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JUN 6 2000 Forum applications assessed on merits
I REFER to the letters, ""How could forum have "imposed' on others?'' by Mr Siew Kum Hong (ST, June 2) and ""Don't be like ostriches on the topic of gays'' by Ms Tricia Koh (ST, June 5). The mainstream moral values of Singaporeans are conservative. The Penal Code contains provisions against certain homosexual practices. Allowing the forum, Gays & Lesbians Within Singapore 21, to proceed would have been contrary to the public interest, as it would have legitimised the cause of homosexuals in Singapore. The Public Entertainments Act was enacted to regulate public forums and entertainment so as to preserve peace, good order and safety, as well as to prevent moral and social degeneracy. The Police Licensing Division, which administers this law, therefore has to take into account factors such as moral values and social norms, and their acceptance, in addition to public safety, when considering applications for licences. Mr Siew mentioned that Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew had, in a CNN interview, acknowledged the existence of gays in Singapore. However, what Mr Siew did not mention was that in the same interview, SM Lee also said that the position of gays in Singapore is a question of what society considers acceptable, and that Singapore is, by and large, a very conservative and orthodox society. What the Singapore government does is to leave people to lead their own lives, so long as they do not impinge on other people. Mr Siew said that the reasoning used by the Police in turning down the application for the gay forum would appear to prohibit any public forum on the abolition of a law. It would not be appropriate to generalise and extend the considerations governing the gay forum to all public forums. 2 The gay forum would tend to advance an alternative lifestyle that is contrary to current societal norms in Singapore, whereas public forums touching on laws in Singapore may not necessarily do so. Each application to hold a public forum would be assessed, based on the merits of each case. PHILLIP MAH Copyright © 2000 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. |