Youth Olympic Games, Freedom of Speech and the Singapore government’s obsession with saving face

5Hazrul Azhar Jamari • 29th Aug 2010 • My Notes, My Notes, Others

What is worse? YOG, or the retardation of a viable democracy?

I had intended to write only a fair review of the games, but I realise, you cannot just comment strictly on the sporting events in the Youth Olympic Games itself. It would be a shame if wrongs cannot be put right, especially to people whose only crime was to speak honestly. What good is the YOG, if the Olympian values the games tried to instill in the world’s future, our young, if its present leaders, our government, does not live up to their words?

When these first Youth Olympic Games was awarded to Singapore, I was honestly pleased, but at the same time worried. This is an event that will be watched by millions across the world, and the tiny red dot will be placed under the microscope. It is an uncomfortable position for Singapore to be in. You can’t hide your flaws under a microscope and Singapore has a tendency for covering them up.

So where will the happy campers along East Coast be? Will the poor be adequately helped? We go out of our way, bursting the budget to over S$387 million from an initial S$105 million, just a couple of months before the games for whom? Yes, we sweep the poor under the rug so that a few yachtsmen, triatheletes and canoeists can have a pleasant 12 days without the sore-eyes of a tent and a family of four by the beach. S$387 million. And how much did the government spend on helping these few happy campers?

I’m not sure we’ll see the last of homeless Singaporeans as the income gap widens and the stagnating incomes of Singaporeans below the poverty line perpetuates. But with all the wealth that this country has attained, I wonder why the same ministry that is supposedly responsible on the welfare of its community places so little resources on lifting its poor out of the cycle, and allocating an obscene amount of cash for the comforts of sportsmen who are here for a mere 12 days. This ministry has misplaced its priorities. May I remind its ministers that the name of the ministry is called Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports; the word “Community” comes first and yet I wonder has this government placed the interests of its people first?

I hope our poor are adequately helped while the games were convened. I understand that there are now HDB homes for rent to house the poor. A bit too late in action I feel, but is it enough? The poor will remain poor so long as our policies don’t change and our government refuses to spend more resources on them. Our guests for those 12 days however will return to their respective territories, having good memories of Singapore: a good S$387 million worth. Our taxpayers S$387 million.

Despite this, Singapore had a good games and our Young Olympians did the country proud. We have not seen a large sporting event of this magnitude since the SEA Games in 1993 and the Asian Youth Games in 2009, and I’d be untruthful if Singaporeans are not a supportive bunch of people. But for every people that supports the games, there will always be detractors. You cannot escape critics and they will always have something to say about the way the games were organised. It is of course glaring when stadias are half-empty and caterers provide crap food to its volunteers on top of fines to vehicles that refuse to give way on the YOG lanes and the obsessive need for the government to control everything by ensuring students actually go to these games so that the venues are filled up and force hardworking teachers to re-schedule everything particularly during a PSLE period and the O-levels and A-levels just around the corner. And these are all valid complaints.

The government hears them. But are they listening? No. It seems that they prefer to silence critics.

I read in the papers today that a netizen and a “I hate YOG” Facebook group member, Abdul Malik was arrested by the police for remarks in relation to the PAP and its ministers.

What did Mr Abdul Malik do wrong? The government accused him of inciting violence because of his remarks to a criticism on the “I hate YOG” Facebook page. Mr Malik said: “IT’S FINALLY OFFICIAL!!! THE MASSIVE FLOODS, MAS SELAMAT’S ESCAPE, WASTE OF $387 MILLION AND YOU CAN’T EVEN ENSURE PROPER STANDARDS FOR THE FOOD SERVED TO OUR VOLUNTEERS??? THIS IS THE TIME FOR US TO BURN VIVIEN BALAKRISHNAN AND THE PAP!!!!! RALLY TOGETHER AND VOTE THEM OUT!!!”

But in our mainstream press, it appears he only said the words: “It’s time to burn Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and the PAP!” and most of the rest of his comment was not even printed in the news article.

I cannot even begin to describe my shock and disappointment at the desperation of this government to save its face. The question is, did Mr Malik actually intend to cause bodily harm to Dr Vivian, and torch the PAP building in Bedok? Was the phrase meant literally? Was Mr Malik participating in cyber-bullying? Is Dr Vivian a victim of this bullying? Or is Mr Malik a victim of a gross injustice to civil liberties?

Apparently, Dr Vivian didn’t even have any fears for his life. He didn’t even lodge the report against Mr Malik. Clearly, he had better things to do. Who did? It was the police themselves. It was the Investigating Officer that lodged the report against Mr Malik. I didn’t know the police could lodge a report against someone without the need for the aggrieved party to register his claim.

A month ago, Mr Abdillah Zamzuri, a good friend of mine, was questioned by the police for his informative entry on the clearly overboard way a police officer had cuffed a press photographer, Mr Shafie Goh of the Singapore Chinese daily, Lianhe Wanbao for taking photos of the Bukit Timah floods. He provided his valuable police knowledge, being an NSMan Police Officer. There was nothing wrong with Abdillah’s entry. He did not incite violence. What he did was describe the standard practice of police officers in the line of duty in handling matters of public safety, which the police officer in question did not seem to comply to and suggested that this police officer should be disciplinary dealt with. His blog was a mere speck in the blogosphere. It’s not famous. It’s a humble blog where he accounts his life and experiences. Yet, the police force decided to clamp down on him, and while Abdillah is not yet formally charged, this incident has caused him unnecessary stress and worry because his only crime was speaking the truth. In other parts of the world, he would be lauded as a whistle blower and ensure the police force is held accountable for the actions of its officers. The charge against him? “Prejudice to the conduct of good order or discipline”.

How is it does a police officer who clearly went overboard by handcuffing a civilian when there was no offence committed becomes an exemplary act of good order and discipline? But highlighting what the proper discipline and good order a police officer should do in matters concerning public safety become “prejudicial”? If anything, Abdillah’s blog post exposes the misuse of police powers and even if Abdillah did not write this piece, any person with common sense can see that the photo-journalist was man-handled and the police officer should have been taken to task. However, disciplining the police officer who had wrongfully handcuffed Shafie Goh was not a priority. Instead, Abdillah’s sense of civic-mindedness was rewarded with a charge against him.

This government has a false sense of efficiency about itself. When I listened to Mr Ng Ser Miang’s speech at the closing ceremony, I was sad. Not that the games were over, but for all the money spent on these games, it was apparently only for glory. “We (pauses) have done it! We (pauses) have delivered! We (pauses) have hosted the first Youth Olympic Games”. Mr Ng, I don’t care. Moscow could have hosted it as well. It was a 50:50 chance, and I’d still be proud of the 12 days of human spirit and olympian values cultured into the world’s future. But that’s not the point of hosting the games it seems. There’s no greater good. Just someone’s desire to do something great. Was it a service to Singapore? Honestly, not as large a service people like Abdillah does for the common Singaporean.

I ask of you Singaporeans to think deeply if this is what we want for our children’s future. A nation without the security of civil liberties, to protect honest Singaporeans from registering their opinions. A nation where the police can lodge a report against you so freely. A nation where the police actually spends more time nabbing bloggers for their opinions rather than real threats like cyber criminals in phishing and email scams.

What’s the point of having us Singaporeans understand the meanings of our flag (the theme for 2010′s National Day Parade), one of which is “Democracy”, when it seems that our democracy is retarded? Or is the flag, like our pledge, merely an aspiration? You mean, the flag means nothing? We don’t actually have to live up to the ideals of this nation?

I honestly hope this is not the case. Singapore, I have a lot of hope for you. I hope you change your ways.