Singapore Democrats
Mr Francis Seow and Ms Tang Fong Har will be speaking at a public forum on Saturday, 8 Oct 11 on the issue of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (NPPA). But because both speakers cannot return to Singapore, they will be speaking via teleconference.
This will be the first time that dissidents living in exile will be able to communicate with Sinaporeans and the SDP believes that people at home still want to hear from them.
Mr Francis Seow was the solicitor-general of Singapore. He was elected as president of the Singapore Law Society in 1986. During his tenure as president, Mr Seow spoke up against some of the laws that the PAP wanted to introduce.
One such law was the NPPA which allowed the Government even greater power to regulate the media scene here. For his efforts Mr Seow was subsequently detained under the ISA. After his release left the country for the US where he is now residing. Mr Seow has a warrant of arrest against him.
He is the author of several books including To Catch A Tartar: A Dissident inLee Kuan Yew’s Prison where recounts his detention and abuse by ISD officers.
Tan Fong Har
Ms Tang Fong Har was one of those arrested in 1987 and was detained for three months. Upon her release she joined eight other detainees in a press release refuting the Government’s allegations against them.
They were promptly re-arrested. Ms Tang had in the interim travelled to Hong Kong and was not among those re-detained. She has since asked to return to Singapore to visit her elderly mother but the Government has refused to grant her permission.
The SDP is also working to have Mr Said Zahari speak from Kuala Lumpur where he resides.
The speakers will address the forum via the Internet and will take questions from the audience. Admission is free. All are welcome.
Date: 8 October 2011, Saturday
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Place: Diamond Room, Quality Hotel, Balestier Road