“Once A Jolly Hangman – Singapore Justice In The Dock” has been “banned” in Singapore, The Online Citizen (TOC) has learned.
The book by renowned investigative journalist, Alan Shadrake, delves into and exposes the lesser-known aspects of Singapore’s criminal justice system. The book focuses on death penalty cases in Singapore – and it gives readers a more intimate look into some of the high profile cases, especially those of recent years.
Spanning three years of work by the author and journalist, the book includes information from his 2005 interview with Singapore’s hangman, Darshan Singh. That interview was published in Australian newspapers and caused an outrage around the world, in particular Australia at that time. That was when the case of Australian-Vietnamese Nguyen Van Tuong was in the headlines. Van Tuong had been sentenced to hang in S’pore for trafficking drugs into the country.
The book, with its meticulous research by Shadrake, includes rare interviews with Central Narcotics Bureau officers, lawyers, activists, and information gleaned from archives, court documents and news reports. It pieces together each of the story by filling in the blanks which are left out by news reports and throws up serious questions about Singapore’s criminal justice system itself.
Undoubtedly, the book will ruffle some feathers – as it apparently has.
Once A Jolly Hangman had been on sale at Kinokuniya bookstore for “several weeks”, TOC has learned, before the bookstore was asked by the Media Development Authority (MDA) to remove it from the shelves “a few days ago.”
Kino has also confirmed that the book is now “banned” by the MDA. No reason was given to the bookstore for the ban but Kino expects to receive “written” confirmation from the MDA soon.
Last month, the book was successfully launched in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. (See here.)
Shadrake’s first major book The Yellow Pimpernels told the escape stories across the Berlin Wall and was the subject of a BBC documentary. Subsequent publications have delved into a variety of subjects including an expose of life in a Soviet gulag, the story of the boy poisoner Graham Young and, with Linda Lee, The Life and Tragic Death of Bruce Lee. (Gerakbudaya.)
PS: TOC is trying to get confirmation from MDA that the book has indeed been banned.
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Cowards who are bullies must hide under their pillows and their beds to stay away from wind drafts. They are so fragile that they must GO INTO STAGNANT “environment” so that they hopefully won’t get shivers, catch colds, fever and potential risk of dying form their extremely low low low low low immunity system.
That just about wraps it up guys of why “A bully is always a coward” as he always has to hide.
As much as too of why “”A boaster and a liar are all one”.
Because “A fool knows more in his own house, than a man in another’s”. For “A covetous man is good to none, but worst to himself”.
All these were taken from TR for spread in TOC too. Thank you TOC & TR.
The PAP better hold general elections ASAP.
With each passing day, more and more news – plus more and more arrogant comments such as those from the SMRT CEO – emerge to increase the populace’s disgust with the gahmen.
i agree with Richard.
Since young, i grew up appreciating the the good work the gahment did in improving the lives of people.
but as i grow older, with each passing year, with each passing incident, i grew more and more unhappy and disgusted with the way our government is managaging the affaris of the country.
They have lost my support.
We didn’t know the atrocities of PAP in the past as there is no internet for us to get proper news outside of this Matrix country PAP has created. Even now, lots of folks are unsure about the atrocities of PAP as they’re still censored in the mainstream media.
Singapore 1st world? Shouldn’t PAP brag about their judicial system?? Go on.. brag about it.
I would love for MM Lee to tell the world more about the Justice system designed by him.
Don’t hide or ban these books. Show your the world & countrymen that we have a 1st world approach to things.
COWARDS
Can’t wait for election to come ..and vote them buggers out!
Hiden Agenda, I presume, we are being hiden by many unforeseen, this is life because we are nobody to somebody.
Singapore are alway special to other country, just like football, other countries don’t have to pay to view, but Singapore so special huh, must pay to view, why huh???
Wan Lau, so many Malaysian covert to singaporean !! will ex-M’sia support Malaysia’s point of view too.
This book is available at the National Library.
See
http://newarrivals.nlb.gov.sg/itemdetail.aspx?bid=13604821
So is it really banned?
TOC please put your letter on site. Please ask MOD their reasons for the ban, and MOD has to cite the relevant law, regulation, ministerial direction and policy etc for the reasons offered. Ask what is the public interest MOD is seeking to protect in this act of censorship?
MDA I mean. correction
Saw it in Penang at the Popular, should have bought it as my late reservist friend was featured there too, Shammugam.
Dear Steve Wu, MDA has called up National Library as well.
If a minister can prejudge a case, where is the rule of law in Singapore.
//but as i grow older, with each passing year, with each passing incident, i grew more and more unhappy and disgusted with the way our government is managaging the affaris of the country.//
the truth hurts. ignorance is bliss.
no need to fly to Penang. Go to JB to buy-lah. stupid to ban in the island. wait to see portions of book uploaded on internet for free..
WTF ? This type of book also need to ban ? What is so scary ?
Our PAP Ministers better go and fly kite ! It’s so much safer.
Don’t usually fancy such books. But now my curosity has been aroused, I must get a copy from Malaysia by all means.
The more MDA tries to ban this book, the more people want to read it to find out what’s the fuss.
What is the PAP Government afraid off?
In this day and age….they still ban books?
I ask PAP Leaders will they be ORGANISING A BOOK BURNING EVENT SOON?
SHAME ON THE PAP SHAME ON OUR MULTIMILLION DOLLAR POLITICIANS…SHAME SHAME SHAME
The library website lists the book as “in process” and it is only listed under the Reference section….
where can I find this book online siah?
You can get the book on this website:
http://www.gerakbudaya.com/products-page/sird-titles/once-a-jolly-hangman-singapore-justice-in-the-dock/
^_^ good things must share..hehehe..
2 days ago I happened to be at TIMES bookshop in Pavilion KLCC (Malaysia). The book was on sale there for RM38 so I bought a copy.
To clarify, it is a cas e of being “banned for sale”in Singapore (i.e you cannot buy this book from any bookstores in Singapore).
It doesn’t mean you are breaking the law if you are caught with one or even if the public libraries has it.
So it is perfectly all right to go ahead and buy a copy from whatever sources and read..
If it is truly ban, this is a serious matter that Singaporeans should look at to. This country is becoming more of a Fascist state than a democratic one.
When we were kids and when we were not able to afford a black and white TV then, the neighbourhood kids would congregate at the house with the TV to watch the cartoon programs. However, I didn’t know LKY enough, and didn’t know why the patriarch of the household would curse and swear at LKY each time we see his face on TV. “Crocodile Tears” he would say then. Now, I know why.
My questions to MDA:
[1] Is it true that the book “Once a Jolly Hangman” is banned, in other words no bookstore in Singapore is allowed to put it on its shelves?
[2] If your answer is yes, please tell us why you are banning the book; please elaborate.
[3] Would you please publish your answer/explanation in this forum?
I know why this book was taken off the shelves and has been ‘banned’. I have read the book. Bought it from MPH at JB. All filled with dirty secrets.
You think our law minister is as righteous as he tried to sound like when saying that all drug mules have to be hanged to save the general population? Well in the book, there was a story of him being the lawyer of some rich man and former NMP’s son who happens to be nearing his middle age and highly educated. This fella was caught in a drug raid doing cocaine. Yea and our righteous law minister argued that this fella was not a drug addict and that he was given the drugs by his friends. Although he suspected that the drugs were illegal, he took it all the same. However he should not be seen as having the intention to get high. Comeon lah is this rich man’s son a dumbo or what? Then in the end after serving sometime in jail, his sentence was brought down and then he ended up serving his sentence under home arrest. Wah liao eh, got such thing one ah? Then who was the judge during the appeal? The same Rajah during the Sabahan’s appeal hearing.
So many things inside. This is a dirty country.
I doubt the book is banned. The government is smart enough to know that the moment they ban the book, its sales will skyrocket.
So they obviously do not want to help the author.
Francis,
But if they ban the book, and the Newspaper Authority of Singapore… oops! I mean The Straits Times… keeps quiet, then only those who come here will know. We may make a lot of noise, but ultimately we are a very tiny group compared to those who rely solely on the NAS for information.
Yup, I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
I am still waiting for a meaningful explanation as to why Justice Tay Yong Kwang said [or words with a similar effect]:”the case was not sufficiently difficult and complex to require a QC” when Far Eastern Economic Review, through their lawyer, wanted to submit an application for a Queen’s Counsel to represent them in the defamation suit taken out by Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong.
There was an apparent fear that with a QC arguing for FEER, the case might end up in their favor. But the plaintiffs employed one of Singapore’s top lawyers.
The most unconvincing aspect of Justice Tay’s comment was of course that his comment was a personal. subjective matter. Why should such a personal view be regarded as a basis for rejecting FEER’s application for a QC?
Justice Tay might have other reasons, perhaps, and, if so, he was not acting rationally for not revealing them.
If I were to tell Justice Tay: Look, you were biased in favor of the plaintiffs, would that be considered as subjective? Can it be taken as a legal basis for defaming a judge?
“Banning” is a double-edged sword. It is a dinosaur of the pre-internet world.
@have red the book on July 9. Why not share with us some of the more “juicy parts” here? So that people can copy paste and forward by emails. then more will know then what Richard said. Use cyberspace and electronic mail to win the game guys! I don’t believe you guys are doing it at all! Take this next step lor!
same action MDA took in banning the sale of “To Catch a Tartar: A Dissident in Lee Kuan Yew’s prison” and “The Media Enthralled” by Francis Seow.
I read the books and my heart turned cold and shocked at the despicable ways in which our leaders punish dissent
I’ve bought the book at JB City Square popular. It cost 38RM
Bad law — wrongdoings — right motive (national interest)
2 wrongs and 1 right. It should be 3 rights.
anyone knows if the book is available in singapore? maybe some obscure bookshop or what? really curious and not possible for me to travel across the border to get one. everything is ban ban ban in singapore. so boring.
it is true. there is a reason why the main police force keeps their distance from cnb. you need to have a real heart of stone to so willingly send people to their death.
i just know everyone in opposition party is a gangsters like 369 gang and pai hai tong
Banned it? Nay… Singsporeans are clever. They will read it anyway across the causeway…
When there is a will, there is a way.