TR EMERITUS

Singapore’s Media Development Authority have gone to some lengths in an attempt to downplay the chilling effect on freedom of expression likely to result from the recently announced licensing regime for news websites. One of the more peculiar claims was that the changes are intended to bring about “parity” between online... 

Tan Wah Piow Lee Hsien Loong in his first national day speech in 2004 as Prime Minister invoked Chairman Mao’s “let the hundred flowers bloom”. He added “… we are going to do is to open up the Speakers’ Corner where you can go and make any speech you like and we are going to say, ‘Well, if you want to go there... 

媒发局要本地新闻网站申请执照并交保证金5 万，套句台湾的常用语——很明显就是政治奥步。虽然目前它并没有针对谁谁，然而却是一道杀手锏，只要执政党“到了最危急的时候”，它就能够师出有名来封杀某个网站。互联网上的新闻网站本来不是政府的那杯茶，然而它却出来制定游戏规则，无非是想要成为游戏的主人，那时候就有权来要求某个玩家“出局”。 行动党最厉害就是装无辜，然后用行政和法律的各类障碍来绊倒敌手。有人会问：那把网站搬到外国不就行了吗？没错，但我们要揭露的是他们的鸭霸和伪善， 以管制的框架来讲，从目前公布的十个受影响网站来讲，其中九个报业控股和新传媒的新闻网站照理说应该获得“豁免”，以避免重复监管或者管理过度；因为目前的管理框架就足以钳制到它们死死，把它们加进来，除了凑数还是凑数。然而又为什么不豁免呢？媒发局官员以为这样会被人认为包庇自己人，所以放怕飞、捏又怕死。...