Limits Of Freedom Of Speech In Singapore

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Singaporeans should not be allowed to speak as they wish on race and religion in public.

Many people think that freedom of speech is the right to express anything they want, which includes the freedom to hate, without censorship or restrictions from the government. However, such libertarian theory is thought to be impractical in Singapore because of racial, religious and cultural differences. The government believed that certain provocative speech should be curtailed to safeguard social stability. Hence, freedom of speech is not an absolute right in Singapore. For example, Ang (2007) stated that Singapore Constitution gives the right to freedom of speech and expression in Article 14. However, it’s subject to limitations. First of all, it promises freedom of speech and expression only to Singapore citizens. Secondly, it provides only the right to deliver expression, not the right to accept expression of any kind. Thirdly, it does not specifically deal with the issue of previous restraints, or completely allowing previous restraints. Fourthly, the Parliament may by law impose restrictions on the right in the interest of national security, public interest, public morality and for the maintenance of foreign relations.

In addition, laws were imposed to preserve order. Pellot (2015) stated that Singapore’s Internal Security Act can detained anyone without trial, if their actions are considered detrimental to the security of Singapore. The Penal Code can sentence anyone

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