On 27 June, officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) gave verbal warnings to members of the opposition National Solidarity Party (NSP) to stop the sale of their party newspaper, The North Star. The NSP had been doing what opposition parties have been doing for years – reaching out to residents in HDB estates and going about selling their party newspapers. This time however it seems the authorities are going by the book. The NSP members were told that what they were doing was “illegal hawking”.
After that incident, which took place in Bendemeer, the party sought clarification from the Chief Executive of the NEA. Besides wanting to know if selling its party newspaper by going about hawker centres, markets, shops and coffeeshops, was illegal, the party also asked, if it was indeed illegal, where the party could apply for the relevant permit. It also asked NEA if any political party had been issued with such a licence or permit in the past.
“An officer called me up and told me that there is only licence for individuals who are from the low income group to do mobile hawking,” NSP secretary-general, Mr Goh Meng Seng, told The Online Citizen. “Apparently there isn’t any license for political party like ours to conduct our political outreach. However, our activity is deemed as ‘illegal hawking’. I told him to write to me officially to state his stand. I have not received his official letter so far.”
On Sunday 4 July, while going about the sale of its newspaper at Tampines, the NSP’s vice-president, Mr Christopher Neo, was issued with a summon for S$300 by NEA officers. The reason? “Illegal hawking”.
“Sebastian and Steve offered to be summoned as well but [the NEA officers] did not want to act on that. Sebastian also wanted them to summon each and every one of us, but they declined also,” Mr Goh explained. Mr Sebastian Teo is the party’s president while Mr Steve Chia is a former Non-constituency Member of Parliament and the party’s treasurer.
“Apparently, this is just an exercise of intimidation,” Mr Goh says. “If our activity is really “illegal hawking”, they will have to either summon all of us or arrest all of us if we refuse to be summoned. They did neither of these.”
Mr Goh asks if this means that all opposition parties are legally banned from carrying out their weekly political outreach by selling their newspapers.
TOC understands that a first-time offender can be fined up to S$1,000 for illegal hawking. Repeat offenders can be fined up to S$4,000 plus jail terms.
When PAP MPs come around canvassing for support, just nicely reminding them this – your NEA says “no illegal hawking” , respect our privacy!
anonymous
And,if they persist,tell them you willcall the police?
the whole system has become one big joke and a dark comedy for singaporeans at large.
Here we go again, PAP with their old childish dirty tricks again.
@ LIONS ROAR
Mao is embalmed and gawked at by tourists and Chinese peasants but have not come back to haunt Chinese communist iedology nor economics. We are haunted by the ghost of Stalinism whose soul should have been residing in Artic Soviet Union. Singapreans needs divine rescue if we don’t get rid of such political ghosts.
Come on lal, PAP and its agents, please don’t this thing to tighten and screw up the opposite party for selling newsletters and making round at the neighbourhoodsto make friends. Such a petty thing cannot tolerant it. We know that the PAP is in power, and they do anything as they wish. Such a tactic like this is bullying.
NSP was not doing anything wrong they did not sell food IT was papers which carries their plan for voters in the next election it is childish act to give ticket for that
NEA do some thing better looking at hawkers centre and flood problems
Please la, PAP.
You expect the citizens to be gracious and have more tolerance towards outside competition. You all leh?
Bullying!!:
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July 9, 2010 at 10:44 am
Very obvious case like this is bullying. Human being can used laws to harden, soften or just to ignore it about the petty thing. Common sense can tell that the PAP and its agents use its power to tighten and screw up the opposite party when there is an opportunity so that they [the opposite members] have no space to breathe. These opposition party members are true blue Singaporeans. I think in time to come that those are in power at the top, and maybe in the future, PAP and the New citizens can bully local breeds. NEP use the words, “ïllegal hawker” which is heavy wordings as through they are committing a serious offence. They [the opposite party] are just selling the newletters and walking around at the public place to make friends.
Bullying!!:
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July 10, 2010 at 1:56 pm
To all opposition parties, I am fearful more harassments will come as the general election is coming near. The targets of the PAP and its agents use warning, suing, arrest, fine, and imprisonment. The PAP aim is to knock out the opposition parties once and for all. I believe past history of harassments would repeat itself if they {PAP} have the opportunities. When you step out onto the public places there are alot of PAP spies an agents watching you every steps. Please, take precaution!.
PAP are losers.. use dirty tricks to stop the oppostion and think singaporeans are fools and puppets to be control. Wake up. Its 2010.. Everything can be found on the internet!
How come these NEA officers never stop this China person’s(middle-age,looks like a dependent of foreigner) illegal clobber business just in front of the hawker’s center at West Coast Clementi Market, near the overhead bridge. He is messing up the place with tools and debris, blocking the passage and making a lot of money but do not pay any tax or rental. Isn’t this blatantly illegal in terms work permit and operating a business? Why was no action taken against him by NEA, HDB, MOM as he is seen coming back on a regular basis. I am sure this case is not the only one. The authorities seem to choose to be blind to these cases and allow them to break the law. Double standard for reasons everybody already knows.
Why this China person(middle-age, looks like a dependent of a foreigner)illegal clobber business in front of West Coast Clementi Market, near overhead bridge, not illegal hawking? Why no action taken by NEA, HDB, MOM as it is blatantly obvious that illegal hawking is carried out and work permit laws are broken? Double standard for reasons everybody already knows?