PUBLICATIONS APPEAL COMMITTEE (Criteria for publication)

Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon asked the Minister for Information and the Arts, in regard to the newly-formed Publications Appeal Committee, if he will state what criteria will be used by the committee to determine whether or not a publication should be banned.

The Minister of State for Information and the Arts (Dr Ker Sin Tze) (for the Minister for Information and the Arts): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Publications Appeal Committee will follow the criteria recommended by the 1992 Censorship Review Committee (CRC). The Committee recommended that publications which are inimical to Singapore's national interest should continue to be disallowed. These include materials that may:

(i) erode the core moral values of society;

(ii) subvert the nation's security and stability;

(iii) create misunderstanding or conflict in our multi-racial and multi-religious society; or

(iv) denigrate any religion or race.

The Censorship Review Committee also recommended that consideration and weight be given to the artistic or research merit of a publication and its context.