Mr Wong Kan Seng
Minister of Home Affairs
Fax: 732 0345

Dear Sir

Re: Proposed Political Rally

On behalf of the Organising Committee (OC), I write to appeal against the decision of the Licensing Officer refusing a permit for the public rally on 31st March 2001.

The reasons given in the letter, so far as the OC can make out, are:

(i) "The event may attract a large crowd and will require the deployment of significant resources to manage the crowd." This is not understood. In the first place, no explanation is given as to what is meant by "significant resources". Why is it necessary for the applicants to supply the significant resources? Is it not the primary task of the police to maintain law and order or is the responsibility to be passed on to private citizens? Again, it is not clear to the OC what problems the police anticipate. It is a surprising statement coming from an efficient and competent police force that it is unable to manage a large crowd.

(ii) The second reason is "The nature of the event is a political rally. There is thus potential for law and order problems." Again this is not understood. The rally was for a political purpose and that is not denied. Is it the law that no permit can be issued for a meeting which is political in nature? Under the Act, the OC can find no such provisions. Then the statement "Potential for law and order problems" again is not clear as to what the Licensing Officer means. It is vague and tenuous. There is always a law and order problem in any gathering of people be it for soccer matches, weddings, funerals or any other event. Is it the law that no permit should be issued for any such function?

(iii) The letter also mentions the application by Jacob George as an individual. The rally is organised by a committee of eight individuals who can be held accountable if any condition has been breached. If, however, the police require all eight signatures on the application, that can be done.

(iv) The letter goes on to say "Licenses for public solicitation of funds are normally issued for public fund raising...". It was not the intention to make a solicitation for funds. In our letter to the Public Entertainment Licensing Unit dated 7th March 2001 it was stated that Mr J B Jeyaretnam's book "Make It Right For Singapore", stickers and t-shirts would be sold. Does one require a police permit to sell? One also reads from time to time of garage sales by homeowners. Were permits issued for these and if they were, who issued them?

The Organising Committee requests that you order the Licensing Officer to grant us the permit for the rally.

Yours faithfully

James Gomez
Chairman
Organising Committee