The police have denied the Open Singapore Centre its application to hold a march for May Day next week.
Repeating its claim that the event “may pose law and order problems” the authorities have yet again demonstrated its repressive ways by not allowing citizens to freely express themselves.
On an occasion as significant as Labour Day when countries reaffirm workers’ rights, the PAP continues to exercise its iron-grip on Singaporeans by denying them their right to freedom of speech and assembly.
This is especially poignant given that while workers continue to suffer wage cuts and retrenchment in a debilitating recession, ministers show all the compassion of a bulldozer by implementing price hikes over a number of goods and services. To make the insult especially obnoxious ministers continue to pay themselves million-dollar salaries whilst not coming up with solutions to bring the economy out from its malaise.
The OSC had said that the May Day march was organised principally to “highlight the plight of the working poor in Singapore” and “reach out to workers in an effort to organize an independent trade union”.
The decision by the police is the latest in a long line of refusals for applications to hold public meetings and marches in Singapore.