PUBLIC SPEECHES UNDER THE PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS ACT

Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he will clarify the procedures, criteria and processing time for applications to give public speeches under the Public Entertainments Act, especially for political parties and civil society groups.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Procedures

Anyone wishing to deliver a public speech is required to apply for a public entertainment licence, on a prescribed form, from the Police Licensing Officer. The Police would inform the applicant, in writing or by phone, of its outcome as soon as the application has been processed. The successful applicant would have to pay the required fee and collect the licence from the Police Licensing Unit at Pearl's Hill.

Criteria

The Police take into account factors such as the proposed programme of the event, the nature of the speeches, the suitability of the site, and the timing of the event, when considering applications.

Speeches which are political in nature, or on race, language or religion which can elicit disaffection or highly emotional responses may only be held indoors, or within stadiums or athletics centres. This is because such speeches have a higher propensity for law and order problems, and an indoor or controlled setting would allow the licensee better control over the access and behaviour of the audience.

Processing Time

The Police normally takes about 3 weeks to process an application. The actual time needed to process an application would vary, depending on the nature of the proposed event.