4/10/2006

general election: engaging issues

Technically and legally if the MDA said that any blog or forum talks politics must register with them, then we have to register. And technically this applies to blogs/forums by Singaporeans or non Singaporeans. Only difference is whether they are able to enforce them when non citizens are concerned. For Singaporeans, this is our law and they can throw the book at us. It is up to them whether to do it or not. What is interesting and I would like to quote Hsienloong's statement over the weekend: "But when we have Opposition parties which avoid the issues, which refuse to answer questions, which publish a manifesto and...(which) say, well, the manifesto speaks for itself - and refuse to explain, defend, elaborate and persuade - then I think it's a very strange sort of competition," Let me substitute the above with a few words and hopefully Balaji reads it. I saw him together with Hsienloong when the above was mentioned. "But when we have Government which avoid the issues, which refuse to answer questions, which publish a regulation and...(which) say, well, the regulation speaks for itself - and refuse to explain, defend, elaborate and persuade - then I think it's a very strange sort of government, Ever since Balaji came out with his regulation on controlling free speech in blogs and forums, he has been very reticent about it, without any further explanation though many people are asking for clarifications. Maybe grassroot or peasants are too unimportant for him to reply. There is no need to engage grassroot in any discussion.

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