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Today,
20 Dec 04
A
question of balance
By Tor
Ching Li
PM Lee on party permits, casino views, financial rules
SINGAPORE'S recent decision not to grant a licence for the annual
gay Christmas party, SnowBall.04, drew a sharp response from its organisers
who felt that the move was a step back in Singapore's drive to be
a progressive and inclusive society. They also argued that the Government
was sending mixed signals, as previous such parties had been granted
licences in Singapore. Responding to reporters' questions on the subject
yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explained that the Government
decision reflected "balance and judgement". . Said Mr Lee, speaking
at the sidelines of PAP's Community Day at Siloso beach yesterday:
"It's a question of where to draw the line. We made it quite clear
that the party should not be targeted at gays alone. "There are certain
norms and limits which we have to observe and that was the understanding
under which the permit was granted last time." "As the party turned
out, our sense of it was that this was beyond what we are prepared
to accept. So, we have said 'no'. It's a matter of balance and judgement
— how far we can go and where the limits are. I think it's the right
thing to do."
Organised by Jungle Media, the Singapore subsidiary of Hong Kong-based
online gay portal fridae.com, SnowBall.04 would have been the third
annual Christmas party targeted at gays. Jungle Media had previously
been granted eight public entertainment licences to organise parties
over the past three years but the police rejected its recent application
on the grounds that the event was "contrary to public interest". The
police explained that it had been given the assurance that events
like SnowBall.04 and Nation — another Jungle Media event — would not
be "organised as gay parties". However, people of the same gender
were "seen openly kissing and intimately touching each other" during
the party with some patrons using toilets meant for the opposite sex,
"suggesting that most of the patrons were probably gays or lesbians
and that the event was almost exclusively for them". These "openly
gay acts" also provoked several complaints from other patrons, said
the police. The Ministry of Home Affairs subsequently rejected Jungle
Media's appeal against the decision not to grant SnowBall.04 a licence.
. Asked if this move indicated that Singapore was not yet prepared
to "go all out to compete for the pink dollar", Mr Lee said yesterday:
"When you put it like that, it's all or nothing. It's a matter of
balance of norms we're prepared to accept in our society. "Of how
we can have space for this group of people who are gay whom we accept
as Singaporeans, at the same time respecting the outlook, perspective
and values of Singaporeans who know Singapore to be a certain way
and do not want to see it changing suddenly. And I think they have
a point."
Another reactionary group recently put up the online petition portal,
Families Against Casinos Threat, to state their view against the establishment
of a casino at the southern islands of Singapore — such as Sentosa.
What is the Government's reaction to this? . Said Mr Lee: "Some segments
have quite strong views on the casino issue and it is not surprising
that they want to make their views known. They have the right to do
so. Finally, we have to decide from an overall perspective for the
whole of Singapore. We haven't quite reached that point yet, but as
I said in the National Day Rally, we will ask for proposals, and decide
if we want it or not." Interested casino investors are expected to
submit their proposal within the next "one or two weeks", after which
the Government will decide if any proposals are worth proceeding with.
As for the economic outlook next year, Mr Lee revealed that there
would be an announcement next week for the year ahead. "I don't think
next year will be as strong a year as this year (in terms of growth).
This year was a rebound year, electronics was particularly strong
in the first half of the year. The outlook as it appears now is not
bad and we are not expecting trouble. We are well prepared for whatever
comes," he said. Mr Lee also stressed that the recent financial scandal
in case of the China Aviation Oil would not result in a "knee-jerk
reaction" by the Government to tighten rules. "That is our old attitude,
you know. We want rules so that nothing can ever go wrong. That is
not possible. What we want are rules which are properly judged, not
too lax and not too strict."
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