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The Media Development Authority today informed filmmaker, Mr Martyn See, that his film on ex-political detainee, Dr Lim Hock Siew, has been banned in Singapore. Dr Lim was a founding member of the People's Action Party (PAP). He was arrested in 1963, accused of being a communist but he was never brought to trial.
Dr Lim was incarcerated for almost 20 years under the Internal Security Act.
Here is what Mr See says about the ban to The Online Citizen:
I had submitted the film to the Political films Consultative Committee (PFCC), whose job is to assess if the film is a "party political film" or not. Section 33 of the Films Act was "liberalised" last year to allow for live recordings of events held according to the law. My film was exactly that, so I was confident it would get the green light by the PFCC. But now that's a moot point, as the Minister has stepped in to ban it under section 35.
Dr Lim Hock Siew had been interviewed by the Straits Times. The book Fajar Generation is sold in Singapore. So I am a little surprised that a video recording of a speech should be banned.
I've also been asked to remove the youtube video. It is a demand that I'm considering, but in the meantime, I hope others, who are preferably living overseas, would download the video and make it viral so that more people can watch it.
I like to thank the Minister for banning this. It generates more interest on the video now.
And from Mr See's website:
This is the second film to be banned under Section 35. The first, Zahari's 17 Years, was an interview film directed by me. Made in 2006, it was officially banned in 2007.
In an exact carbon copy of the reasons for the film, the government's press release alleged that film 'gives a distorted and misleading portrayal of Dr Lim's arrests and detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1963. Dr Lim was detained during Operation Coldstore in 1963 and was held for 19 years, a record second only to Dr Chia Thye Poh.
Visit Mr See's website here for more updates on the ban: http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com .
Here is the film currently hosted on Youtube.