Lee's bold move
Newly appointed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his speech outlining his vision for a Singapore of the future, has pledged a commitment to establishing a more open society by relaxing restrictions on freedom of speech. While we cannot necessarily take his remarks at face value, his statement is an encouraging sign pointing to construction of a more vibrant Singapore.
According to Lee, public speakers would no longer be required to obtain a permit in order to hold a public discussion inside a building, while activists would be allowed to mount exhibitions at a predesignated Speakers' Corner.
As a neighbor, friend and fellow member of the ASEAN community, we welcome this development. In the long term, nothing bad has ever come from promoting free speech and creativity.
Certain caveats remain, however, including the orthodox restrictions on debates concerning religion and race. These have traditionally been divisive issues for society. Singapore may well fear a recurrence of race riots and ethnic division that could tear the fabric of its delicately balanced society, but it would also be incredible to think that sensitivities had not changed since the country became independent in 1965.
Any multiethnic society is prone to racial tension. But to say that Singapore is inherently? inclined to race riots devalues the progress of the nation and the success of the government in establishing a harmonious, heterogeneous society.
There is always a danger, in Indonesia's own experience, that distinctiveness of ethnicity and faith may be exploited as an excuse for imposing a political straitjacket on society. That is not to say that the restrictions in Singapore were used to that effect. But as Indonesians have learned, to fuel fear of societal tension only helps to suspend contradictions rather than confront them.
We encourage our neighbor to address issues openly and without undue restraint. Healthy and intellectual discussion of "sensitive" issues would help promote genuine understanding on all sides of the particular debate.
After 40 years of political hegemony and glittering economic success, there is no reason for the ruling People's Action Party to fear debate or criticism.
To that end, we encourage Singaporeans to put their leader's pledge to the test. Only then will they, and the whole world, appreciate the candor of Lee's bold remark.
Singapore is increasingly surrounded by neighbors with more open, albeit less economically developed, societies. In a world of split-second information delivery, it is inevitable for Singapore, which has such a high profile among these countries, to be the focus of pressure for similar openness for its affluent people.
As the most technologically and economically advanced country in the region, one would think that the island-state would be the envy of its neighbors. Frankly, it is not. In the eyes of many there is something fundamentally missing -- the earthiness that characterizes its neighbors.
Lee's pledge for a more open society may be just the right answer for responding to the open climate prevailing in the region.
Everyone likes to stay in a five-star hotel for a while, where everything, down to the linen, is neatly tucked and shaped. But ultimately, everyone chooses to go home -- even one with clogged faucets and a leaking roof -- because home represents freedom, whereas hotels merely offer convenience.
The time has come for Singapore to extend greater trust to its own people. We are heartened that Prime Minister Lee apparently shares the values already adopted and practiced by a majority of Singapore's neighbors.