WORKERS' PARTY DEMOCRACY DAY DINNER (Refusal of licence)

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he will explain why a licence under the Public Entertainments Act was refused for the Workers' Party Democracy Day Dinner on 14th November 1992.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, Police rejected the application because they considered the proposed venue, being a narrow strip of land between a major road and an HDB apartment block, was unsuitable for such a gathering organised by a political party. It was also too small to accommodate the 1,300 to 1,500 persons expected to attend it, and the available car parking facilities were insufficient.

Subsequently, on 9th November 1992, the applicants proposed an alternative site which was approved.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, is the Minister aware that the site has been approved by MND as a wayang site?

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, a site for wayang is very different from a site for a political meeting organised by a political party. I think the difference must be very obvious to all and the potential for breaches of the peace, law and disorder are considerably different.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Just now, the Minister mentioned about the suitability of the site and he said that it was a narrow strip of land. A wayang will also encourage crowd forming.

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, these are professional decisions which the Police must make, taking into account various factors. A wayang may attract a certain kind of crowd but a meeting organised by a political party, whether the PAP or opposition parties, has different connotations. The Police's concern is not to stop such meetings organised by political parties. Where political parties want to organise a gathering with speeches it, in fact, becomes a political meeting. Police's concern is that if it is held outdoors, close to HDB residential areas, then there is potential for mischief and disorder because it is difficult to distinguish those who are genuine supporters and invited guests and those who are not and might be heckling and causing trouble. In fact, there have been instances where objects have been thrown down from HDB flats. So these are some considerations which the Police take into account. It is not good enough to say that that site was used for a wayang and therefore it must automatically be approved for political parties. There are various law and order considerations which the Police have to take into account.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, the Minister mentioned about public disorder and mischief. Would the Minister explain or clarify whether the Workers' Party Democracy Day Dinners in the past 10 years have caused any public disorder or mischief?

Prof. Jayakumar: I am not sure whether the Police have had any problems in past Democracy Day dinners. But their concern is the potential for trouble and that is the prime consideration for approving such sites.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Does the Minister agree that the potential is something which is perceived?

Prof. Jayakumar: It is not only perceived, but there have actually been cases, both during election periods and outside election periods, where there have been breaches of the peace, disorder, unruly behaviour and, therefore, there are very good reasons for the cautious approach taken by the Police.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, have Democracy Day dinners of the Workers' Party in the past caused any public disorder? Please do not compare it with election rallies.

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, I think we can go on and on. I have answered the question which he had already asked.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: The Minister mentioned just now that car parking facilities were one of the considerations. Does the Minister know the number of car park lots in the vicinity of the site?

Prof. Jayakumar: If Ministers have to carry all these bits of information, then they will not be able to do any work.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: For the information of the Minister, there are 344 motor car parking lots in the vicinity and 106 motor-cycle parking lots. Why did PELU (Public Entertainments Licensing Unit) consider car parking facilities as a criterion for refusing to grant the licence?

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, I fail to understand the purport of the question. I have just mentioned some of the considerations that the Police have to take into account and one of the considerations is, of course, the congestion that can be created by people coming into the particular area, the displacement of car parks for residents in the area and the congestion that will be created after the dinner or the political meeting.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Is the Minister saying that if the permit were given for this instance and there were speeches, it may pose a security threat to Singapore?

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, I never said that. I thought I made it very clear. Political parties can have functions anywhere and any time. But if they are going to have functions where there are going to be speeches and these functions are organised by political parties, Police's preference and requirement is that they be held indoors or within stadiums or athletic centres. Police will not allow such political meetings to be held outdoors and close to residential estates.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Does the Minister agree that the ground which the Minister has mentioned in refusing the permit is based on unreal imagination and is a manifestation of the paranoia of this Government?

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, the Member can choose to describe it in whatever way he likes. But I can assure him that the Police will not change their attitude because it is that strict insistence on law and order that has prevented us from rendering ourselves into situations which other countries have where mayhem, chaos, riots, fisticuffs and so on take place on a regular basis.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Supplementary question, Sir?

Mr Speaker: Mr Low, it appears to me you are asking more or less the same question. Unless you have something new, we will have to move on because we have a lot of questions today.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Last question, Sir.

Mr Speaker: All right, last question.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Does the Minister agree that the refusal by PELU to grant the permit is designed to deny the Workers' Party leaders from making public speeches and to make it difficult for the Party to organise the dinner?

Prof. Jayakumar: Of course, I do not agree because the Workers' Party, as I said, is free to organise rallies and meetings within stadiums or athletic centres. They can have a very big crowd. They can open it to the press. So how is that a denial of freedom of the press or freedom of information. The same requirement and the same considerations which I mentioned will also be applicable if an application was made by the PAP.