my free choice of topic - political issues

Title: Ban on outdoor demos eased from Monday
Author: By Sue-Ann Chia, political correspondent
THE STRAITS TIMES front page Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Do you think there are any issues in Singapore which you have a dying need to voice out? Please, voice it out, because you now have a better chance of voicing your opinions out with the ease of the ban on outdoor demonstrations.

I think Singapore’s political liberalization has indeed taken a small step forward with outdoor demonstrations being permitted at Speakers’ Corner. Ever since the Speakers’ Corner was opened up for people to speak in 2001, it had been under utilized because the process to register for it was deemed too "big-brother-ish". Not only did potential speakers need to apply at the nearby police post, but they were banned from using microphones and loud hailers. This greatly discourages people who want to voice out their views to the public. I think this defeats the purpose of having a Speaker’s Corner if people cannot speak out their views to their fullest. Allowing outdoor demonstrations is one step closer to giving freedom of speech.

I feel that with the ease of the ban on outdoor demos, people will have more chances of voicing their opinions and sharing each others’ viewpoints. Words alone are not strong enough to bring across an opinion. Demonstrations are a more effective way to propagate a cause and it also catches public and media attention. Once the demonstrator can hold the media’s attention, he is also grabbing the worldwide attention. Hence more people will know more about politics and be more aware of issues that they are ignorant about. They will also be less apathetic towards Singapore politics.

Demonstrations allow people to sensationalize their viewpoints, especially their grievances. It helps gain sympathy from the public and more support can be gained from them. Through demonstrations, the government will have a good sense of what some quarters of the population think and they will then review existing policies. Recently in Malaysia, people demonstrated against the petrol hike. Thereafter, the government reduced petrol prices to appease public demands.

Once there is more chance to speak up, people will know how to question government policies, becoming more politically attuned. They will no longer take everything that is put to them and can be courageous enough show disapproval to issues like rising prices of goods and services.

Demonstrations also provide platforms for other civil groups like civil rights group and environmental rights group to promote their cause, shape public opinion and mindset and influence government policies to address their causes.

If demonstrations continue to be banned, society will be too controlled, edging towards an authoritarian state. If people are not allowed to speak their mind, it will infringe human rights to freedom of speech.

On the other hand, demonstrations may be detrimental to the society if the demonstrator’s main aim may not be to discuss views but they may have a vested interest. For example, opposition parties may hold demonstrations to brainwash people. Foreigners who have vibes against the government, like people who had brushes with the law, may also want to discredit the government.

Terrorists may even work underground to instigate unhappy citizens of Singapore to go against the government. This will severely damage the peace and harmony in our society.

If the demonstration is too big a group, the speakers’ corner alone may not be able to contain the demonstrators. And if the demonstrations get too fiery, it can even lead to riots and cause social unrest and traffic standstill. For example, demonstrations in Thailand spiralled out of control until airports had to close.

Participating in demonstrations can also lead to loss of work hours and affect the country’s economy. For example, in South Korea, there are frequent demonstrations which affect the economy of the country.

In conclusion, I support peaceful demonstrations at designated places only. Demonstrations cannot be allowed in the whole of Singapore otherwise it will create disorder. Just in case demonstrators have ulterior motives, the government will still have to screen would-be demonstrators to ensure that they are not used as proxies to foreign powers that may jeopardize the stability of Singapore.

Let me end off by quoting a quote by Thomas Carlyle. “Every human being has a right to hear what other wise human beings have spoken to him. It is one of the Rights of Men; a very cruel injustice if you deny it to a man!” It is indeed wise for the government to permit outdoor demonstrations.