Activist files complaint against national broadcaster
Agence France Presse
September 2, 2005
SINGAPORE
A SINGAPOREAN activist has filed a police complaint against
national broadcaster MediaCorp for allegedly violating the island's
Films Act banning political advertising using film or video.
The complaint, filed by Yap Keng Ho, accuses MediaCorp of screening
two programs about ruling People's Action Party leaders and is
meant as a protest against Singapore's stringent censorship, Yap
said.
Yap told AFP Friday, Sept 2, he wanted to expose a pro-ruling party
bias in the legislation banning political films with his complaint,
which comes as police investigate independent Singaporean film
maker Martyn See for making a documentary about an opposition
leader.
The Films Act bans political advertising using films or videos, as
well as movies directed towards any political end such as promoting
parties.
"I feel that it is a very unfair and biased legislation," Yap, a
44-year-old information technology consultant, told AFP. "I want to
show the world whether law enforcement (in Singapore) is going to
be fair or not."
Yap's complaint alleges that MediaCorp had violated the Films Act
by screening two programs in 2002 and this year featuring
Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong, respectively.
A spokesman for the Singapore police confirmed they received the
complaint "and are currently making the necessary checks with the
Media Development Authority (MDA)."
A spokesman for MediaCorp said they were unaware of Yap's
complaint.
On Monday, filmmaker See surrendered to police his camera and
remaining tapes of the documentary "Singapore Rebel" about Chee
Soon Juan, secretary-general of the opposition Singapore Democratic
Party.
Chee, the most vocal opposition politician in Singapore, is facing
bankruptcy after the High Court ordered him to pay S$500,000
(US$300,000) for defaming PAP leaders.
Affluent Singapore has often been criticised by human rights groups
for maintaining strict political controls despite its rapid
modernisation since becoming a republic 40 years ago last month.
Singapore has been ruled by the PAP since independence.
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Sounds fair enough to me.
