalism. It is not censorship by the
government," said Mr (David) Lim.
The
nation-builder press, Today, Mar 21, 2003
The above article concluded
with this quotation:
"For an editor to
make such a decision is responsible journalism. It is not censorship by the
government."
"SYNCHRONICITY
IS THE TITLE OF AN ALBUM BY... THE POLICE."
- The young, restless
and cynical Mirror of Opinion, Mar 21, 2003
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WHY
SO QUIET $INGAPORE? PART 3
Five months ago, on Sept 3, 2002, four Muslim groups in $ingapore asked the
PAP government not to support any US-led war on Iraq. The four groups were:
- the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers' Association (Pergas)
- Perdaus, a volunteer-welfare group
- the Muhammadiyah Association which runs religious classes, welfare homes and care centres for the elderly
- Centre for Contemporary Islamic Studies
Specifically, the groups asked the government "to oppose, or at least abstain from supporting, any possible collective attacks on Iraq."
They said: "We support the view that all lives are precious whether they are Iraqis, Americans or Israelis. Unfortunately, in any attack, the innocent suffer and die at the expense of the guilty party."
Ustaz Zhulkeflee Haji Ismail,
manager of Pergas, explained that they had made their views to "fulfil their
role of guiding the public."
This is what they got for their effort...
The nation-builder press,
Sept 5, 2002.
The
nation-builder press, Sept 5, 2002. Ms Irene Ng is a PAP MP and deputy chairman
of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs.
"DON'T
BLAME APATHY WHEN $INGAPOREANS ARE QUIET."
- The young,
restless and cynical Mirror of Opinion, Mar 28, 2003.
THE NEW THREAT
When responding to the Muslim group's appeal, PAP MP Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) said: "I believe that going into Iraq is a security issue for the US. It is not a religious issue."
Earlier, on Aug 17, 2002, the nation-builder press reported this from Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew:
The nation-builder press, Aug 17, 2002.
"FATHER
KNOWS BEST."
- The young, restless and cynical Mirror of Opinion, Mar 28, 2003.
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WHY SO
QUIET $INGAPORE? PART 4
The nation-builder press, Apr 7 2003
The nation-builder
press, Apr 7 2003
The minister who called Malaysian journalists "a pack of wild animals" is now literally quiet as a mouse. He said in the above article: "People who are expecting me to make noise for the sake of making noise, to ask for change for the sake of change, or to engage in dramatic gestures for the sake of raising public profile are going to be disappointed and I don’t mind disappointing them."
Since more than one year ago [Feb 12, 2002] he was tasked to "remake $ingapore". To date, the committee has done as much as starting a website for views on remaking $ingapore. He said then that "sacred cows" would be slaughtered.
To explain his "quiet critic" role, he said: "I realise that the government is more open-minded than people give us credit for… that was not something I could see when I was outside. I can understand why people don’t see that either now, unless they get up close and see what’s going on."
"WAH
LAU, NOT TRANSPARENT BUT NO NEED TO SPEAK UP EH? $INGAPORE IS ALL GOOD-NO BAD,
MAH."
- The young, restless
and cynical MIRROR OF OPINION, Apr 7 2003.
[Shameless plug for our
two X’Ho books ‘Skew Me You Rebel Meh? and Attack of The S.M. Space
Encroachers.
Click here to order]
TOMMY KOH EXPLAINS CO-OPTION
We are reminded of what
Prof Tommy Koh said [Jan 25 2003]: "The $ingapore
government is, however, very ungracious. It never acknowledges the contribution
the civil society has made that led to the government adopting their initiatives
and proposals. So, my message to Tisa [Ng] is: This is a government that’s
very stingy with praise. If you want to be praised by
the $ingapore government, it’s never going to happen. Just be happy
that the good ideas you campaign for have become reality."
GEORGE ORWELL EXPLAINS
NEWSPEAK
"Newspeak was designed
not to extend but to diminish the range of thought, and this purpose
was indirectly assisted by cutting the choice of words down to a minimum."
- George Orwell’s 1984.
"Now, do you know what
a "quiet critic" means?"
- The young, restless and
cynical MIRROR OF OPINION, Apr 7 2003
THE WHISTLE-BLOWER ACT [aka It pays to be QUIET Act]
The nation-builder
press, July 12 2001.
The provisions of $ingapore’s
Official Secrets Act was extended to 21 statutory boards including CPF, EDB,
MAS and the National Heritage Board. Any $ingaporean "who
is reasonably suspected of having committed such an offence, can be arrested
without a warrant." The offence is defined as "the use of… information
in a manner prejudicial to $ingapore’s interest." Two years
jail and a $2,000 fine awaits the offender.
