Trackback from Reuters:

Speaking in parliament, senior minister of state Balaji Sadasivan, said anyone using the Internet to "persistently propagate, promote or circulate political issues" about Singapore during election periods was breaking the law....

What are they afraid of?!

uneducated locals making a uninformed choice and plunging the nation into economic ruin
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`'No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.' Somehow or other, the last two words had slipped out of the animals' memory. But they saw now that the Commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball`

But it has always been a known fact that uneducated locals are among the biggest supporters of the PAP.

in a fiefdom, you are obliged to pledge all that you are

uneducated locals making a uninformed choice and plunging the nation into economic ruin

You mean like sieteocho?

Seriously, what is PAP afraid of? If they had the so called "ability" they said they possess, why are they afraid of contesting parties? If the progress package is not for the elections, why didn't I get it early last year?

As if the progress package will really make any progress to their ruling power, where they are already at the top. It just kinda shows how vulerable they are, in which they already sense the number of people going for the opposition, instead.

its only expedient to pledge our allegiance to the highest bidder
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`This criticism is certainly coming from the middle class intellectuals who are likely to criticise Mr Thaksin anyway. I don't think people at the grass roots level understand the issues, or even care` Senator Jon Ungpakorn

Trackback from darkholme:

... the gist of the article ......

Trackback from worlds upon words:

The internet ain't anonymous no more my dears. I suddenly feel like I have been explained away like a child......

Trackback from mb:

Ya lor, and I also agree with Dr Balaji that some of these local podcasts by private individuals from well-known local blogs can be quite entertaining!

Trackback from solitairejoker:

Welcome to freedom of expression in Singapore. ...

so how to register for that thing ah?

theres no immediate benefit to oneself in doing so. Hence, its unlikely that anyone could be piqued into doing so
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`these folks , who are mostly bloggers with an inflated sense of purpose, have always believed that if you can put forward a critical mass of the sharpest people .. you should be able to shape and manipulate public opinion to an extreme. Thus, they are convinced they can make this FON idea fly despite the failure of similar ideas in the past`

Trackback from Useless rantings of a few disgruntled S'poreans... :

"Are we living in a communist country, or a democratic one? Why on Earth should Singaporeans be banned from voicing out their opinions on politics?"...

because singaporeans cannot be trusted to do whats right for the party

Trackback from Shadow of Transcendence:

"Is the government bold enough to cope with the public backlash, yet at the same time, respect any opinion(pro and anti-government) put across by the public, in the event of an open society equipped with the tools of freedom of speech and expression?"...

Trackback from SDP :

Podcast ban shows PAP scared of even contest...

This is outrageous! The PAP is the PAP. The government is the government. It is the government who has banned the podcast, not the PAP. How can you even think of mixing the two up together?!

Sorry, you don't live in a democracy. Your political system is like a more competent version of Mexico's government before Vincente Fox was elected: a one-party authoritarian regime that pretends to be democratic by holding elections that no one but the Party could, in reality, ever hope to win. Strangling true free speech fits into this pseudo-democratic mold. When Singapore throws the PAP into opposition and elects someone, anyone, else - then you'll be a democracy. Until then, your votes and your voices don't count.

thats a point of view certainly. as long as you happen to be a part of the caste that benefits from it, theres really nothing wrong with the status quo
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`the time has come for me to strive and to achieve .. for family and our friends ..lets do the best we can`

Thanks for that brilliant insight.

I'm guessing you're American because you don't understand sarcasm.

I'd have to agree with you on that
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`I do not want Singaporeans to be known just for economic efficiency -- cold, disciplined, efficient, with a high standard of living, but everybody looks like a robot. I want to make Singapore a more rounded society`

Trackback from singabloodypore:

read 4th april 06 posting "DO NOT PANIC"...

Trackback from Cloudywind Podcast:

My views on Singapore Election...

Note: This podcast is heavily censored due to explicit political content....

kiasu and kiasi... typical singaporean ... literally "lead" by example....

Trackback from Channel NewsAsia:

Bloggers and podcasters have mixed reactions to the government's ban on explicit political discussions on the Web during the General Election. ...

its amazing how they started out pro freedom, later to go on making new bills and articles curbing our reasonable outbursts and sometime later mention singapore is pro freedom again.

its going to be difficult to attract foreign talent and investments if you do not take on the appearance of an entrenched democracy
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`Had she not been rich and able to send him overseas, she would still have had her eldest son beside her to see her to a ripe old age` Feb 2 2006

oh pls, how are they gonna regulate the podcast and blog posting regarding abt GE?
WIFI free service is around the island..
most the Macdonalds in singapore is equi wif free WIFI service and simply jus bring a lappie or a PDA WIFI enabled and do a podcasting or blog entry abt GE
would "they" be able to track down the WIFI ip address? and eventually trace down the person doing the podcasting and blog entry of personal positive or negative views on the GE without a classlicene from MDA?

WIFI connection are so easily tagged to by a simple programe scanner for secured network required network key to access

speaking of secured wireless network, think its better to secured the wireless network in ur home wif a secured network key before some tap into it and use it to do a negative entry abt the GE and when "they" trace it down, the victim is u and the culprit got away
:P

cheer to the GE!!

for the wealthy, theres the option of an offshore ISP

Trackback from IDG News, MacWorld:

Singapore’s print and television media is tightly regulated by the government. The recent rise in popularity of blogs and podcasts led some observers to wonder whether the Internet might play a more important role in the next election......

thats why never use any url ending with .com.sg

some time ago, this felle who posted some comments about local govt
was asked to remove the acticle thru email but the owner didn't respond
and i hear that in the end, the owner was paid a visit at his oversea
home which he hosted the site and where he posted the article, by some SG
govt officers. requesting him to remove the articles and the owner replied
"what if i don't?, i don't intend to return back to sg anymore and i write what i like"
and they don't know what happened in the end..

thats the extend, the govt would do to prevent articles which doesn not falls into "positive list"

what a dictator!
are they gonna be pro-US or pro-China state? cant they make up their mind?

Trackback from My Very Own Glob {Curiosa Felicitas}:

Meta: It was a busy news day yesterday, at least for mrbrown and myself, when newsrooms in Singapore and abroad began working on the Balaji-No-Podcast statement story. Good thing I’ve got free incoming calls on my mobile. I also found it funny th......

Trackback from Podcasts banned in General Elections:

Bloody hell! Podcasting is not allowed during the elections here in Singapore says the government. It also adds that video casting is also prohibited and that bloggers who want to discuss politics must......

Trackback from Mr Wang bakes good karma:

Recommending an article on this issue.....

Trackback from Yawning Bread:

The article recommended by Mr Wang... ...

Trackback from Boing Boing:

Tomorrow.sg says, The government here in Singapore is banning all podcasting and videocasting during the upcoming elections. They are also requiring bloggers who want to speak up during the election to register themselves with the local broadcasting authority. Furthermore, once they are registered, they are required to take down their posts if the government deems it unsuitable. Link......

Trackback from Dream Logic:

Singapore just has some of the weirdest stories come out of it, doesn’t it? You all remember NYP Tammy and the Butik Batok video crazes of 2006, both from Singapore, right? And now the government is trying to regulate podcasting and blogging du......

Trackback from Singabloodypore:

Boing Boing: Singapore bans podcasting during elections Tomorrow.sg says, The government here in Singapore is banning all podcasting and videocasting ......

Trackback from Born on Ninth of August - Psst... do you have it?:

Beng: Remember, don't talk about what you've read to anyone else. Do not even discuss it with The Other Trusted One.

Seng: Yah, I know. Rule number one. Nobody talks about it....

But it's ok to see MP's dozing off on TV getting 5 figure additional salary paid by the people ( why do we need so many MP's if they are there to sleep?), that's good entertainment already...

I KNOW IT'S RUDE TO SHOUT BUT I NEED TO GET SOME ATTENTION HERE.

Ok, I am honestly truly confused by what Balaji said. I went to mda and mica websites to look for details but couldnt find any. Correct me if I am wrong, but did he said that:

a) for blogs who are devoted to political issues, they have to be registered? AND also that they cannot write anything political during elections?

Isn't that the height of lunacy? It is like saying that firemen training 24/7 to fight fire should not do anything should a fire arise.

So, what if my blog concerns sharing food recipes and cooking. Does that mean I do not have to be registered. And does that mean I can talk politics during election period?

What if my blog talks about everything and anything (which is what 99% of the blogs are about)?

Can someone help me please?

Fear the bloggers.

Maybe?

In a very magnanimously pro-Singapore-government point of view, registering a website that was set up with the primary purpose of advancing political opinion may not be a bad thing.

If anything, it would help Singaporeans to trust that behind that political opinion is someone who takes responsibility for that opinion and not some fly-by-night slanderer. An official political critic site with a "Registered-with-MDA" Certificate.

But this only works if the registration prevents the government from stepping in and enforcing censorship whenever they feel the site has crossed a line. Which it does not.

Hmm..

So conclusion is, we can't trust the government and the government doesn't trust us.

Trackback from Chemical Generation:

Why not go all the way, might as well tell everyone who wants to write letters on local politics to the forum in the local SPH papers to register themselves...

Trackback from Times Online Blog:

Political debate on the internet could fuel "dangerous discourse" in Singapore, the city state's government said on Monday, warning that Singaporeans who post political commentary on web sites could face prosecution....