MICA approves SDP's newspaper licence

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MICA approves SDP's newspaper licence - finally

Tuesday, 10 August 2010

Singapore Democrats

After three months of foot-dragging, the Ministry for Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA) has finally given the Singapore Democrats the licence to publish our newspaper. The Ministry did not give any reason for the inexplicable delay.

The SDP had submitted our application to the MICA's Media Development Authority (MDA) for renewal of the licence earlier this year in April (these permits have to be renewed on an annual basis). According to MDA officials, applications normally take two to three weeks to process. The SDP's took more than three months. The approval finally came last week.

Party leaders had repeatedly emailed and called the Media Development Authority (MDA) in past weeks and were told that the application was with Minister Lui Tuck Yew. The MDA added that they did not know why the application was held up.

We then wrote to Mr Lui and demanded that he either approve or reject our application which would allow us to take the necessary follow-up action (see here and here). It was only after our repeated calls and demands that the MICA finally relented and gave us the permit.

The delay has severely disrupted our campaign plans. The New Democrat is our communication lifeline with voters in the constituencies and a means for the party to raise funds.

The latest issue contained news about our 30th anniversary celebrations as well as our views on a host of issues such as the high cost of living in Singapore, foreign workers, and HDB prices.

This is the first time that an application has been delayed for such a long time. Is the PAP Government nervous about our communicating with residents and voters? Past issues have sold extremely well even in PAP strongholds such as the Ang Mo Kio GRC where Mr Lee Hsien Loong is the MP.

It is highly inappropriate for our application to be decided, much less held up, by a cabinet minister. There is a set of procedural guidelines to determining whether to grant or reject a newspaper permit application. Civil servants in the MDA should process the SDP's application like all other applications - in an impartial manner - instead of handing it over to a PAP minister.

In other democratic countries where there is the rule of law, the press would have reported the story and the ombudsman would have stepped in. No minister would have been allowed to withold a newspaper licence for three months. (In fact, political parties would not have to apply for a newspaper permit in the first place).

In Singapore, however, everything was silent - including the Singapore Press Holdings.

The Singapore Democrats want an answer from Minister Lui on why our licence was witheld for such a long time.

Mr Lui Tuck Yew
Minister
Ministry for Information, Communication and the Arts
140 Hill Street
#02-02 MICA Building,
Singapore 179369

Dear Sir:

Re: The New Democrat

We have finally received the approval for our application to publish The New Democrat - after a delay of more than three months.

It is hard to imagine how the renewal of our newspaper licence can take such a long time. As we have noted in our previous emails to you, MDA officials indicated that such applications take only a couple of weeks to process and that it was you who was sitting on our application.

The delay has caused us substantial difficulties. Given the fact that elections will have to be called in the not-too-distant future, you will agree that such a disruption to our communication efforts with voters is most unfair.

We have the right to know what was holding up our licence.

Two, we want to know what the proper procedure and guidelines for processing such applications are.

Three, under what statute did you rely on to delay our application?

Sincerely,

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party

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Comments (9)

Tue 10 Aug 2010 1:32 PM | Political_law

I already warned you that you are no match to PAP. You have lost and you will lose. Resign and stop making a fool of yourself. You are like a dog at the mercy of its owner to provide food for you.

Tue 10 Aug 2010 2:49 PM | Political_law - Freedom of speech

You shouldnt be censoring my comments here, SDP. I thought your mission is to promote democracy and freedom of speech. If so, it will be an irony for you to do this.

Tue 10 Aug 2010 9:09 PM | litotes - freedom of speech

Hi there Political_law,

freedom of speech comes with her due reponsibilities. Its quite common even for far more open societies to hold forums with a moderator or chairperson. Or else, constructive talk may quickly degenerate into the abyss of random spoutings from intellectual gnats.

As you have quite adequately evinced.

Tue 10 Aug 2010 10:39 PM | Political_law - Confused me.

I am confused. On one hand, you claimed that PAP lacks freedom of speech, and when you tried to promote your own style of "freedom of speech", you were hammered to bankrupcy (reference to CSJ).

On the other hand, I was merely stating what I felt is the "truth". Well, it may not be necessarily the absolute truth, but seemingly it looks like the truth. Maybe I am wrong, but the onus is on you to prove that I am wrong. Win a seat in this election, and let me be proud of you.

An analogy was used for illustration purposes only, you dont have to agree to that, unless you choose to.

I have read much about CSJ in the papers, but I haven't really have the chance to engage him into an intellectual debate, that is the reason why I am patronizing your website.

Wed 11 Aug 2010 8:18 PM | g_e - Don't send a boy to do a man's job, FAP.

@Political_law:

[1] You are 'patronising' this website because you belong with the BryanT Chihuahua lapdog pack, that much is obvious. You have to be a retard if you think people here would be deceived.

[2] Your kind is quick to demand freedom of speech to regurgitate your master's views and remarkably slow to extend the same courtesy to those who might disagree with you. Rear-Admirer Lui sitting on SDP's newspaper licence application for 3 months is a case in point. It is merely the latest iteration of a master class in how to abuse power with impunity.

[3] The onus is on YOU to make a persuasive case for your position. So far you have failed and failed miserably. Take your own advice and resign.

[4] Judging by your performance thus far, I very much doubt if CSJ would be troubled by the scintillating quality of your 'intellectual debate'. After all, didn't your boss Harry the sotong sit tongue-tied in the dock recently when pointedly cross-examined by him? If a trained lawyer and notorious braggart was lost for a reply, how do you reckon you'll fare?

Wed 11 Aug 2010 6:04 AM | Robox

Hi SDP, please continue in your mission to promote free speech, and draw the line on abuse.

Hate speech is not free speech; it's a criminal act, and rightly so.

Wed 11 Aug 2010 12:57 PM | Political_law - Sympathy not hatred.

By the way, I do not hate SDP or CSJ. There was no hatred in me when I wrote the earlier comments. Only sympathy. Pure sympathy.

Wed 11 Aug 2010 1:16 PM | Tan Tai Wei

Might we not make a good guess as to why it took so long?

Autocratic rule tends to take initiative away from the rank and file, concentrating it at the top one or two who wield all defacto power, especially with regard to issues deemed sensitive and crucial.

The civil servant who first got the application for the permit renewal of course dared not do the usual deciding. For it was SDP, and concerning the very paper which was so recently the subject of suits by the two Lees. So, it was referred upwards, eventually to none lesser than the minister.

Minister, for the same reason, also referred upwards to PM. PM too felt he had no psychological freedom to decide especially on this issue. After all, he needed "mentoring". So, it had to go to Him, who had recently confessed to be "slower than before".

Thu 12 Aug 2010 5:31 AM | Spoa - @Politic_Law

Send a David to kill a Goliath? Certainly you are no 'David' SDP is surely Goliath in the making.The silent of support though at time not obvious is ballooning & given the right time & moment, it shall surface.I doubt your sympathy and if there is any 'sympathy' i sympathy your pathetic outlook of life and the regime that you are in.
When you can even "play" around with judgement; let alone law to your own hand, stating that a miscarriage of law is an understatemnt...a scum of kangaroos court men sucking up to the regime for a few penny more just for this life is indeed a sadly state of being in this island you claim to have prosper and intellectually developed...i would rather attain wisdom without 'education' as my grandmother would always say, "be a person,whatever you do always touch your heart..."

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