From Singapore 21 to Remaking Singapore: Dolls Don't Have Space, Much Less Arts

Honourable Minister Wong Kan Seng
Ministry for Home Affairs
Fax: 6254 6250
Email: wong_kan_seng@mha.gov.sg

CC:
Mr. David Lim Tik En, Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Fax: 6837 9480 Email: david_t_e_@mita.gov.sg

Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for State for National Development and Chairman for the Remaking Singapore Committee, Fax:63257254 Email: v_bala@mnd.gov.sg

3rd October 2002

Dear Honourable Minister,

From Singapore 21 to Remaking Singapore: Dolls don't have space, much less arts

Think Centre writes this open letter in good faith to Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. Wong Kan Seng; Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Mr. David Lim Tik En; and Minister for State for National Development and Chairman for the Remaking Singapore Committee, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan

Think Centre's application for an installation art display at Raffles Place was inexplicably rejected by the Films and Publications Department (FPD) on 28 September. FPD cited law and order concerns on advice of the police. But those concerns were not spelt out to us explicitly.

Think Centre wishes to highlight the bureaucratic hurdles that civil society and the arts have to face despite the claim that civil society space is opening up. In fact, this rejection is a slap in the face for civil society and artists who believe in freedom of expression. Unfortunately, it also accentuates the mistrust between the bureaucracy and civil society.

Think Centre decided to celebrate Children's Day by voicing out the stress and pressures faced by our children. The consensus was that the message be delivered in a creative and friendly manner. Therefore, our members came up with the idea of displaying dolls holding up messages that affect children. The main aim was for adults to listen to the plight of our children who have rights too. As Singapore is a signatory of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), we felt the duty to highlight some of the problems that Singapore children face in our ‘pressure cooker' society.

The precedent for art display was established when Think Centre celebrated the Speakers' Corner anniversary by planting 192 plastic sunflowers. The only difference this time round was a venue change. We had decided on Raffles Place instead of Speakers' Corner for three reasons.

One, the Speakers' Corner does not attract a high volume of human traffic and therefore it defeats the purpose of having an art display to send a message across. Two, Raffles Place has a higher volume of human traffic and the art display would attract sufficient public interest. Three, Raffles Place symbolises our ‘pressure cooker' and ‘kiasu' society and we thought that this was the best place to send out the message so that adults would ponder for a few seconds about the rights of their children

Throughout the application process of more than three weeks, Think Centre has been co-operative and patient. The civil servants at the FPD would attest to this. However, if the police had law and order concerns should they not have inspected the site with us? (This was done when we conducted the ‘Save JBJ' rally)

Therefore, we had no site inspection nor were we asked how the centre itself was going to ensure orderliness throughout the process. The opportunity for civil society and the bureaucracy to work together for law and order concerns, if there were any, was also lost because of the unilateral behaviour of the FPD and the police.

Think Centre has also wondered why this whole process of displaying art in the public should come under the purview of the FPD. In consultation with other civil society activists and artists, should this not come under the jurisdiction of the National Arts Council?

Think Centre urges the Minister for Home Affairs to look into this issue more urgently than the bar-top dancing issue. Our dolls don't get drunk and fall over hurting themselves or others and disturb public peace. Think Centre hopes that the Remaking Singapore Committee looks into this case and makes specific recommendations for quicker licensing procedures. If this is where civil society has arrived after Singapore 21, then the Remaking Singapore committee must take notice. It is indeed a sad state of affairs.

However, Think Centre will persevere as a law abiding political association to respect the law but to speak against bad laws and improper applications of law. Hopefully, the laws, the process and the bureaucracy help the growth of civil society instead of retarding it.

Sincerely Yours,

Sinapan Samydorai
For Think Centre Executive Committee 47 Kew Heights Singapore 465927 Fax: 64250709 Telephone: 91079905

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