[Kabar-indonesia] BT: FEER, IHT, Time, FT, Newsweek 'must comply with conditions' [+Play Banned]

[Joyo at aol.com]

also: ST: Licence for controversial play withdrawn

The Business Times Singapore
Saturday, August 5, 2006

FEER has to meet conditions for foreign publications

The same will apply to IHT, FT, Newsweek, Time

Chuang Peck Ming

THE government has informed the Far Eastern Economic
Review, which has been gazetted as a declared foreign
newspaper for interfering in Singapore's politics,
that it has to comply with the requirements of an
offshore newspaper before it can be circulated in
Singapore.

This essentially means FEER has to appoint a
representative in Singapore to accept service of any
notice or legal process, and to submit a security
deposit of $200,000.

Four foreign publications - International Herald
Tribune, Financial Times, Newsweek and Time -
previously granted an exemption from the provisions
were also notified that the exemption will be removed,
so that they have to comply with the conditions
stipulated under Section 23 of the Newspaper and
Printing Presses Act (NPPA), said a statement issued
yesterday by the Ministry of Information,
Communications and the Arts.

FEER was a weekly when it was gazetted as a declared
foreign newspaper on Dec 26, 1987. It was also
classified as an offshore newspaper after the
amendment of the NPPA on Aug 30, 1990 - and subjected
to the
conditions in Section 23 of the NPPA.

But FEER ceased to be an offshore newspaper in
December 2004 when it changed from weekly to monthly
publication, and it was allowed to circulate here
without having to comply with the conditions for
offshore newspapers.

'However, FEER remains a declared foreign newspaper,'
the ministry said. 'It is an anomaly for FEER, which
is a declared foreign newspaper, not to be subjected
to the conditions that apply to the other declared
foreign newspaper, namely Wall Street Journal Asia,
and other offshore newspapers.'

Thus the government has given notice to FEER, which is
subject to a circulation cap of 10,000 copies, that it
has to comply with the requirements of an offshore
newspaper circulating in Singapore with effect from
Sept 11.

'We are rectifying an anomaly for FEER which has been
a declared foreign newspaper since December 1987,'
said K Bhavani, press secretary to the Minister for
Information, Communications and the Arts.

'It was an administrative oversight not to have
subjected FEER to the conditions which are required
for declared newspapers to circulate in Singapore.'

In moving to lift the exempt status for IHT, FT,
Newsweek and Time, the ministry said there have been
changes in the media scene since the exemption was
granted. 'These newspapers now regularly report on
political issues in the region and Singapore, and have
significant circulations in Singapore,' it said.

'Their exempt status should cease upon the expiry of
their current permits given under Section 21 of the
NPPA. They will thereafter be required to comply with
conditions for the circulation of an offshore
newspaper under Section 23 of the NPPA.'

Since 1990, unless exempted, offshore newspapers -
those published outside Singapore at intervals not
exceeding one week which contain reports of politics
and current affairs in South-east Asia, except where
the circulation is less than 300 copies - must have a
permit to circulate in Singapore.

The permit can be issued subject to conditions under
Section 23 (3) of the NPPA. The NPPA serves to
reinforce the government's position that it is a
privilege, and not a right, for foreign newspapers to
circulate in Singapore, the ministry said. They do so
as foreign observers of the local scene and should not interfere
in the domestic politics of Singapore.

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The Straits Times (Singapore)
Saturday, August 5, 2006

Licence for controversial play withdrawn

June Cheong, Arst reports

ANOTHER play by controversial playwright Elangovan
will not be allowed to be staged.

The arts entertainment licence for Smegma, which
comprises 10 mini plays, was withdrawn by the Media
Development Authority at the 11th hour yesterday.

It was scheduled to be staged by theatre group Agni
Kootthu at The Substation Guinness Theatre today and
tomorrow.

The title of the English language play refers to
genital secretions.

The MDA said the play 'undermines the values
underpinning Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious
society' and 'portrays Muslims in a negative light'.

The script by Elangovan was submitted to the MDA a few
weeks ago, and a licence was issued on Tuesday, with
an RA-18 rating.

The Arts Consultative Panel was consulted about the
play, said the statement.

'The majority found most of the content of the play
insensitive and inappropriate for staging. The members
were concerned that the play could create unhappiness
and disaffection amongst Muslims,' it added.

The panel comprises 35 members of the public from the
arts, media and education.

Elangovan, 47, ran into controversy previously with
Talaq, a Tamil-language play.

Staged by Agni Kootthu in Tamil in 1998 and 1999, the
monologue - about Indian-Muslim women suffering
marital abuse - was denied a licence in 2000 for its
staging in English and Malay.

This was after the National Arts Council requested a
preview and some members of the Islamic Religious
Council of Singapore in attendance protested that
certain lines were offensive to Islam.

The publicity material for Smegma described the
performance as exploring the 'privileged groups'
control over and exploitation of the disadvantaged
groups'.

The play contained scenes such as two Singapore men
discussing their sexual conquests in Indonesia and two
Asian soldiers humiliating a Muslim woman.

The playwright could not be contacted yesterday.

Dew M. Chaiyanara, 23, an actress in Smegma and a
Singapore permanent resident of Thai-Muslim origin,
told The Straits Times yesterday she was disappointed
that the licence had been withdrawn.

'But I understand that the MDA is just doing its job.'

About 20 tickets had been sold. Refunds can be
obtained at The Substation box office from Monday.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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