he wrote this 8 mths ago
March 3, 2008
Demos at Speakers' Corner? No, they could hurt S'pore
WHILE it is heartening to see the Government's willingness to embrace the viewpoints of Singaporeans, even those of dissenting voices, I cannot help but feel a sense of trepidation at proposed plans to open Speakers' Corner to 'peaceful' demonstrations. While it is essential that Singaporeans are allowed to express their views freely, such a move is unnecessary and could even be detrimental to the climate of stability in Singapore we have become used to as our way of life.
The potential for such demonstrations to turn violent will always exist and the potential for extremists to take advantage of the situation is high. Having come to appreciate Singapore as a stable and peaceful place to live in, I would not want to live in a city full of protests and demonstrations as a daily occurrence. One need only look at neighbouring countries to see the disruption to the economy and daily lives of citizens such activities can bring.
Current avenues for dissenting opinions are more than sufficient and I do not wish Singapore to degenerate just to accommodate Western principles of 'freedom of speech'.
Chua Sheng Yang
March 3, 2008
Demos at Speakers' Corner? No, they could hurt S'pore
WHILE it is heartening to see the Government's willingness to embrace the viewpoints of Singaporeans, even those of dissenting voices, I cannot help but feel a sense of trepidation at proposed plans to open Speakers' Corner to 'peaceful' demonstrations. While it is essential that Singaporeans are allowed to express their views freely, such a move is unnecessary and could even be detrimental to the climate of stability in Singapore we have become used to as our way of life.
The potential for such demonstrations to turn violent will always exist and the potential for extremists to take advantage of the situation is high. Having come to appreciate Singapore as a stable and peaceful place to live in, I would not want to live in a city full of protests and demonstrations as a daily occurrence. One need only look at neighbouring countries to see the disruption to the economy and daily lives of citizens such activities can bring.
Current avenues for dissenting opinions are more than sufficient and I do not wish Singapore to degenerate just to accommodate Western principles of 'freedom of speech'.
Chua Sheng Yang
