The Rhetoric
“The diverse views reflected in the letter pages of newspapers here prove there is freedom of expression.”
– Mr David Lim, outgoing Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Straits Times, Mar 21, 2003.The Reality
“The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and freedom of expression but permits official restrictions on these rights, and in practice the Government significantly restricted freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The government’s authoritarian style fostered an atmosphere inimical to free speech and a free press. Government intimidation and pressure to conform resulted in the practice of self-censorship among journalists.”
– US State Department Human Rights report on Singapore, 2003