Sunday, April 5, 2015

The Two Men Rule Applies

It's official, the first record of a 2-men assembly. Two men between the age of 24 and 25 were arrested by the police on the afternoon of Saturday April 4 for turning up in front of the Istana with placards that read “You can’t silence the people” and “Injustice”. Police said that as both refused to budge despite efforts from the officers, they were arrested for organising a public assembly without permit, under Section 16(1)(a) of the Public Order Act, Chapter 257A.

Sylvia Lim fought against 4 amendments to Laws on Peaceful Assembly in 2007:
"This refers to clauses 29 and 30 of the Bill. By clause 29 of the Bill, we are removing the heading “Offences Against Public Tranquility” and replacing it with “Offences relating to Unlawful Assembly”. By Clause 30, we will be deleting “mischief or trespass or other offence” and replacing it with “to commit any offence”.

S 141 has been amended to bring it in line with a recent Court of Appeal case: PP v Tan Meng Khin [1995] 2 SLR 505. Now, an assembly will be unlawful if people intend to commit an offence punishable with imprisonment of 6 mths or more, even if it is peaceful and does not disturb public tranquility. Under our law, a person who organizes a procession or assembly after the police rejection of a permit can be punished with max 6 months jail under the Miscellaneous Offences Act. Hence 5 or more people who gather to do so will become members of an unlawful assembly.
...
As our society continues to evolve, the time is surely ripe for us to allow peaceful outdoor protests as a form of expression. By all means, we can have rules about how, where and when such processions may be held, but wider law reform is needed. S 141 should be restricted to offences which threaten the public peace, and other laws such as the Miscellaneous Offences Act which require permits for peaceful assemblies should be modified."

So did they listen to the lady? No, instead they made Singapore a laughing stock. This is how Ms Lim spelled it out in her speech of April 2009:
"The change in definition of “assembly” and “procession” is more disturbing. As the Explanatory Statement to the Bill says, these words are no longer restricted to gatherings of 5 persons or more. This means even ONE person alone can constitute illegal assembly, thus giving the State complete control over an individual citizen’s freedoms.

First, to say that 1 person constitutes an assembly is certainly an abuse of the word. Secondly, is the government making the change because there had been incidents involving less than 5 persons which had disrupted public life? Unless there is compelling evidence to prove to us that expanding the definition of assembly and procession is needed, this expansion does not deserve our support."

Shakespeare would certainly turn in his grave for the misuse of the English vocabulary, but you can bet the ashes in the urn are not the slightest perturbed.

28 comments:

  1. Shakespeare? More likely Mrs. Malaprop. The twisting and turning continues. A legacy of LKY they won't trumpet. How about 'retirement', as it applies to the elites? You see them popping out in GLCs. etc. after retirement with much the same , if not more, remuneration and privileges.

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  2. Did someone say that SG is a Disneyland with a dictator?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was the past.

      The present one is "F1 nation without the formula".

      Delete
    2. Nope, the original phrase is "Disneyland with the death penalty".

      Spoken by angmohs with fat salaries and expat packages who love to party & clubbing & sex and with drug habits.

      Delete
  3. Which fish is happier? Would you rather be the ;-

    Th one that can swim freely in the river stream, or the one that swims in the rich man aquarium?

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  4. The Founding Pig is dead.
    Vote out the white bastards in GE 2016.

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  5. As Martin Lee, founder of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, told the BBC, “He doesn’t trust his own people, so he won’t give then genuine democracy. Singapore has the “semblance of rule of law, but citizens always lose”

    Very apt. The only time Singaporeans get praised (in a very long time) , we were called "resolute" "united" "spontaneous" blah blah...all that ugly littering and xenophobic is strangely no longer applies, is when they are grieving for LKY..!!! I think we need more deaths in the Prime Ministerships so that the "best sides" of singaporeans can shine, and only shine according to state press.

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  6. Now that they have shutdown the CPF protests at HLP, who will be asking for accountability and transparency of our SWFs? At least in Malaysia, there is still a Mahathir who is free to call on Najib to resign over mismanagement at the 1MDB national investment fund.

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  7. Why does a 16yo amos yee became so cynical at such early age? Is he the only ones?

    The truly wise Maya Angelou said about courage and facing evil.."There is nothing quite so tragic as a young cynic, because it means the person has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing."

    Only the Cult-ture of LKY is left behind. A red (pandora) box that today sits in museum. Is it his "hope" or "hopeless" is left behind?

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  8. So we went from "5 persons is an illegal assembly" to "2 persons is an illegal assembly"? When did this happen?

    And did these two cause any harm to others? Anyone died? Was there any trepassing? Any damage to public properties? Did anyone die? Even the 16yo who send a fake-death prank needs a jail sentence because of a silly prank that causes mild embarrassment? What did these 2 protesters do that it warrants hardliners who constantly think they are LKY-reincarnates who are constantly quick to bring out the knuckledusters? Or as some people say "fires must be extinguished as soon as they start?" Whatever happens to "igniting the fire within"?

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  9. Can I declare LKY to be the official state religion of Singapore?

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    Replies
    1. Did those two commit blasphemy against PAP's state religion ... LKYism?

      Delete
    2. They are the using the same playbook as Chiang Kai Shek and Chiang Jin Guo in Taiwan. Look at how the people after democracy expose all that foolhardy propaganda and actions. Why do you think Lee Teng Hui could not get along with LKY after such a close and intimate relationship by their previous leaders? Because LTH knew what dynastic ruling LKY is setting up...as Mahathir said, his own kind of Lee kingdom.

      Do you want to be ruled by another Lee 3rd generation? Don't forget, just tell the daft 10% who showed up and cried - IS ALL FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. This will be PAP GE 2016 election slogan.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4lUfjAOd3o

      Delete
    3. It is surely a form of "blasphemy" that these two have committed LOL. But wait, someone claimed that he would rise from the grave if his successor(he meant Woody then) did not do a good job. It is Resurrection Sunday today, and honestly, if you ask me, I do not see people who appeared at the funeral wake last weekend even being that contrite or sad a few days ago.....unbelievable....

      Delete
  10. When has a police permit ever been granted for a protest? You and I know that this "law" is to prevent public dissent against the Government. It is as ridiculous as the statement "Plainly, a person inside a polling station cannot be said to be within a radius of 200 metres of a polling station."

    Are we a police state, or what? Add one more - Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act to Take Effect from 1 April 2015. If you drink in a public place after 10.30pm you are a public nuisance, notwithstanding that you are an upright citizen! Well, Big Brother is watching you - for your own good.

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  11. Some answers:

    Authoritarian Rule of Law
    Legislation,Discourse and Legitimacy in Singapore
    by Jothie Rajah

    Author examines the origins of laws enacted to suit circumstances here.

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  12. What's wrong with locking up more Singaporeans?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shall we increase university fees for Singaporeans?
      Do we need more money to build bigger prisons to jail more Singaporeans?

      Delete
    2. We must increase our population with more Aliens because more and more Singaporeans are spending time in jail.

      Delete
    3. "I don't think that is fair or justifiable because their (foreign workers) crime rates are, in fact, lower than Singaporeans in general."

      https://www.facebook.com/wakeupSG/posts/321750101323955

      Delete
  13. "Plainly, a person inside a polling station cannot be said to be within a radius of 200 metres of a polling station..."

    ReplyDelete
  14. By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise. - Adolf Hitler

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  15. "To circumvent this absurd "law" that took effect only in November 2002, Dr Chee Soon Juan staged a one-man protest on Monday to drive home the point that Singaporeans have the right to know the extent of PAP government's involvement, both in arms supplies and business deals with the Burmese military junta.

    Even this, the police are saying it's an offence. They had warned him that he had no permit under the Public Entertainment and Meetings Act."
    http://yoursdp.org/news/in_singapore_even_one_person_cannot_hold_a_protest/2007-10-16-5049

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  16. "Today, in the name of freedom, we take the fight to them"
    Optimus Prime, Transformer - Dark Side of the Moon

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  17. In Sin, there is NO need to be in the OPEN to ACT IN CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE OR SO-CALLED OPEN PROTEST TO BE SLAPPED WITH CHARGE OF ACT AGAINST THE LAW.

    THE LAW MAKERS ARE EMPOWERED TO DEFINE THE LAW ACCORDING TO THEIR INTERLRETATIONS..

    "PLAINLY, A PERSON INSIDE A POLLING STATION CANNOT BE SAID TO BE WITHIN A RADIUS OF 200 METRES OF A POLLING STATION.....".

    I catch no ball.

    What say You?

    patriot

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  18. Bloody Hell...i am getting sick that people everywhere keep yelling LKY is a founding father of Singapore...that is in-correct...founding of 21st Century Singapore i agreed...please do NOT FORGET if Raffles or the British Empire did not found Singapore..there will be NO LKY and no PAP....so for crying out loud, show your mindless gratitude correctly....zzz

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  19. In a way, it is good to have Stamford Raffles removed from the History of Singapore. His Master, the British Empire, had handed over Singapore to Lee Kuan Yew on a silver platter and even ensured his safety and power to rule did not falter. The British together with Its Allies/Ex-colonies, collectively known as ANZUK protects the Tiny Rock.
    Of course the BRITISH HAS IN ITS' ARCHIVES, THE RECORDS OF LEE KUAN YEW AND SR NATHAN, WORKING FOR THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL ARMY IN WW II.
    THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL ARMY INVADED SINGAPORE AND THE MALAY PENINSULA WHICH WERE BRITISH COLONIES.

    REMEMBER HARD THAT THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL ARMY TARGETTED THE CHINESE FOR DECIMATION AND TORTURED ALL
    CHINESE. THEY KILLED INFANTS, RAPED CHINESE, KOREAN GIRLS AND KILLED NON MILITARY PEOPLE OF CHINESE AND KOREAN RACES.

    WHY DID THE BRITISH HANDOVER SINGAPORE TO PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR THEIR(BRITISH) WWII ENEMY?

    patriot

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  20. "Big Brother is watching you" (George Orwell, 1984) is closer to reality than you think. More CCTV cameras are being installed islandwide. The police said the cameras' locations are chosen with "crime, security, and public order considerations in mind". This "public order considerations" is a euphemism for keeping the public in line. Singapore is an advanced surveillance state, with absurd laws and rulings (eg the Public Order Act 2009) that violate the Principles of Natural Justice. No wonder they need 2000 more police officers.

    https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/singapore-advanced-surveillance-state-citizens-033920310.html

    http://www.lawnotes.in/Principles_of_Natural_Justice

    http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=2558

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