Speakers' Corner : Govt is sincere
By Asad Latif

The venue could not have been more apt.

Yesterday in Parliament, the highest forum of free speech, Singapore's elected leaders declared that Singaporeans would have a Speakers' Corner. The Government was initially hesitant about the idea, which has evoked public interest because of its potential for causing disorder in a multi-racial and multi-religious society.

"However, after studying the matter further, the Government has decided that while there is some risk, the risk can be managed, and the idea is worth trying out, especially in view of the support it has attracted from civil society groups," Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng told the House.

Underlining the sincerity with which the idea is being tried out, speeches at the corner will be exempted from licensing requirements under the Public Entertainments Act. That latitude should satisfy those who argued that the need for a permit to speak subverted the whole purpose of the exercise.

Of course, a speaker must abide by the general laws of the country, but the specific rules governing Speakers' Corner are only that the speaker must be a Singapore citizen, must register himself before speaking, and must not make a speech that causes racial or religious enmity.

These ground rules are hardly onerous. And it goes without saying that the third injunction, in particular, is essential.

Mr Wong left no one in any doubt that, while the police would adopt a hands-off approach to the corner, they would not tolerate a breach of the peace. But his hope, as he told Associate Professor Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang GRC), was that those visiting the site to speak or listen to others would be "sensible enough" not to provoke any disturbance.

Other Members had concerns of a different kind. Among them, opposition MP Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir) wanted to know whether a speaker's words would be taped.

Non-Constituency MP J.B. Jeyaretnam asked outright for an assurance that the particulars of a speaker would not be sent to the Internal Security Department.

Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin sought a clarification on how laws would be enforced in case there was a break of the peace.

The Minister's replies were vigorous, pointed and witty.

The crux of the issue is that speakers at Hong Lim Park will be exempted from licensing requirements. That decision marks an interesting change in the way Singapore balances freedom of speech and public order.

Instead of acting on the side of caution and using permits to ensure that order is preserved, the authorities have now designated an arena where the full force of the Public Entertainments Act will not apply.

Whether order is still preserved amid greater freedom will reveal how well Singaporeans can discuss, debate, argue and disagree over controversial issues, in a face-to-face setting, without breaching the paramount law that, while issues are important, the most important point is to preserve the peace that makes discussion possible at all.

The project in Hong Lim Park holds a mix of possibilities and challenges for both the Government and the opposition.

Having derided the Speakers' Corner, the opposition will have to boycott the site if it wants to continue to tell Singaporeans that the exercise is a hollow one. But its doing so will mean abjuring an opportunity to speak directly to citizens in a climate in which, it alleges, the opposition enjoys few forums to get its message across to voters.

Should it make a U-turn, it will need to give a convincing explanation of why the corner is, after all, a good idea and a genuine contribution to political development.

The Government, whose sincere desire to encourage that development is embodied in the corner, will have a problem if Hong Lim Park turns into opposition territory, so to say, attracting speakers who can count on a permanent venue and interested crowds willing to hear them out.

In that threat, however, lies an opportunity for the People's Action Party. The same audience that will gather to listen to opposition figures will be all the more willing to listen to the ruling party's members or sympathisers respond to criticism and defend official policies and programmes.

Political apathy is the bane, not only of the opposition, but also those in power. An apathetic populace can be a dangerously fickle one at the polls.

But when people are engaged, even if by the opposition, a certain political mood is created and they are likely to be more receptive to engagement by the opposition to the opposition - the Government, that is.

Beyond these partisan issues lies another one. There is no reason to believe that the corner will attract only die-hard critics and those dying to hear them. It is entirely possible that other Singaporeans will use the venue to speak on issues close to their heart.

They will be interested, neither in supporting nor in opposing the Government or the opposition, but in making political and social arguments which they believe are important for Singapore.

So long as their arguments are worthwhile - and audiences at Hong Lim Park will have a first-hand opportunity to decide for themselves whether it is worth their while to listen to the speakers - they will contribute to the political development of this country.