Caning case sparks S'pore book, play

Caning case sparks S'pore book, play

SINGAPORE (Agencies): American teenager Michael Fay's
controversial caning -- expected to be the subject of books and
possibly made-for-television movies in the United States -- is
featured in a book and a play now in the works here, Singapore's
Sunday Times reported.

It said Straits Times journalist Asad Latif, who wrote several
commentaries on the case, is writing the yet untitled book of 100
to 120 pages. He is now negotiating with a publisher.

Fay received four strokes of the cane on May 5 as part of a
sentence for vandalism. The caning drew protests from several
U.S. commentators and President Bill Clinton.

Latif said so much information came in on the case he was
unable to incorporate it all in his reports. "The book fleshes
out the whole case," the Sunday Times quoted him as saying.

"It is not a behind-the-scenes book. It's more of a between-
the-lines book."

The play, whose author declined to be named, will use the Fay
case to look at racial feelings of its main characters -- an
American, a Briton and four Singaporeans.

"Another thing I wanted to explore was to remind people that
this is a severe punishment. If they knew someone who was
flogged, what would their feelings be?", the Sunday Times quotes
the author as saying.

A proposal for the play has drawn attention from a local
filmmaker, who is discussing a possible production.

Both Singapore and foreign media reports have speculated that
Fay and his family would be able to choose from lucrative U.S.
and Western offers if they decide to sell his story.

One article said "offers of money for (Fay's) story are
pouring in from television shows, publishers and other quarters".
But Fay's mother, Randy Chan, told Reuters a few days before he
was caned that "it's not an avalanche of offers," and that they
were more vague feelers.

"I plan to write a book, more for my own therapy" than to make
money, she said.

Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur, amid the storm over Singapore's
caning of an American teenager for vandalism, a daily here
reported yesterday that more than half of the respondents to a
survey it conducted wanted Malaysia to also whip vandals.

The Sunday Star launched its Mischief Poll to ask Malaysians
whether the four-month jail and four strokes of a rattan cane
imposed on American Michael Fay early this month by Singapore was
justified and should be considered by Kuala Lumpur for its
vandals.

The paper said of the 679 respondents 52 percent felt there
should be mandatory whipping of vandals as in Singapore, while
only a few voiced concern that it should only be applied for more
serious and violent acts of vandalism.

Twenty-two percent had asked for a minimum jail term for
vandals.

But the daily said most of those surveyed were teenagers,
adding that 33 percent had confessed to committing vandalism at
one time or another.

"I see the seriousness of it now but it was just a fun thing
to do," the paper quoted one reformed vandal, who used to steal
roads signs, as saying.