I refer to the article: "TRS SHOULD NOT GO DOWN THE SLIPPERY ROAD OF CENSORSHIP"
TRS has done a tremendous job in bringing a lot of small everyday things that impact us into the open. We would not find out about many events, actions and comments made by our political leaders and how they impact us, if TRS did not publish them. Some are reflective of our own daily hardship and grind trying to get by. If TRS did not publish them, we would be thinking we are the only ones who are suffering.
If we want to be a matured society we must let topics be discussed more openly and let both sides share their views. Some are controversial like religion or homosexuality. Rather than condemn the writer or those who support his/her views, why not give your reasons for disagreeing. Take Islamic topics on TRS, some say TRS has an anti-Muslim agenda. I disagree, I've spoken many times with the editorial team and their reason can be described as thus - better to expose these things even if we know it's a wrong interpretation or lacking full understanding. This is the only we can assist those who are more learned to share their knowledge and dispel the doubts or wrong points.
Our Malay-Muslim readers are matured and devout Muslims. They can clarify and share and show that the mis-conceptions about Islam are wrong. Of course there are some who purposely will use this to antagonise them., but that's the nature of the Net, some people have a dark agenda like 'Heather Chua'. We must expose them, to let our Malay-Muslim readers know we are behind them and want to nip wrong misconceptions in the bud. It's heartening to see many non-Muslims who rally to support them, like in the Hijab issue. As more Islamic beliefs and topics are made known, more people will come to realise that Islam has always had a place in Singapore and will continue to do so. A better and healthier discussion will dispel silly, wrong or wicked notions, that Islam is a threat, that our Muslims are being radicalised (yes I met some who think so) and in the ever rising influx of foreigners, our Malay-Muslims are not marginalised but an integral part of Singapore both historically, now and for eternity.
Some though still expect TRS to be like the ST or TNP and use strict editing to prevent some dubious posts from getting through. I disagree, you should not blindly trust everything that's published or written. Some are nonsensical, some are rubbish and a few even fake. But many are true. Read and learn those things that are relevant to you. Discard those that are not. Verify stuff, sometimes TRS publishes only 1 or 2 aspects of a thing, go do your own research, read Wikipedia, read Yahoo news, google other web pages on the subject matter and make an informed decision. TRS is just the vehicle. Don't just vote against a PAP MP if TRS tell you (sent in by readers), or if they condemn a policy or if they praise an opposition party. Read more and find out and decide for yourself. You can use TRS as a starting point. TRS is a place that people pour out their frustrations, sometimes the comments appear rude even xenophobic. But ask yourselves this, would it better if TRS stopped all this and prevented people from expressing their anger and frustrations? What would happen, people will keep it bottled inside until it reaches a boiling point and then things can get ugly even violent. Let people have some release mechanism via TRS, even if it's against your own beliefs or stand. It's better they express it and get of their chests.
Veron Rahim
*Comment first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/therealsingapore
Editor's Note:
We have minimal and relaxed censorship and moderation on our website.
The general rule of thumb for our website is that we will delete articles that incite racial wars or personal attacks at an individual (ie. Cyberbullying). For example an article saying that our Prime Minister is fat and ugly without any constructive discussion would not be allowed and approved on our site. However, an article saying that our Prime Minister is a liar because he didn't keep his promise on a specific policy with examples is okay.
Another example would be an article saying that Christianity or Islam is a stupid and useless religion would not be allowed on this site. However, an article rebutting certain behavior of a person practicing a particular faith which also includes Homophobic beliefs, supported with their own reasons would be okay for our website.
Everyone holds their own belief and opinions based on their own personal experiences and upbringing. We should respect everyone for that. Making personal insults at others is not a healthy discussion but we should be careful not to practice too much censorship such that a particular group of people feels neglected and freedom of speech is limited.