Even as the police reject the SDP’s application for a protest rally on 15 Mar 08, the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) has announced that it will stage a march the following day on 16 Mar.
Like the SDP’s event, CASE’s walk is held in conjunction with the World Consumer Rights Day. The event, announced on its website will “promote the basic rights of all consumers.” The protest march, with Minister for Health Khaw Boon Wan as the guest-of-honour, “will bring together over 5,000 consumers.”
The venue will be at Merchant Loop (behind Liang Court) and will take place from 7-11 am. Last year it was held outside Parliament House beside the Singapore River.
But while Singaporeans are labouring under a slew of price hikes which has brought the inflation rate to a crippling 25-year high of 5.6 percent (see following story), CASE is “campaigning to stop the marketing of junk food to children.” Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
And if the organisers were serious about what they were doing instead of performing their usual wayang, they would protest outside a MacDonald’s or KFC restaurant instead of doing it behind Liang Court.
Still, it is not easy getting together 5,000 people for a march. So how does CASE do it? Free goodie bags, of course. And, for good measure, participants “stand to win attractive prizes at the lucky draw.”
As for the SDP’s application for a permit, Minister for Home Affairs Mr Wong Kan Seng has refused to respond to our appeal even though we have written to him twice in the past week.
Stay tuned.