THE REAL SINGAPORE'S STATEMENT ON THE NEW MDA REGULATION
To Minister Yaacob and MDA:
We are glad to hear that you have come to terms that the online practitioners(or whatever fanciful terms the Institute of Policy Studies would like to call us) will not subject themselves to a Code of Conduct as you have previously advocated in November 2011 [Source]. And indeed, you have stopped asking for a Code of Conduct and instead cut to the chase of your real aim: Media Oppression.
You have started by trying to be a little more subtle about it. by only targeting the state media and Yahoo! But it's easy to see through the plot at the ultimate aim of controlling all influential online media.
Of course, the fact remains the Internet cannot be regulated no matter how unhappy you are with criticisms online, or whatever silly regulations you are coming out with. We anonymous writers always have our ways of working around your silly rules. Our intentions of writing to you here is not only to tell you what a child’s play your regulation is, but the real implications for enforcing such a dictatorial ruling.
Implications on the PAP
Perhaps this is all about efficiency, the efficiency for political domination. We do note this totalitarian decision could still go well in your textbooks so long any of your overpaid Ministers could front another hypocritical classic: “Doing the right thing more important than winning votes” [Source]
Perhaps you have been influenced and frightened by the Malaysian Election, where the Opposition won past the 50% popular vote for the first time in history. Who in PAP wouldn’t be? What kind of job in the private sector do you think a PAP Minister, say Lim Swee Say, would get for his atrocious language and incompetency? This fear of the loss of power is very real, but you have let fear possessed you to make a befuddled and hasty decision.
Last time we checked Singapore is still a democracy, but why is the rule – which is poised to take effect in less than 5 days – not tabled as a motion by any of the Member of Parliament? Please specify what other regulations that the PAP government could implement in less than 5 days without going through the Parliament’s approval. You may want to abolish the Parliament and convert all laws to be personal directives from the Prime Minister. The PAP ideology seems to have surpassed both Democracy and Communism because both systems enforce laws only through a motion tabled by a committee.
Today, you have successfully proven your critics correct that Singapore is not a democracy. The world news is not going to be kind on you – oh of course you wouldn’t give a damn – but what we do know is that
1) Governments and human rights organizations in free countries like the EU, US and Australia are taking notes
2) International surveys, statistics and rankings are going to embarrass you further
3) Your critics have gained credibility
4) You are going to lose more seats in Parliament
If there is an opinion poll today, your popularity surely would have inched a notch lower. Any decent person can see the political motivation stamped all over the ruling. Your propaganda mouthpiece can only do so much. Although the PAP is already a sinking ship, you have hasten your death. The decision is short sighted, ad hoc fire fighting and obviously an expired manner of governance outdated in today’s context. It is apparent you are not leaders, who have the foresight to envisage the kind of Singapore we should be having.
You can rest assured you will fail in your attempt to suppress the media. We will also take this opportunity to call for more online users to go anonymous. We will prove to you silencing the critics will not work, and we will continue to ensure you will be voted out in 2016.
TRS Chief Editor Nat Xela