SFD Media Release
27 January 2011
Singapore
SFD to MDA: Ban the Jolly Hangman
Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD) calls on the Media Development Authority (MDA) to ban Once A Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock or assign it a classification that clearly and publicly indicates that the said book cannot be distributed or sold in Singapore.
SFD makes this call following police questioning of Mr Seelan Palay 27, Mr Jarrod Luo 27 and Miss Rachel Zeng 28 today at the Major Crime Division of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Police Cantonment Complex.
The SFD trio spent a total of 4 hours fielding questions from different police officers who individually and separately recorded their statements over the sale of 12 copies of the Jolly Hangman at an SFD hosted film screening on 14 November 2010.
Mr Seelan Palay was interviewed for one hour by ASP Roy Lim.
Mr Jarrod Luo was interviewed for two hours by ASP Jason Lim.
Miss Rachel Zeng was interviewed for one hour by ASP Foo Jit Choon.
The absence of a clear classification of the said book by MDA, which is still the subject of a contempt of court case brought upon by the Government against its author Alan Shadrake, puts members of the public at legal risk.
In this case, it has made these three SFD members the subject of police investigations in the course of their work to promote freedom of expression in tightly regulated Singapore.
SFD calls on the authorities to resolve this anomaly quickly and release our members from the investigations.
Dr. James Gomez
Executive Director
Singaporeans For Democracy