There is much heated debate on the topic of freedom of speech in Singapore, especially in the area of politics which is an extremely sensitive topic in Singapore. Although Singapore’s government restrict online political movement, there are still many websites which comment on the political scene in Singapore on the internet, with the likes of talkingcock.com, mrbrown.com and so on.
People who post political commentary in the form of blog posts, podcast or videos will be governed under Singapore's election advertising regulations. Many political website are also required to register with the Media Development Authority. During election period, tensions are high and many people are easily influenced by information they read and hear. Hence, people who post political commentary on the web during the country's general election can face prosecution. However, during non-election period, regulations are as tight as fines and jail terms are still handed out when people cross the boundary. That is when they post things that are highly sensitive which could potentially spark trouble. Hence, it can be seen that Singapore’s government is very concerned about this matter and will not let things lie around ungoverned. On the other hand, these blogs, podcast and videos were well received by the general public. Furthermore it has become a source of entertainment for many.
Now, I will have my take on this issue. Personally, I think that we cannot condemn or stop people from airing their views on Singapore's politics. For Singapore to uphold herself as a democratic country, freedom of speech should be allowed to a certain extent. Firstly, we all must acknowledge that these political commentaries are not entirely harmful but instead, it is healthy to the society. These political commentaries give many Singaporeans who do not catch up on local politics an interesting insight to what the political scene in Singapore is all about. It also gives many Singaporeans another way to look at many of the governments’ policies. Hence, the government should not be too tight on their policies restricting online political commentary.
Secondly, I think that the regulation on political commentary is also because of some irresponsible people who do not know their limits. These people normally hide behind the mask of anonymity and are always the black sheep of our society. These people are either totally ignorant to these regulations or just wanting the push the limits. They post harmful and explicit material on the net and influence others in the wrong way. Hence, without regulations, these people would not be stopped and harmful messages could make their way into many peoples’ minds within a few seconds. This is also why regulations are made so blatant in the online world to remind people to act responsibly.
Lastly, we must not neglect the government’s views. The government’s main aim is to ultimately keep peace in the society. That is why there are so many laws; it is for the greater good of society. The government knows about the prowess of the internet and how it could spark unrest in just a few seconds. Therefore, they must step in before something devastating happens. Hence, we must know that in the government’s eye, this regulation on political commentary is mandatory if peace is to be kept.
All in all, there must be some form of regulation of political commentary to filter out the harmful comments so as to ensure that the public are not negatively influenced. Ultimately, these regulations protect the citizens. On the other hand, those commentaries which are not harmful should not be filtered but open for all to view as they are a good source of information and entertainment.
People who post political commentary in the form of blog posts, podcast or videos will be governed under Singapore's election advertising regulations. Many political website are also required to register with the Media Development Authority. During election period, tensions are high and many people are easily influenced by information they read and hear. Hence, people who post political commentary on the web during the country's general election can face prosecution. However, during non-election period, regulations are as tight as fines and jail terms are still handed out when people cross the boundary. That is when they post things that are highly sensitive which could potentially spark trouble. Hence, it can be seen that Singapore’s government is very concerned about this matter and will not let things lie around ungoverned. On the other hand, these blogs, podcast and videos were well received by the general public. Furthermore it has become a source of entertainment for many.
Now, I will have my take on this issue. Personally, I think that we cannot condemn or stop people from airing their views on Singapore's politics. For Singapore to uphold herself as a democratic country, freedom of speech should be allowed to a certain extent. Firstly, we all must acknowledge that these political commentaries are not entirely harmful but instead, it is healthy to the society. These political commentaries give many Singaporeans who do not catch up on local politics an interesting insight to what the political scene in Singapore is all about. It also gives many Singaporeans another way to look at many of the governments’ policies. Hence, the government should not be too tight on their policies restricting online political commentary.
Secondly, I think that the regulation on political commentary is also because of some irresponsible people who do not know their limits. These people normally hide behind the mask of anonymity and are always the black sheep of our society. These people are either totally ignorant to these regulations or just wanting the push the limits. They post harmful and explicit material on the net and influence others in the wrong way. Hence, without regulations, these people would not be stopped and harmful messages could make their way into many peoples’ minds within a few seconds. This is also why regulations are made so blatant in the online world to remind people to act responsibly.
Lastly, we must not neglect the government’s views. The government’s main aim is to ultimately keep peace in the society. That is why there are so many laws; it is for the greater good of society. The government knows about the prowess of the internet and how it could spark unrest in just a few seconds. Therefore, they must step in before something devastating happens. Hence, we must know that in the government’s eye, this regulation on political commentary is mandatory if peace is to be kept.
All in all, there must be some form of regulation of political commentary to filter out the harmful comments so as to ensure that the public are not negatively influenced. Ultimately, these regulations protect the citizens. On the other hand, those commentaries which are not harmful should not be filtered but open for all to view as they are a good source of information and entertainment.
No comments:
Post a Comment