Friday, November 13, 2009 11:48
TOC Blog Feature: Fogged lens
In Uncategorized • 743 views • 7 Comments
The following is an excerpt from Alex Au’s website, Yawningbread.org. Alex relates his experience in getting the authorities’ approval for the recent Maruah screening of two films on Burma. Alex is a member of Maruah.You can read the full write-up on yawningbread.org.
Monday evening, the officer rang Braema to tell her that the permit was approved. He didn’t ring me, nor did I get an email. Braema rang me Tuesday morning — it was already 10 November, the date of our first screening — to discuss who would be going to collect the Police Permit. I said I didn’t think there was any choice about it. As the person who applied for it, I would have to go personally to collect it. I called up the officer.
Is my permit approved?
Yes.
Why didn’t you tell me?
I told your colleague.
Does this mean you want her to be the one collecting it?
No, she cannot. You have to come personally.
Then why did you choose to tell her and not tell me?
So I rushed down to Tanglin Divisional Headquarters, and another conversation ensued.
Why is this a Public Assembly Permit when what we’re having is a talk?
Because you have an assembly.
But nobody’s moving. The audience is just sitting there in a cinema. It’s not as if they need an Assembly Permit to sit in a cinema to watch a film, so if they continue sitting there immobile after the film, why is an Assembly Permit suddenly needed? Why isn’t a Public Talk permit good enough?
An Assembly Permit covers both talking and assembling.
But a Public Talk permit is $20 per day and $40 for two days. The Public Assembly Permit is $50. You’re charging more $10 more than I really need.
Needless to say, I didn’t succeed in getting the $10 difference back.
In any case, if any talk must necessarily include an audience, then when do you ever give out a Public Talk permit? Why is there an option for applying for the Public Talk permit on your online system if even talking to a thoroughly static, already seated audience triggers a Public Assembly permit?
I don’t think I got an answer for that one.
On the way out of the police station, I looked closely at the Permit and was aghast to see this:
I went back into the building and all the way up to the third floor.
The timing stated on the Permit is absolute rubbish, I said to them. You go look at my original application. What does it say?
Read Alex’s full account here.
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7 Comments
Oxford Dude
Sounds like a lot of red tape further complicated by a series of unfortunate incidents.
A Tan
Alex
Don’t you think by showing us how “smart ass” you are by making fun of the policeman’s answer to your very legitimate query and concern, you will be making life more difficult for other applicants and yrself in future? And to S’poreans in general
The very proper police response would be, “We will chk the files to see what you applied for and who made the mistake, and let you know. In the meantime, the timing allowed stands.”
I think the policeman went out of his way to make things easy for himself and you, and got mocked and saboed by you. His superior might not like the way situation was handled and cause him problems.
Other policemen will become more officious towards all of us.
Having ranted at you, as fan of swift, Austen and Waugh, I did enjoy the piece.
smallfly
hi, alex, u questioned b4 that even until today, why those very sucessfuly ‘businessmen’ or ‘big coorporate donkeys’ in singapore still behave ’subservientlly’ to the pap, on the ‘assumptions’ that they r “capable n have great abilities” so as to get them to what they r, today! mind u, it is precisely, because either they r pro pap or to a lesser extent not anti-pap that make them sucessful in singapore! a good example, oliver lum of hyflux. if u r anti-pap, b4 u can be sucessful, they already destroy u, or eliminate u even, after u have been sucessful! i don’t mean to be rude, r u trying to tell us that u r so innocent that u r not aware of how singapore system works!
Lots of energy spent into banging against a tree when it is in the path.
Think Again
Don’t give you freedom, thinking that you simply cannot handle such freedom, you complain and make noise. Give you some freedom, you also try to find faults.
Doesn’t that proved that the govt has been right all along – i.e. that Singaporeans simply cannot handle too much freedom? They have to be told what “EXACTLY” to do to the minutest details???
Please think again. If we want the govt to give us more freedom, how many of us can handle it?
There is always the first baby step. If we can’t even perform that first baby step, starting with ourselves, how can we expect others to give us a chance; how can others be convinced and believe in us? I think we have to shake off that “kiasu” mentality that has been ingrained into our psyche over the last 50 years. Both leaders and followers (citizens).
Although Singapore is now referred to as a 1st world country (by MM Lee), but it is only the physical infrastructures and economic progress that can be considered as such and not the political and social maturity of its people. This is mainly due to the ruling party’s prolonged and persistent efforts made to stifle the interest and passion of the general population in politics and political issues, thereby resulting in the majority of Singaporeans becoming apolitical and concentrate only on their day-to-day living and occasional holidays abroad.
Even producing children and care for their own children have been given the rear seat. That is why our population growth rate has dwindled to 1.03 latest. And more and more maids and childcare centres are taking over the care of our children because both parents have to work to make more money.
Even those families who can afford it, especially the highly educated, are finding it strange or abnormal to leave the mother to stay at home to just be a full-time mother to take direct care and responsibility of their own ‘precious’ children.
Irony.
Legal Eagle
I’m not sure how relevant or accurate this is, but I have been told that Burma VJ was already shown on Starhub Channel 170 about a week ago.
One then wonders the need for a permit in light of this.
Flexibility is the name of the game, dear Alex. The goddamned red tape can get you tied up in knots, I agree. But sometimes, if Big Brother agrees to turn a blind eye, I say, take what you can get. The end justifies the means.
This sounds unprincipled and lacking in integrity? Yup, but at least the public gets to see the movies and gets enlightened etc. in the process. Sometimes, the rules are for the great unwashed, pardon my lack of PC. And we must sometimes go where angels fear to tread.
But keep up the good fight, Alex.