Social Injustice In Singapore

In 2010, British author Alan Shadrake was convicted in Singapore for “criminal defamation” of our judicial system when he published his book, ‘Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock’. His arrest and imprisonment sparked a global-wide debate about the freedom of expression and practice of capital punishment in Singapore. Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International and human rights activists did not agree with Singapore’s government for locking the author up and elicited for his release. On the other hand, the Government felt that it was justified since Shadrake’s book has “cast doubt on the impartiality and independence of the judiciary”, thus scandalizing the court which is an offence in Singapore. In Singapore’s multi-cultural

Singapore places great emphasis on racial and religious harmony in the country, especially with our history of racial riots in the 1960s. Social cohesion as a whole is taken very seriously and the government will not allow for any seditious tendencies such as racist or anti-government comments. If it is seen to upset the social stability of the society, one can be prosecuted under the law. Thus, the term “Out-of-Bounds” (OB) marker was coined to denote what are the issues that are allowed for public discussion in Singapore and what are some that are considered a taboo subject. Yet, to what extent should the government be allowed to restrict and control their people’s discussion? This has been an on-going debate for many people. Especially since Singapore prides itself on being a democracy, many have argued that by having OB markers, it takes away the freedom of speech and expression from its people. Some argue it is a necessity while others argue that it is an abuse of human rights, needless to say, this intervention has sparked controversy amongst the

While it is one thing to curb comments of malicious intent, it is another to restrict and repress the views and voices of the people when they are not in favour of the government. It is a well-known fact that the media in Singapore is regulated by the government and that Singaporeans are known to practice “self-censorship” especially when it comes to political discourse. Former US President Abraham Lincoln once said that, “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Yet if the people of the country are afraid to speak up and are forbidden to bring up any flaws of the government, how can one truly call them a democracy? In 2006, blogger mrbrown wrote an article in the Today newspaper titled, ‘Singaporeans are fed, up with progress’ which addressed the increasing costs of living in Singapore. His column was subsequently suspended from the Today newspaper when the government claimed that he was a “partisan player” and trying to “distort the truth”. Yet, many have defended mrbrown and the rising cost is indeed a valid concern for many and Singapore has been repeatedly reported as one of the most expensive cities to live in. Another notable case is when local author Catherine Lim challenged the ruling party People’s Action Party, claiming that they were not representative of the people. Former Prime