Archive for May 2008
Mas Selamat Escape: The Disciplinary Fallout
Edited: 27 May 2008 at 1200hrs
News has broken regarding the disciplinary action taken in light of the Mas Selamat escape. Appended at the bottom of this post is a ‘quick-reference’ table summarizing (from DPM Wong Kan Seng’s speech in Parliament on Monday) the disciplinary actions taken against the various officers and guards. Certain cells I have left blank, because the information was not available from DPM Wong’s speech.
In all, 9 individuals faced disciplinary action of some kind; 6 by the Internal Security Department, 2 by the Singapore Police Force, and 1 by the Minister for Home Affairs himself.
The Problem of Concurrent Appointments
From the Table, you’ll note that the most senior officer involved apparently held concurrent appointments, as a Command Director of the Internal Security Department (ISD), and as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC).
Racist Speech — Whose Fault is It, Anyway?
A dude going by the rather charming moniker, Sexy Fragrance Prince, has been charged under s. 298 of the Penal Code. Since I’m presently researching on the topic of hate speech legislation, I thought I should weigh in a little on this debate.
A few good blog posts on this issue:
- Ian on the Red Dot, “Bloggers Should be Allowed to be as Racist as Possible”
- Simply Jean, “Local Blogger Arrested”
- Simply Inconceivable, “Jail the racist blogger. Legal?”
Before commenting on the free speech issues, I would note that the relevant provision used here is s. 298 of the Penal Code (for wounding another person’s racial or religious feelings with deliberate intention), and not the Sedition Act (as in 2005, with Benjamin Koh and his ilk).
The Pedra Branca Denouement: Between a Rock and a Hard Place?
To make up for a long absence, I will post in quick succession on a number of issues: Pedra Branca, racist bloggers, the Yaw Shin Leong mini-scandal, and (just in) the disciplinary fallout from Mas Selamat’s escape. Let me start with a short comment on Pedra Branca.
The Straits Times
May 26, 2008
SM: Accepting outcome shows maturing of ties
By Zakir Hussain
THE world court’s decision on Pedra Branca has untied a ‘tricky knot’ in bilateral ties between Singapore and Malaysia, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday.
Both sides can now ‘look forward instead of being bogged down by this issue’, he told reporters ahead of a charity golf tournament to raise funds for the needy in Yuhua constituency.
… … …
‘Personally, I’m disappointed that we did not get the award for Middle Rocks,’ he added.
‘I thought it would either be all or nothing, a binary solution, because the three rocky outcrops were quite close to one another.’
‘But nevertheless, there is a hint of Solomon in the decision,’ he said, referring to the Biblical king known for his wisdom.
‘And I think perhaps it’s the fair and best outcome for both sides.’
Perhaps the most famed example of King Solomon’s wisdom is chronicled in 1 Kings 3:16-28 of the Bible. Two female prostitutes come before Solomon with an infant boy, each claiming that the child is hers. Aside from the rather unflattering comparison which SM Goh draws between Singapore and Malaysia, and prostitutes, there is yet another difference between the story of Solomon and the Pedra Branca dispute.
In the former, Solomon merely threatened to cut up the child with a sword as a means of determining its true mother. With its ruling on Friday, however, the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) actually severs in two the group of islands comprising Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge. (The judgment is available here.)
