Blogging and the Law

On 18th January 2006, the Institute of Policy Studies organised a closed-door discussion on the topic of Blogging and the Law.

This is according to local bloggers mrbrown and Mr Miyagi,

They didn’t say much about what happened in this closed-door event except for some pictures. However the title of this closed-door event is interesting to say the least. Considering the venue, it’s very likely that the powers-that-be are considering legislating blogging. It’s pretty clear that this was mooted by the recent blogging/hate/Sedition Act cases.

In 2005 I wrote on this very specific issue. In it I proposed a self-policing or moderation policy as opposed to a throw-the-book approach that the PAP has adopted (clearly a political Send-A-Message).

However it would seem that the government is going to take this one step further by considering legislation on blogging, possibly also in view of GE2006.

To me, legislating blogging is missing the forest for the trees and reflective of the PAP’s neanderthal style. It’s analogous to flocking to a commotion in the street, seeing a loon hurling racial epitaphs at no one in particular, then getting offended and braying for a law to clamp down on talking in public!

While technology has changed, human nature hasn’t. Social ills and bad behaviour remain constant. There are enough laws to come down hard on these things. Bad behaviour exists everywhere, virtually or otherwise. If you open the floodgates of law on blogging, where does it stop? Websites? Forums? Mailing lists? Usenet?

http://www.newsintercom.org/index.php?itemid=397

ST propaganda at its best

On 12 Jan 2006, the Straits Times published a seemingly heartfelt letter to the ST Forum, citing PM Lee’s visit to Tekong base to see off his 2nd born son to NS. In the letter (linked within), the writer extols PM’s Lee’s humility by being the everyman amongst the throngs of Average Joe parents.

Dig a little deeper though and you uncover a few issues with this ST Forum letter. The immediate issue is that the writer is Lionel De Souza. I don’t know about you, but I only know one Lionel De Souza in Singapore. The De Souza I know is an ex-Secret Societies Branch boss, an ex-cop with 26 years’ experience, a frequent ST commentator on legality and police action and currently private investigator.

Is it any coincidence that GE is approaching and the issue of Lee Hsien Loong’s hard demeanor still lingers, such that an attempt at subtle social engineering enmasse is needed? It’s particularly hilarious that De Souza saw the need to preface his letter with an apolitical disclaimer.

To wit, was PM Lee wearing spectacles during the visit?

ST Forum letter follows, link valid for a short while unless you possess an ST account:

http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,364454-1137103140,00.html?

Day I witnessed PM and wife’s humility

I AM apolitical and I have no ulterior motive in writing this letter. Nevertheless, I am certain that my letter will set many a tongue wagging.

Last Friday, my wife and I were in for a surprise when we accompanied our son to the Basic Military Training Centre on Pulau Tekong for his enlistment into full-time national service: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Madam Ho Ching, were also there to send their son off.

The humility displayed by PM Lee and Madam Ho was indeed exemplary. They did not claim any privilege, which rightly they could as Mr Lee is no ordinary citizen.

During a tour of School 2, they were treated in the same way as the other enlistees’ parents. By this, I concluded that PM Lee must have given instructions that he was not to be given any red-carpet treatment.

What was most gratifying was to see PM Lee and his wife sitting with the other enlistees’ parents in the auditorium for a briefing by the school commander, eating the same food, riding in the same bus to and from the jetty on Pulau Tekong to School 2 and taking the same launch to and from Pulau Tekong.

As protocol dictates that PM Lee and his wife be protected adequately from harm and danger, they were escorted by a team from the Police Security Command. Nevertheless, their bodyguards were unobtrusive and carried out their duties in an even-handed way.

I left Pulau Tekong feeling proud to be a Singaporean for two reasons: I heard my son and the other enlistees taking the oath of allegiance to defend Singapore and, if necessary, to lay down their lives, and I witnessed the humility of PM Lee and his wife as they rubbed shoulders with the people for more than four hours.

Lionel De Souza

http://www.newsintercom.org/index.php?itemid=395