 |
Source: www.mha.gov.sg |
Press Statement on Public
Forum on Democracy Organised by the Singapore Democratic Party |
|
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has
applied to the Police for a licence under the Public Entertainments and
Meetings Act to organise a public forum on 13 Apr 2007 at the Sheraton
Towers Hotel. The SDP separately applied to ICA for professional visit
passes for several foreigners whom it had invited to speak at the forum. |
The Police and ICA respectively have
rejected the SDP¡¯s applications for a permit to conduct this public
forum and for professional visit passes for the foreign speakers on the
ground of public interest. It is an offence to organise a public forum
with foreign speakers without a permit1 . It is also an
offence for foreigners without professional visit passes to be speakers
at the forum. |
Singapore's politics are reserved for
Singaporeans. As visitors to our country, foreigners should not abuse
their privilege by interfering in our domestic politics. |
This is not the first time that the SDP has
involved foreigners in Singapore¡¯s domestic politics. In 2003, the SDP
organised a conference with foreign funding, but failed to declare it as
required under the Political Donations Act. |
The Act disallows political parties and
associations from using foreign funding to champion their cause, and
thus become beholden to foreign organisations. |
The Registrar of Political Donations
inquired into the incident and Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan,
Chairman Ling How Doong and Treasurer Abdul Rasheed of the SDP were
subsequently warned by the Police. |
In 2005, the SDP brought in a foreign
political activist, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, to conduct a political
workshop on how to instigate and agitate segments of local society to
promote civil disobedience and subvert the laws of the country. |
Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan has since been
banned from entering Singapore2 . Foreigners who abuse the
privileges that Singapore accords to guests and visitors, and meddle in
Singapore's domestic politics, are not welcome here. |
Like all other political parties, the
SDP is free to express its views and organise political activities
in Singapore within the law. Indeed, the SDP has organised public
meetings to enable Chee Soon Juan to expound his political views,
including his criticism of the Singapore Government. The SDP can
continue to organise such activities provided they do so lawfully. |
MINISTRY OF HOME
AFFAIRS
12 APRIL 2007 |
Footnotes:
1Under the Public Entertainments and Meetings
Act, Singaporean organisers of indoor public talks are exempted
from applying for a permit if it is confined to Singaporean
speakers. However, if the forum or talk involves foreign speakers,
the organiser is required to obtain a permit.
2Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan had
appealed to the authorities to be allowed entry into Singapore for
social purposes. The Government replied to Yeshua that it is
prepared to grant him visits provided he does not interfere in
Singapore¡¯s domestic politics. Yeshua then replied indicating his
appreciation and that he intends to visit Singapore. The
Government has not heard from him since. |
Source: www.mha.gov.sg
Press Release 12 Apr 2007 |
 |
Important
Notice |
Our FrontPage
Editions are a historical record of our Web site and reflect
the changing of the times, and also of our Web site through
time. We do not and will not update the links and stories on
these FrontPages even if they have become obsolete. |
|