By Kimberly Spykerman
THERE is no ministry policy that prohibits the taking of flood
pictures, Minister for Environment and Water Resources Yaacob
Ibrahim told Parliament on Monday.
The issue came to light during Saturday's floods when veteran
photojournalist Shafie Goh from evening daily Lianhe Wanbao was
handcuffed after allegedly dismissing police warnings to leave. Mr
Goh, 57, had been snapping shots of the flood in the Bukit Timah
area.
Responding to a question from Member of Parliament Penny Low on
whether a no-picture policy exists, Dr Yaacob said there was
nothing private about a flood. Dr Yaacob added however, that his
knowledge of the case came only from news reports he had read.
'From what we understand, the photographer was warned because of
safety issues, not because of privacy issues,' he said. 'There's
nothing private about a flood, and I think based upon the report,
that's what we understood to have happened that morning,' he
said.
The police said in a statement on Sunday that Mr Goh had been
repeatedly asked to move to a safe place as he was taking photos in
a dangerous position. But he refused to comply, and continued
walking along the road divider, snapping away. Officers then
handcuffed him. Mr Goh was not wearing any media identification at
the time, and officers were not aware that he was from the
press.
The incident has sparked concern from the Singapore National
Union of Journalists over what it described as a 'very unpleasant
and humiliating experience' for Mr Goh. In a written statement, the
union said circumstances in which the police can handcuff an
individual should be made clear. Police have classified the case
under Section 186 of the Penal Code - obstructing a public servant
in discharge of his public functions. Investigations are
ongoing.
