S'pore mulls 'Speakers' Corner'

S'pore mulls 'Speakers' Corner'

SINGAPORE (AP): Tightly controlled Singapore may get a venue to express ideas similar to London's "Speakers' Corner," leaders have hinted -- but Singaporeans disagree on whether it would really mean more freedom of speech.

Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, in an interview published last week, said the government may within months designate a public place for people to spout their opinions, comparable to Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park.

Though the original Speakers' Corner may now be little more than a historical curio for tourists, the matter is taken more seriously in Singapore.

The modern city-state is known for its strict controls on political speech. The media is carefully regulated. In past years, leaders have won a number of defamation suits against critics.