Dear Readers,
The Prime Minister’s Office wants to gazette us. The Media Development Authority demands that we register. And according to Zaobao, TOC harbours ambitions of being a “kingmaker”. Wow. We’re a little overwhelmed. Suddenly, we’ve become much more than we ever thought we were – this little blog, run on little more than a whole lot of heart and sweat, and the occasional tear.
The email from the PMO arrived at 5pm, on Monday. We were informed that we had 14 days to disclose the names of our Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary and goodness knows who else. The fact is, TOC is not organised that way. We’re not made up of people interested in committees. Those who call us a political association are clearly missing the point.
So what exactly is TOC?
It’s right up there on our masthead, has been all along – “A Community of Singaporeans”.
We are an open platform. Anyone who wants to join us, can. Anyone is welcome to send us stories, photographs, videos, cartoons, or even just ideas. Over the years, TOC has collaborated with hundreds of people. Some stay for the long haul, contributing in all sorts of ways; others join for just a week, a month, or even a day. They chip in because they like a particular project or story; or simply because they have a bit of time to spare and want to help.
Our structure is fluid and ever changing. But there is one constant – we’re all volunteers. We do this because we’re concerned Singaporeans who believe that it is better to ask questions and raise issues, than shut up, sit down, and never be heard at all.
From highlighting the plight of the homeless and disabled, to calling for a moratorium on the mandatory death penalty, to exposing unscrupulous employers who mistreat their foreign workers, to examining problems in our education system, to raising questions about our immigration policy, TOC has over the years, broken numerous stories and championed multiple issues. To call us a political association simply for doing so is, well, daft.
These are issues everyone in Singapore talks about; things we all care about. If the very act of providing a platform, on which these topics can be given a good airing, is considered a jaunt into politics, then everyone in Singapore is a political association, every kopitiam on the island a political platform.
Where does our money come from?
Well, here’s a shocker – virtually all our activities are self-funded. Public contributions and income from ad sales barely cover the costs of maintaining operations. In fact, co-founder Andrew Loh exhausted nearly all his savings running TOC from 2006 to 2010. Volunteers are lucky if they even get reimbursed for transport costs.
So what will we do?
TOC is confident in our ability to continue operating within the framework of the Political Donations Act and stand ready to take up the challenge of being the first website in Singapore to operate as a political association. Moving forward, the TOC editorial team will comprise up to four members. These individuals are willing to come forward and be named as the team behind TOC, and to bear the responsibilities and legal liability that comes with being gazetted as a political association.
As we demand openness and transparency from our government, we have similarly been careful to remain completely above board in our operations. We have nothing to hide and nothing to fear from gazetting. We believe that shutting down or going underground is precisely what those who misunderstand us want and will be fodder to discredit the blogosphere. We will not give them that satisfaction.
If registering is what it’ll take to continue our contribution to Singapore, we’ll do it and send a clear message that we will not be intimidated into exiting the arena of public discourse.
We also believe that the public deserves a response from the Prime Minister, and to hear his explanation as to how a group of bloggers can constitute a political association. We believe that the decision to gazette was unreasonable, arbitrary and incorrect, and was borne of political paranoia. We have therefore written to the Prime Minister requesting him to reverse his decision, failing which we expect him to justify his position.
We are not sure what his response will be. While we remind the Prime Minister of his promise for a more open Singapore, we will not hold our breath.
But our volunteers at TOC do not write at the pleasure of the Prime Minister’s Office. Whatever Mr Lee’s response and however he chooses to label us, you can be sure of one thing: TOC is here to stay.
Joshua Chiang
Acting Chief Editor
Choo Zheng Xi
Co-Founder
Andrew Loh
Co-Founder
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
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TOC, you have made me proud to be Singaporean again.
We care for fellow Singaporean. We stick to our believe and dreams, and we fight for our rights.
Let this and the letter to the PM be known to all Singaporean, and we Singaproean are standing behind you.
Dear PMLee…
What TOC is….is for sporeans and readers to decide, not PAP.
Please start a facebook group as well?
Hmm,
as a piece of advice,
might I suggest that TOC try to tone down on the number of articles supporting the RP or Ravi? Those might be why the government is claiming validity in gazetting TOC.
It is not that TOC cannot discuss issues raised by these people – Singapore would be poorer for it if so – but that it should do so from an external point-of-view. And naturally, TOC hosting political events is a bit of a problem for Joshua’s rhetoric of TOC being “just a little blog”. In other words, TOC should not b ehighlighting that “TOC members” organized Pink Dot, or Political Parties Forum, or something of this nature which goes a bit beyond what a blog does. It is fine for Contributors to TOC to participate and/or organize these events, but their personal commitments must be kept apart from TOC’s “corporate” commitment.
Just my two cents.
TOC didn’t organize Pink Dot. Neither were we favoring any political parties. – Ed
Saw Mr Choo at RP’s Pre-Election Rally and picnic.
Really cool.
Count me in.
Yes Bernard CHAN from Canada an ex-Singaporean who had donated a large sum of HELL money to a political party in Singapore…..this party has three letters….first and last end with “P”.
I regretted donating so much HELL money to that party “P”….shit I should have burnt them and keep my underwear warm in this freezing Alberta winter of minus
32 C.
But think of it, this party “P” needs my money to pay the million $ salaries and bonus to its running dogs. So after all I did some good things. Let’s move on.
Hi all,
Can someone please clarify why TOC can’t operate just like any other websites without having to be gazetted?
I am in the opinion that because TOC is not a .com.sg site, it is not within any credible jurisdiction of the Singaporean authorities?
What can they legally do? The TOC is basically run like any other hobby site found on the World Wide Web!?
Additionally, why is it then that other sites like The Straits Times, Channel News Asia and other similar News/Information site not being gazetted under the same reason?
Are they also not peddling political aggenda and opinion? One would also imagine with a broader readership (CNA is regional!) & brand appeal amongst the consituents that their influence would be many times more that TOC?
Can someone please help me make sense of this all, I am not trying to be sarcastic, but just confused on the recent developments?
Thanks in advance.
Kevin
Who should head the opposition? WP is most establish but SDP Dr Chee is most highly educated and now we have the prince of the opposition in RP whom is a great choice too. Maybe smaller party like PPP or PKMS should consider to disband their party to join RP so that RP can become the backbone of Singapore opposition. Maybe Mr Choo and Mr Chiang can start off with the exodus to RP ? Good that the opposition are not lack of leaders.
I stopped believing in newspapers and the
media like 10 years ago. Its so biased and politically controlled. Always depicting how bad the situations are outside of singapore. Making singaporeans think too high and mighty of themselves to the extent of being snobbish.
Long live TOC!
Keep up your good work and keep the articles coming. Don’t be intimidated.
Behind you always!
The paranoia even extends to “rabbit tails”.
I did some Chinese New Year shopping at a mall along Orchard Road over the weekend.
I was given a “rabbit tail” pouch by the mall for spending above a certain amount. The mall asked that we hang this pouch in our “car/bag/handheld devices” over a certain time period and if we are spotted by their photographer within their mall stable, we win a Hong Bao Prize.
Guess what else was printed on the cellophane wrapper of this freebie pouch:
QUOTE: Please ensure that the position of the Bunny Tail Purse does not violate any legal, government or regulatory requirements of Singapore. END QUOTE.
Hee, hee … always read the fine print. The devil is always in the details, they say.
Scurrying away like a scared funny bunny,
The Pariah
http://www.singaporeenbloc.blogspot.com
Weifuge:
You have seen through the brainwashing newspaper.
I still believe uncensored news and opinions are the most reliable….let me search and be avid to think for myself what is right or wrong……don’t tell me what and how to believe.
Stay on, TOC ! We need an alternative voice. Yours is a good site. You have my support !
We are on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/theonlinecitizen
I have been pondering over TOC’s reply over the weekend and like most readers, would like to pat TOC on the back for the manner in which the reply was crafted and especially for calling on the PM to explain himself why he felt TOC has to be gazetted a political body. We are not overly optimistic that we would hear from the PM over this.
Whether TOC receives a reply from PM is no longer the issue here. The point is; TOC WILL BE GAZETTED. Period.
With this certainty, what we should be tackling now is what will become of TOC henceforth? Sure, it can continue to be a forum where the Singapore Community continues to contribute their two cents worth on current affairs. However, with TOC becoming a political association, it means that the people registered under its banner are now considered politicians. It also means that whatever is carried in TOC will now have a new classification; it is TOC-partisaned. It is Opposition-partisaned. It is non-partisan no more.
Very simply, TOC is now a new opposition party. Comments and views can easily be picked to quell the Opposition under the Opposition banner. Does it not make good sense for the PAP, you think?
We all know that the government can choose and pick any comment from any comment thread to run TOC and the Opposition to the ground anytime and anyway it chooses. TOC has to walk this tight rope from here on. TOC has its work cut out for them with gazetting. Readers cannot shoot their mouths off like they used to and this is the biggest regression of a democratic society by the gazette order from PM and MDA.
The TOC politicians will now have their hands full moderating each and every single comment in order for it to not become an obstacle to the Opposition cause. Whether you like it or not, you have to hand it to the PAP for coming up with such a brilliant idea to use the online media to its full advantage. TOC is like a belated Christmas present to the PAP.
Having said that, I would like to publicly pledge my support for TOC and the decisions it make. How else can we stand up and fight a regressive democracy, that is, if we can call it a democracy at all?
This is a shameful time for Singapore. This is a shameful time to be a PAP supporter. No one should live under such shameful circumstances. No one.
You can support us by buying our TOC merchandize. Looking foward to sending you our products. – Ed
MARI KITA RAKYAT SINGAPURA
SAMA-SAMA MENUJU BAHAGIA……
You have my support TOC! Stay on and on and on….
(^_*)
if TOC”s reporting standards fall after gazetting, EVERYONE KNOWS that’s because of the government.
however, if TOC manages to keep up its worthy track record and continues to challenge the government, our support for TOC can only get stronger.
Me and my friends just discovered this site from all the hullabaloo. It’s a great little one giving Singaporeans a chance to air their long-restrained thoughts and learn about those of other readers.
Will be coming back frequently for more and telling others about it.
Great work, TOC, and keep soldiering on.
Since TOC managed to organise the face2face forum amongst all the oppo camp and was later asked to be gazetted.
The next best thing to do is to go one step further and register yourself as a political party and form a team to challenge at least one GRC in the coming election.
In a game of chess, when one is checked, best thing to do is counter check!
Cheers,
May the force be with you!