Recent Suspension of an Advertisement by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore

Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) if he will explain MDA's support for the recent suspension by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore of a fashion chain advertisement along Orchard Road; (b) how this position will be applied to other similar advertisements; and (c) how it balances the differing views of the public on this matter.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I believe Mr Baey Yam Keng is referring to a media statement MDA made recently in response to a media query. Let me clarify that in its media statement, MDA expressed support for the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS)' efforts to regulate the advertising industry. MDA did not comment on ASAS' decision to suspend the fashion chain's advertisement along Orchard Road because the advertising industry is self-regulated.

ASAS administers the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP), which helps to ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful. SCAP has been endorsed by organisations representing the advertisers, advertising agencies and the media, and it is reviewed periodically by ASAS to keep it in tandem with public values. In the case of the advertisement in question, ASAS determined that it had breached SCAP's guidelines on decency. ASAS then communicated this decision to the parties involved to secure the advertiser's agreement to remove the advertisement.

MDA supports the self-regulation of the advertising industry. MDA would also encourage ASAS to see how it could do more active consultation with community groups to even better reflect the views of the public in its decisions.

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