PDA

View Full Version : In 2010, an sdp member served a week in jail for handing out political flyers


Sammyboy RSS Feed
17-03-2015, 01:10 AM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

IN 2010, AN SDP MEMBER SERVED A WEEK IN JAIL FOR HANDING OUT POLITICAL FLYERS

Post date:
15 Mar 2015 - 9:32pm


http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/11050293_371969052987438_8104791816725069615_n-650x488.jpg?itok=Ip9EpSIc (http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/field/image/11050293_371969052987438_8104791816725069615_n-650x488.jpg)






PAP Activists have been busy in Aljunied distributing flyers to residents calling on them to question the Workers' Party about apparent lapses in their management of the town council.

The flyers were printed in both English and Chinese and they were distributed to residents in Aljunied.

PAP Branch Chairman of Bedok Reservoir-Punggol Victor Lye, shared on his Facebook that he was part of the group which went around distributing the flyers.

He even posted a photo of the group he went around with eating at Macdonald's afterward:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/10422205_371968882987455_3821220237826280300_n.jpg ?oh=e858648167969fe2b250dd223009f8f6&oe=55B9AC20&__gda__=1434165284_6c9918b78cb9c9c0ea34916afb0984f 3
A copy of the flyer was also shared online and many netizens have pointed out how biased and ridiculous it was.

PAP grassroots leaders who were contacted did not hide the fact that the flyers were distributed by PAP members. The content of the flyers were also 100% anti-Workers' Party and it was obvious that they were handed out by PAP.

Interestingly, last time something like this happened involving flyers critical of the PAP, action was taken against those involved.

Back in 2010, "poison letters" criticizing the PAP government were handed out in Sengkang and at that time, it was reported by TODAY that the Police were looking into the case as it was possibly a case of sedition:
SINGAPORE - Even before the date for the next General Election has been announced, a poison pen letter has surfaced in Sengkang.

Written on a piece of A4-size paper in both English and Mandarin, it has been stuffed into the letter boxes of residents there, apparently since last week.

In it, the anonymous author accuses the People's Action Party (PAP) of being responsible for the high cost of living and the 7-per-cent GST, among other complaints.

The police said that a report has been made, and investigations are in progress.

MediaCorp understands that this case falls under the Sedition Act, where the offender could be fined up to $5,000 and/or given a maximum jail term of three years.






Before that, SDP members were also prosecuted for handing out flyers. Chee Siok Chin even served 1 week in jail (https://cheesiokchin.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/chee-siok-chin-begins-jail-term/) in January 2010 for the incident.

In this case, the SDP Members were prosecuted because it was apparently not allowed for political flyers to be distributed and also because they had done so in a group of more than 5 people, constituting an illegal assembly.

As it can be seen from Victor Lye's selfie, there were at least 7 people involved in the distribution of Anti-WP flyers and they have openly admitted that they were obviously given out by the PAP given the content of the flyers. If this is the case, shouldn't they be classified as political flyers and therefore not allowed?

It was also raised previously by netizens that because of the content of the flyers, they could be considered campaigning or election material and therefore be illegal under the Parliamentary elections Act as it is not presently campaigning time. (PAP Activists May have Broken the Law with their Anti-WP Flyers (http://therealsingapore.com/content/pap-activists-may-have-broken-law-their-anti-wp-flyers))

So, when Anti-PAP flyers were distributed, there were investigations for sedition, prosecutions for illegal assembly and illegal political material. There is also a potential breach of the Parliamentary Elections Act. Will the police take any action under any one of these laws for the Anti-WP flyers?

UPDATE:
Meanwhile, when a netizen raised this issue with the police, they declined to get invovled and told the netizen to seek his own legal advice:

https://scontent-sin.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/10305067_958400167538484_5033325082396914078_n.jpg ?oh=9872d379a76062c1ddbd78cc3f1e8b52&oe=5581EF63


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?202784-In-2010-an-sdp-member-served-a-week-in-jail-for-handing-out-political-flyers&goto=newpost).