• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

An unnatural order

by onlinecitizen
27/03/2009
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

Coming soon on TOC: A look at the Cabinet changes and the implications for the next General Elections.

Why the proposed Public Order Act seems patently unnecessary

On the heels of its proposed changes to the Films Act introducing fresh restrictions on the use of political films, the government will be tabling a new Public Order Act to expand its already considerable powers for crowd control.

In explaining the move the Home Ministry argued that it was necessary to tackle “gaps in the current framework” and to update police powers for protecting “mega events” hosted by Singapore, specially the upcoming APEC meetings in November.  Yet it is difficult to recall an example of such an event being disrupted – the IMF-World Bank meetings in 2006 went by without as much as a squeak – and the only “gap” in the Home Ministry’s jurisdiction that comes readily to mind is that infamous lavatory in its detention centre near Whitley Road.

At the heart of the new Act are the so-called “move-on powers”, enabling the police to order a person to leave an area and prevent him from returning if they determine that he is about to break the law.  There seems to be little precedent to justify the introduction of such powers.  Few protesters made it past security screening and into Singapore for the IMF-World Bank meetings in 2006, and even those that did made their dissent heard in exemplary lawful fashion.  An attempted march by a tiny band led by a Singaporean opposition party was stopped by heavy police guard before it even got underway.  The police presence was thick and highly visible, and several major thoroughfares were cordoned off.  It is difficult to see how the new Act would improve on that performance. 

 

Moreover, the “move-on” powers are unlikely to discourage serious protesters from trying to make their point, meaning that the police are likely to be forced into arresting them anyway.  That would defeat the Ministry’s stated purpose of introducing “move-on” powers to avoid the police having to make arrests in the first place.

The Home Ministry has tried to emphasise that the possibility of a terrorist threat necessitated these new powers.  Yet the aim of the legislation is not to address terrorism but rather to clamp down on any so-called “disruption” to public order.  The link that the Ministry tries to draw between terrorism and its proposed Act is a rather spurious one: to prevent the former, the Ministry argued that its forces “cannot afford to be distracted” by “political activists, militants or mischief-makers seeking to exploit the media and political attention”.

The only bit in the proposed Act that seems justifiable is that which prohibits events being filmed if this might jeopardise operations or the safety of security forces.  This is a change aimed squarely at addressing concerns following the Mumbai attacks of November 2008 where terrorists kept abreast of police operations by watching live media coverage of events on television.  That said, such a provision might sit more comfortably in anti-terrorism legislation than in the current Bill.

In any case, the critical consideration is whether the government can be counted on to exercise its new powers judiciously.  In this regard the Ministry’s attempt to validate the new Act by invoking the example of Australia’s “move-on” powers is specious – it neglects the fact that Australia’s strong tradition of civil liberties makes it far less likely that such powers would be abused or politicised. 

It is instructive to note that the last time Singapore had a major demonstration was in 1988 when the country’s main trade union (which is practically run by the ruling party) organised one against alleged American interference in our domestic affairs; on the other hand, opposition parties have always been denied permission for similar acts.  Given this precedent, it is not surprising that many Singaporeans are understandably wary of the government’s actual motivations behind the new Public Order Act.

 ———–

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023
Labour

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

28/01/2023
Peru Congress rejects president’s plan for early elections
AFP

Peru Congress rejects president’s plan for early elections

28/01/2023
UMNO purging members as it sacks former health minister Khairy and suspended ex-defence minister Hishammuddin
Malaysia

UMNO purging members as it sacks former health minister Khairy and suspended ex-defence minister Hishammuddin

28/01/2023
WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status
AFP

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

27/01/2023
AFP

Two years after Myanmar coup, UN says situation ‘catastrophic’

27/01/2023
Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health
Community

Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

27/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

28/01/2023
Peru Congress rejects president’s plan for early elections

Peru Congress rejects president’s plan for early elections

28/01/2023
UMNO purging members as it sacks former health minister Khairy and suspended ex-defence minister Hishammuddin

UMNO purging members as it sacks former health minister Khairy and suspended ex-defence minister Hishammuddin

28/01/2023
WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

27/01/2023

Two years after Myanmar coup, UN says situation ‘catastrophic’

27/01/2023
Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

27/01/2023
Philippines to appeal ICC resumption of drug war probe

ICC grants new inquiry into Manila’s deadly ‘war on drugs’

27/01/2023
Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

27/01/2023

Trending posts

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
36

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
23

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
55

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
46

...

An unnatural order

by onlinecitizen
27/03/2009
0

...

March 2009
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Feb   Apr »
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz