There has been no delay in granting Progress Singapore Party (PSP) the necessary permits for its launch, said the police on Mon (3 Jun).
TODAY reported the Police as saying in response to media queries that the authorities had also been actively engaging PSP regarding the permits prior to the proposed date of the launch “with the intention of facilitating their approval before the planned event date”, adding that the Party had unilaterally decided to postpone the launch itself “without contacting Police”.
Founder Tan Cheng Bock yesterday announced that PSP’s launch event, which was scheduled to take place on 15 Jun in Hall 5 at the Singapore Expo, had to be postponed “as the Police Permit for the event and other related permits such as the Public Entertainment Licence are still pending”.
Police confirmed that PSP was seeking “to play music and screen a video at the event and thus needed the necessary permits”.
According to the Police, PSP chairman Wang Swee Chuang applied for a police permit on 3 May, following which the Police had asked him for more information. Four days later, the police reminded Mr Wang to provide the required information, TODAY reported.
Police told TODAY: “As PSP wanted to play recorded music and screen a video/film, Mr Wang was advised to apply for a Public Entertainment Licence (PEL), and submit the video/film to IMDA (Info-communications Media Development Authority) for classification”.
“This is a standard requirement for all public screenings of videos/films,” added the Police.
Mr Wang was reminded by the Police on 27 May to “apply for a PEL and to submit the video to IMDA for classification”, which Mr Wang complied with on the same day.
“PEL applications will usually take 12 working days for approval, as stated in the application portal on the Police website,” said the Police, adding: “Nevertheless, to assist PSP, IMDA contacted Mr Wang, via phone and email, on 29 May, to advise him to submit the film for classification.”
The police said that the IMDA had also provided Mr Wang with a guide on the submission process for the purpose of classification of the film in time for the Party’s launch.
However, according to the Police, PSP has not submitted the film for classification.