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Censorship in Singapore

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Censorship in Singaporemainly targets political, racial, religious issues and homosexual content as defined byout-of-bounds markers.

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Implementation[edit]

TheInfocomm Media Development Authority(IMDA) approves publications, issues arts entertainment licences and enforces the Free-to-air (FTA) TV Programme Code, Subscription TV Programme Code, TV Advertising Code, Radio Programme Code and Radio Advertising Code through financial penalties.[1]The MDA's decisions may be appealed to the Broadcast, Publications and Arts Appeal Committee (BPAA)[2]and the Films Appeal Committee (FAC).[3] The Censorship Review Committee (CRC) meets every ten years to "review and update censorship objectives and principles to meet the long-term interests of our society".[4]The CRC was most recently reconvened in 2009 and made some 80 recommendations the following year, most of which were accepted.[5]

Justification[edit]

The government of Singapore argues that censorship of political, racial, religious and homosexuality issues to a certain extent is necessary to avoid upsetting the delicate balance of Singapore's multi-racial society.

Films and videos[edit]

Main article:Media censorship in Singapore

The importing, making, distributing or exhibiting of films in Singapore is governed by the Films Act of 1981.[6] Films for commercial release are presented to the IMDA which classifies the films under six differentratingsfor different groups of audiences:

  • G(general) – Suitable for all ages.
  • PG(parental guidance) – Suitable for most but parents should guide their young.
  • PG13(parental guidance 13) – Suitable for persons aged 13 and above but parental guidance is advised for children below 13.
  • NC16(no children under 16) – Restricted to persons below 16 years of age.
  • M18(mature 18) – Restricted to persons 18 years and above.
  • R21(restricted 21) – Strictly for adults aged 21 and above. Films under this category are restricted to be screened in licensed venues only.
  • Refusal of classification,formerlyNAR(not allowed for all ratings) – In exceptional cases, a film may be refused classification when the content of the film undermines national interest or erodes the moral fabric of society. This includes themes that promote issues that denigrate any race or religion, or undermine national interest, language that denigrates religion or is religiously profane, real sexual activities (e.g. actual penetration, actual ejaculation), content deemed to be pornographic or obscene in nature, explicit promotion and normalisation of homosexual lifestyle, explicit homosexual activity, materials glorifying or encouraging drug and substance abuse and detailed or gratuitous depictions of extreme violence or cruelty. Films that are refused classification in Singapore are banned and cannot be legally sold, rented, possessed, imported or made public in any format in Singapore, punishable by fines and/or imprisonment.

In April 2008, 4 documentaries were banned at theSingapore International Film Festival.Two of them titledArabs and TerrorismandDavid the Tolhildanwere "disallowed on the account of the sympathetic portrayal of organizations deemed terrorist organizations by many countries," according to the Board of Film Censors chairman.[7]A Jihad for Love,which concerned homosexuals living within Muslim communities, was banned because of the "sensitive nature of the subject." Lastly, the documentaryBakushiwas blacklisted because its topic of bondage "normalizes unnatural fetishes and behaviour."[8]

In September 2014, Singaporean filmmakerTan Pin Pin's documentary aboutCommunist Party of Malaya(CPM) political exiles,To Singapore, With Love(2013), received anNARrating, with the MDA claiming that it undermined national security as "the individuals in the film have given distorted and untruthful accounts of how they came to leave Singapore and remain outside Singapore," and that "a number of these self-professed 'exiles' were members of, or had provided support to, the proscribed CPM."[9] The controversial Section 33 of the Films Act bans of the making, distribution and exhibition of "party political films", at pain of a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years. The Act further defines a "party political film" as any film or video

(a) which is an advertisement made by or on behalf of any political party in Singapore or any body whose objects relate wholly or mainly to politics in Singapore, or any branch of such party or body; or
(b) which is made by any person and directed towards any political end in Singapore

Since March 2009, the Films Act has been amended to allow party political films as long as they were deemed factual and objective by a consultative committee. Some months later, this committee lifted the ban on Singapore Rebel.[10]

Music[edit]

In 1963, Singapore banned the hit songPuff, the Magic Dragon,fearing that it referenced marijuana.[11]Janet Jackson's albumsVelvet RopeandAll For Youwere also banned due to homosexual and sexually explicit themes that the BPAA found "not acceptable to our society".[11]The bans have since been lifted.Katy Perry's hit single,I Kissed a Girl,was banned from the airwaves as its lyrics that described homosexuality violated the Free-To-Air Radio Programme Code.

Video games[edit]

On 14 April 2008, theInfo-communications Media Development Authorityannounced that an official video games classification system will be in effect on 28 April 2008.[12]No cuts are stipulated to Approved titles. Under the system, video games that contain stronger content such as graphic sex/nudity, strong coarse language, drug use, graphic violence/gore and mature themes will be given either anADV16rating label or use/share theM18rating label used for film classification similar to those found on home video media in Singapore.

  • General(Suitable for all ages) - Games approved for general distribution. These titles are not required to carry any rating labels.

Examples:Mario Party 10,The Lego Movie Videogame,andAngry Birds

Label banner for "Advisory 16" rating
  • ADV16(Advisory 16 – Suitable for persons 16 and above) – May contain moderate graphic violence, some drug use, implied sexual activity, partial nudity and some strong language. Before 2019, this classification rating was known as "Age Advisory".

Examples:Mass Effect 2,Assassin's Creed II,Resident Evil 5,Left 4 Dead,andHitman: Blood Money

Basic "Mature 18" icon
  • M18(Mature 18 – Restricted to persons 18 years and above) May contain depictions of strong realistic violence, such as killing, maiming or causing other serious injury to humanoid characters if the violence is not sadistic, cruel and abhorrent, realistic drug use, portrayal of sexual activity with some nudity, both topless and full frontal, if not detailed, depiction of topless nudity or occasional full frontal nudity, frequent use of strong coarse language and mature themes including homosexual content.

Examples:Kingpin: Life of Crime,Yakuza 3,Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures,Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2,Grand Theft Auto III,andManhunt 2

A video game, in the most extreme cases, may be refused classification when the game contains content that exceeds acceptable social standards and could be potentially harmful to society. The purchase of M18 rated games legally require retailers to conduct age checks, while ADV16 rated games are not required to have mandatory age checks. Previously, theMedia Development Authorityhad also banned several video games before the introduction of the classification system. For example, (as of November 2007) the video gameThe Darkness(due to presence of graphic violence and swear words) and more recentlyMass EffectfromBioWaredue to the in game option of a homosexual romance if the player chooses to play as a female. Mass Effect was later unbanned with the implementation of the aforementioned games ratings system that was still in development then. However, similar games with graphic violence such as Prince of Persia and Gears of War (players can perform decapitation moves) or other BioWare games likeNeverwinter NightsandJade Empire(which both allow the possibility of male-male and female-female romances) have not been banned or censored.

Performing arts[edit]

The scripts of all plays to be performed in Singapore must be vetted in advance by theMedia Development Authority(MDA), which has the right to ban any it views as "contrary to the public interest". Appeals against MDA's decisions can be made to the Broadcast, Publications and Arts Appeal Committee (BPAA).[2] In 1994, performance artist Josef Ng protested the arrest and caning of 12 homosexual men by caning slabs of tofu, then turning his back to the audience and snipping off some pubic hair. He was charged with committing an obscene act and banned from performing in public, and his theatre group's grants were cancelled.[13]

In 2005, the MDA withheld the licence for the playHuman LeftsbyBenny LimandBrian Gothong Tanunless some scenes were edited and all references to the death penalty removed. The play was originally written about the hanging ofShanmugam Murugesuand was to have been staged one day after the controversial execution of Australian nationalNguyen Tuong Van.[14]

In August 2006, a playSmegmawas banned byMedia Development Authoritywhich said that: "the play portrays Muslims in a negative light."[15]

In May 2010, the National Arts Council had cut the annual grant given to local theatre companyW!LD RICE.It will get $170,000 this year, down from $190,000 the year before. It is the lowest annual grant that the company has received from the council. Artistic directorIvan Hengsays the council told him funding was cut because its productions promoted alternative lifestyles, were critical of government policies and satirised political leaders. In March 2011, NAC increased to $1.92 million, a 25% hike, the amount to be given to 16 arts companies, including W!LD RICE, under its one-year Major Grant scheme.[16]

In 2016,Chan Heng Chee,chairman of theNational Arts Council(NAC), spoke on the issue of censorship and arts funding at theSingapore International Film Festival.[17]Jee Leong Koh,a Singaporean poet, responded on the relationship between censorship and funding from the government via the NAC, and decided not to engage with the government for future funding.[17]Koh subsequently called on fellow Singaporean artists to "reconsidering engagement with the state and its arts funding...".[17]His reaction drew mixed responses from Singaporean artists.[17]

Print media[edit]

Main article:Media censorship in Singapore

Television[edit]

Main article:Media censorship in Singapore

The state-owned MediaCorp controls all free-to-air terrestrial local TV channels licensed to broadcast in Singapore, as well as 14 radio channels. Both free-to-air and pay television channels are available on cable and fiber. The popular HBO seriesSex and the Citywas banned from broadcast originally in the late 90s when the series debuted but the ban was later lifted in 2004 after modifications to the Subscription TV Programme Code of Singapore. Private ownership of satellite dishes is illegal, though international TV broadcasts (such asCNN International,BBC World News,Fox News Channel,RT,etc.) are available on Starhub TV and SingTel IPTV service Singtel TV. TheInfo-communications Media Development Authority,through its Programme Advisory Committees for each of the four official languages,[18]monitors and provides feedback on broadcast content. Permissible content on Singaporean TV is regulated by IMDA'sFree-to-Air Television Programme Code.[19]As of July 2011, Singapore relaxed television broadcast guidelines allowing Pay TV operators to screenNC16,M18andR21films containing graphic content and mature/controversial themes on Pay TV Video-on-Demand (VOD) services.[20]In July 2016, the MDA officially greenlit R21-rated content for Over-the-Top (OTT) services.

Internet[edit]

Further information:Internet censorship in Singapore

Internet services provided by the three majorInternet Service Providers(ISPs) are subject to regulation by theInfo-communications Media Development Authority(IMDA), which blocks 100 "symbolic"[21]websites such asPlayboyandYouPorn.Since 8 October 2014, online gambling has been regulated in Singapore.[22]

Government agencies have been known to use or threaten to use litigation against bloggers and other Internet content providers. The first instance of such activity was againstSintercomin July 2001 when the founder, Dr Tan Chong Kee was asked to register the website under the nascent Singapore Broadcast Authority Act (nowMedia Development Authority). Dr Tan chose to shut down Sintercom due to concerns over the ambiguity of the Act. In April 2005, a blogger, Chen Jiahao, then a graduate student at theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,was made to apologise and shut down his blog containing criticisms on government agencyA*STAR,after its chairmanPhilip Yeothreatened to sue fordefamation.

In September 2005, 3 people were arrested and charged under theSedition Actfor posting racist comments on the Internet. Two were sentenced toimprisonment.[23]Later, the Teachers' Union announced that it is offering legal assistance to teachers who want to take legal action against students who defame them on their blogs, after five students fromSaint Andrew's Junior Collegewere suspended for three days for allegedly "flaming" two teachers and a vice-principal on their blogs.[24]

In the last few years, the government has taken a much tougher stand on Internet-related matters, including censorship. Proposed amendments to thePenal Codeintend to hold Internet users liable for "causing public mischief", and give the authorities broader powers in curtailing freedom of speech.[25] In September 2008, US citizen Gopalan Nair was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment for insulting a public servant after he accused a Singapore judge of "prostituting herself" in his blog.[26]

Starting 1 June 2013, the Media Development Authority requires sites "that report regularly on issues relating to Singapore and have significant reach" among website visitors in Singapore to apply for individual licences, which will be subject to annual renewal. These websites must then post a "performance bond" of 50,000 Singapore dollars and remove any objectionable content within 24 hours of receiving a government order.[27]On 14 June 2013, the Asia Internet Coalition voiced their concerns.[28]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Media Development Authority – Licences".Mda.gov.sg. Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2012.Retrieved16 December2012.
  2. ^ab"Media Development Authority – Broadcast, Publications and Arts Appeal Committee".Mda.gov.sg. 15 November 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 29 January 2013.Retrieved16 December2012.
  3. ^"Media Development Authority – Films Appeal Committee".Mda.gov.sg. Archived fromthe originalon 29 January 2013.Retrieved16 December2012.
  4. ^"Media Development Authority – Censorship Review Committee".Mda.gov.sg. Archived fromthe originalon 29 January 2013.Retrieved16 December2012.
  5. ^"Government's Response to CRC Report".App.mica.gov.sg. Archived fromthe originalon 23 March 2012.Retrieved16 December2012.
  6. ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved4 February2006.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^"Singapore censor bans 4 films at film fest: report".Reuters.5 April 2008.Retrieved23 October2021.
  8. ^"Sexuality, terrorism films banned by Singapore".Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.2008.
  9. ^Mokhtar, Faris (10 September 2014)."The Media Development Authority (MDA) says the film is not allowed for all ratings as contents undermine national security".Channel NewsAsia. Archived fromthe originalon 10 September 2014.Retrieved10 September2014.
  10. ^"Martyn See's" Singapore Rebel "film gets green light: Channel NewsAsia".Singapore-window.org. 12 September 2009.Retrieved16 December2012.
  11. ^ab"Singapore upholds Janet Jackson ban".BBC News.5 June 2001.Retrieved28 April2010.
  12. ^"Singapore introduces video games classifications system".Media Development Authority. 27 April 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 18 January 2017.Retrieved27 April2008.
  13. ^Salil Tripathi (14 December 2002)."Artistic ambitions don't play well in uptight Singapore".New Statesman.
  14. ^"Government bans stage play on death penalty, censors artwork".Southeast Asian Press Alliance. 6 December 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.
  15. ^"Singapore bans play for negative portrayal of Muslims".Reuters.5 August 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 11 August 2006.
  16. ^"NAC Announces 25% Boost In Fresh Funds For One-year Major Grant Groups in FY2011".nac.gov.sg.30 March 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 11 November 2011.
  17. ^abcdAuto, Hermes (7 December 2015)."Singapore poet calls on artists to 'reconsider engagement with the state and its arts funding' | The Straits Times".straitstimes.Retrieved3 March2023.
  18. ^"Broadcast".mda.gov.sg.Archived fromthe originalon 24 May 2006.
  19. ^"FREE-TO-AIR TELEVISION PROGRAMME CODE"(PDF).mda.gov.sg.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 29 December 2009.
  20. ^"AFP: Singapore relaxes censorship of television sex and violence".29 September 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 5 October 2010.Retrieved16 December2012.
  21. ^Lee, Melanie (23 May 2008)."Singapore bans two porn websites in symbolic move".Reuters.
  22. ^"Internet Regulatory Framework".Mda.gov.sg. Archived fromthe originalon 27 August 2012.Retrieved16 December2012.
  23. ^"Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005",TheUnited States Department of State.Retrieved 20 March 2006.
  24. ^"Schools act against students for 'flaming' teachers on blogs",The Straits Times,page 1, 27 September 2005, by Sandra Davie and Liaw Wy-Cin.
  25. ^"Mi xing welfare and elitism in Singapore",Alex Au,Asia Times Online,23 November 2006
  26. ^"US blogger sentenced to three months in Singapore jail".Agence France-Presse. 18 September 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2 December 2008.AFP Report
  27. ^The Wall Street JournalEurope edition, Media & Marketing on 29 May 2013
  28. ^'Public letter dated June 14th, 2013 from the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) to Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore'Archived6 November 2016 at theWayback Machineon the website of the AIC (PDF)

Others[edit]

  1. Terry Johal, "Controlling the Internet: The use of legislation and its effectiveness in Singapore (pdf file)Archived18 June 2005 at theWayback Machine",Proceedings, 15th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia,Canberra, 2004.
  2. Gary Rodan, "The Internet and Political Control in Singapore (pdf file)Archived24 February 2017 at theWayback Machine"Political Science Quarterly113 (Spring 1998)

External links[edit]

Library resourcesabout
Censorship in Singapore
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