Singapore bothered by free speech debate

By Raj Rajendran

SINGAPORE (Reuters): A Singapore politician's high profile run-ins with the law may lead to change, but the brash tactics might also hurt the opposition's cause, senior opposition leaders and academics say.

The clashes over free speech have also highlighted the problems inherent in expressing dissenting views in Singapore, they add.

The politician in the midst of the furor, Chee Soon Juan, is not one to shy away from publicity, having once gone on a hunger strike to protest against his sacking from a local university.

In the latest case, he has been charged in court under the Public Entertainment Act for giving speeches without a permit, an offense which carries a fine of up to S$5,000 (US$3,000). A fine of more than S$2,000 would bar Chee, 36, from standing for election for five years.

But efforts to beef up opposition ranks with serious-minded professionals could be undermined by the frequent clashes with the law by the leader of a small opposition party, some said.

"I don't think it will give the opposition a good name. People will think opposition is always getting arrested and charged in court," said Chiam See Tong, one of two elected opposition members in parliament.

"This sort of thing should not be encouraged at all by any serious-minded opposition politician because it would only put fear into others to come forward."

Veteran opposition leader Joshua Jeyaretnam said of Chee's actions: "There are people who might think that, you know, it's best to stay away because if they come out and they should speak or do anything they would immediately be charged, so that may deter them."

But Jeyaretnam, who leads the Worker's Party, said opposition figures can hardly get themselves heard in the local media.

Singapore requires permits for publications as well as public speaking, has censorship laws, and rigorously enforces libel and slander statutes. Key parts of the media are state-controlled.

Chiam, ousted as leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) by Chee in 1993, says the opposition has to work very hard in the battle to get elected into parliament.

"There is no short cut for the opposition to get into parliament. I mean short cuts just to draw attention like Dr. Chee Soon Juan getting himself arrested; it's definitely not the way," said Chiam, who is in his fourth term in parliament.

It was Chiam who brought Chee into opposition politics but was later unseated as head of the SDP by his protege.

Chee's supporters criticized Chiam as too moderate, but under Chee's leadership the SDP was trounced in the last election. It lost two seats gained under Chiam and Chee himself failed in a bid to win a seat from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).

Chiam ran successfully under the banner of another party.

Others argue Singapore gives the opposition few options to speak out which do not involve a risk of breaking a law.

"The opposition has been complaining of the total absence of any opportunity or channels for people's views to be heard or aired," said Jeyaretnam.

He was convicted in 1988 of the same offense Chee is now charged with.

"This is one way that the opposition feel that they could make themselves known, to tell the electorate that they are still involved in politics," said academic Lee Lai To.

But he said it was difficult to judge whether Singaporeans would take to Chee's tactic, adding that the best gauge was likely to be the next general election, due by 2002.

Chee's political gamble aside, his robust challenge to the laws governing free speech has brought fresh calls for change.

"Singapore should relax restrictions that prevent them from saying things in the first place," wrote columnist Cherian George and nominated member of parliament (NMP) Zulkifli Baharudin in a joint article in the Straits Times. Singapore has nine NMPs appointed by the government to offer independent views in parliament, where 81 of 83 elected seats are held by the PAP.

"We believe that the establishment of free-speech venues is an incremental step that Singapore can well afford to take," they wrote.

Government appointed MP and law professor Simon Tay, who raised similar points in Parliament, told Reuters: "Singapore should be moving towards the policy where free speech is allowed in a public forum."

Whether the government will heed such calls remains to be seen. Officials like Minister of State for Law and for Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee say the public likes the PAP's strong approach, noting its unbroken string of election victories.

Ho told Reuters in a recent interview the rule that has Chee in court was "a procedural requirement. It does not affect the substantive right of speech."

In any case, he said, public speaking permits have been given to the opposition before and they have other outlets such as media letters pages and the Internet.

"...there are ample opportunities for anyone who wants to say anything to say it", Ho said.