PM wants TOC gazetted as Political Association

SGVoice SG

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/breaking-ne…

BREAKING NEWS: PM wants TOC gazetted as Political Association
Posted by theonlinecitizen on January 11, 2011 57 Comments

The Prime Minister of Singapore has revealed his intentions to declare The Online Citizen as a political association.

According to an email sent to TOC at 5pm yesterday evening by the Prime Minister’s office, the Prime Minister ”intends to declare the owners, editorial team, and administrators of The Online Citizen, by order in the Gazette, to be a political association for the purposes of the Political Donations Act. The owners, editorial team, and administrators of The Online Citizen have been determined to be an organization whose objects or activities relate wholly or mainly to politics in Singapore.”

This means that TOC is barred from receiving funds from foreign donors, letting foreigners take part in its events and operating as a political party.

It is also not allowed to use its funds, premises and new media platforms in any election here, including the sponsoring of any candidate or member.

TOC has 14 days to reveal the identities of its owners, editorial team and administrators. TOC is also required to designate a President, Treasurer and Secretary of the association, and they will be responsible for the preparation and accuracy of the donations reports for The Online Citizen.

The last group to be gazetted is human rights advocacy NGO Maruah in November last year. Maruah is the fourth group -after the Open Singapore Centre, the Think Centre and Singaporeans For Democracy – to be gazetted as a political association.

If TOC complies, it will be the fifth. It will also be the first time bloggers are considered a political association.

deathmaster SG

soon any tom, dick and harry's blog will become political assocations.... what rubbish.

so is speaker's corner going to become political association too? :)

Hitman 2010 SG

heheh.....his father told him to ban them.....then change name from toc become cot...and when banned..become oct and ban again become toc 1 toc2 toc4 toc 127 etc etc.....

bic_cherry SG

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/breaking-ne…

BREAKING NEWS: PM wants TOC gazetted as Political Association
Posted by theonlinecitizen on January 11, 2011 57 Comments

Actually, according to the letter by press sec. MND: 'Advisers and MPs have different roles' [ST, 27Oct2009] in response to ''Adviser over MP' raises many questions' [ST, 22Oct2009], and - 'Grassroots Organizations should stay non-partisan' [TR, 03Nov2009] I think that the PA ought to be gazetted a 'political association' too.
Excerpts appended as follows:

Notwithstanding the fact that the concept of 'grassroots advisers' is quite ridiculous beside being un-statutory under s24 of, Town Council Act (Cap.329A) to begin with, (see: 'Is Mr MBT (and HDB) quite mistaken regarding the statutory requirements for the Lift Upgrading Prog?' [A1forum13Jan2011])
The statement "Opposition MPs cannot be appointed advisers, because they do not answer to the ruling party. " implies that the 'grassroots advisers' from the Peoples Association (PA), are appointed by HDB for the purpose of managing the LUP precisely because they, in the words of MBT's MND press sec: "answer to the ruling party"

So with MBT's MND so explicitly endorsing of the partisan leanings of PA prescribed 'grassroots advisers' and the blatant partisan leanings as alluded to in "PAP MPs are appointed as advisers to the grassroots organisations in their wards by the People’s Association (PA). In the two opposition wards, the PA picked the PAP candidates who contested but lost in the wards in the last two polls as the grassroots advisers."[ST,22Oct2009]

How then is it possible for the PA to possibly not be gazetted a 'political association' given the requirement of it's 'grassroots adviser's' affiliation to "answer to the ruling party"?

- "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."-- Benjamin Franklin.

References:
- '‘Adviser over MP’ raises many questions': "PAP MPs are appointed as advisers to the grassroots organisations in their wards by the People’s Association (PA). In the two opposition wards, the PA picked the PAP candidates who contested but lost in the wards in the last two polls as the grassroots advisers." [ST22Oct2009(@TR website)][alt link]
- 'Grassroots Organizations should stay non-partisan': "By appointing PAP candidates as grassroots advisers in Opposition held wards, the government is effectively bringing partisan politics into governmental institutions. Using the PA as a vehicle for PAP candidates as grounds to gain political capital so that they may fight their next battle with more goodwill, the governmental risks costing itself the position of Singapore as a Parliamentary Democracy; and put Singapore in par with communist states like Cuba, China and North Korea." [TR, 03Nov2009]
- 'Gov’t to gazette political blog ‘The Online Citizen': "On Nov 12 last year, human rights advocacy group Maruah joined three other organizations — the Open Singapore Centre, the Think Centre and Singaporeans For Democracy — to be gazetted as a political association." [FTP,12Jan2011]

Majulah Singapura.
Rgds,
B.C.

axxs SG

soon any tom, dick and harry's blog will become political assocations.... what rubbish.

so is speaker's corner going to become political association too? :)

eh did u read the story properly?being declared a political association by the minister is not a honor,it means the government think ur a threat to national security and will use ur money and influence to run campaigns in singapore and win the next election.the government is not stupid,instead of storming ur flat,arresting ur party members and tortured with rotans ,they simply declare u "illegal",if they could they probably would ban the whole of singapore from politics.

if u think singapore is a democracy think again,the prime minister has the right to shut down any organization that it deems has political agendas and stop them from running in the subsequent elections.

good luck fighting this in court

ahtansh SG

TOC can operate within the $5000 anonymous donation allowed under this act. The key issue is the liability part! If the government come knocking at your door, somebody must be there to open the door and face the music.

charlize SG

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/toc-gazetted-its-not-about-politics-but-media/

Pure Emptiness SG

Agreeed.