新加坡走自己的路(Singapore to go our own way)

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新加坡走自己的路(singaporetogoourownway)

inhisarticle,“ourde-vocalisedpublicspace”, chancheowpongdeploredthelackofpoliticalspacehereforargumentanddebate.in“alettertomydadakathegovernment”,juliengsiewchoocontinuedthistheme.www•

mrchancitesasproofthelackofanti-usdemonstrationsoveriraqduringtherecentvisitofpresidentgeorgebushinsingapore.unfortunately,hedidnotexplainhowsuchdemonstrationswouldhavebeeninournationalinterest.

onfreedomofspeechinsingapore,mrchanfailstodistinguishbetweenformandsubstance.thesubstantiveissuemustsurelybewhethersingaporeanshavearighttoadifferentviewandwhethertheyhaveeffectiveavenuestoexpressthem.

theanswerisclearly“yes”asisamplydemonstratedbymanysingaporeansexercisingthisrightintheforumpagesofthenewspapers,theinternetandelsewhere.thespaceforpoliticaldebatehasgraduallybutsteadilywidened.thatmrchancouldpublishsuchacriticalpieceinlianhezaobaoshowsthistobeso.

asaform,streetprotestsmaybeanacceptedchannelforexpressioninothercountriesinothercircumstances.insingaporewehavedifferentbuteffectiveavenuesforexpression.

mrchanisdismissiveofthem,arguingthatbecausethegovernmentdefinesthesealternatives,theyaretantamounttorestrictionsonanindividualspoliticalspace.mrchanadvocatesthat“society”,butnottheelectedgovernment,shoulddecidetheboundariesofpoliticalactionandexpression.

howisthistobeachieved？whoistorepresentandinterpretthewillof“society”,ifnottheelectedgovernment？incountrieswithanelectedandfunctioninggovernment,itisthegovernmentsresponsibilitytodefinepublicpolicyandtogoverninaccordancewiththeconstitutionandthelawsoftheland,intheinterestsofthecollectiveandpublicgood.

iftheyfailtodosoeffectively,theelectoratecanvotethemoutinthenextelection.everyindividualinsuchasocietyliveswithintheframeworkofpoliciesandlawsdeterminedbytheelectedgovernment.

msjuliengaskedwhythegovernmentstillneedstocensorfilmsatall,sincesheisalready21.butcensorshipisnotjustaquestionofage,butsocietalnormsofpublicdecencyandmorality.eveninwesterncountriesliketheukandaustralia,censorshipboardsdecidewhatcanorcannotbeshownpubliclyinfilms.everycountryneedstoupholdthevaluesaffirmedbythemajorityofitspopulation.innocountryisindividualfreedomabsolute.

singaporesocietymustevolveandgrowonitsowntermsandatitsownpace.justbecausewerefusetoapeothersocietiesmindlesslyinhavingstreetdemonstrationsorinourcensorshipstandardsdoesnotmakesingaporeansa“de-vocalised”lot,orsignifyanylackofidealismorself-mobilisation.

onthecontrary,itunderlinesagrowingmaturityandconfidenceinourownmodel,whichhasenabledsingaporetogrowandprosper.

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