Daily Lessons for Life 10 September 2014 - Classification for documentary on Singapore political exiles means it cannot be shown here

"Classification for documentary on Singapore political exiles means it cannot be shown here - The Straits Times Sep 10, 2014

SINGAPORE - The Media Development Authority (MDA) has classified the film "To Singapore, With Love" as Not Allowed for All Ratings (NAR).

MDA has assessed that the contents of the film undermine national security because legitimate actions of the security agencies to protect the national security and stability of Singapore are presented in a distorted way as acts that victimised innocent individuals.

Under the Film Classification Guidelines, films that are assessed to undermine national security will be given an NAR rating.

The individuals in the film have given distorted and untruthful accounts of how they came to leave Singapore and remain outside Singapore. A number of these self-professed "exiles" were members of, or had provided support to, the proscribed Communist Party of Malaya (CPM). The CPM sought to overthrow the legitimate elected governments of Singapore and Malaysia through armed struggle and subversion, and replace them with a communist regime.

The individuals featured in the film gave the impression that they are being unfairly denied their right to return to Singapore. They were not forced to leave Singa­pore, nor are they being prevented from returning. The Government has made it clear that it would allow former CPM members to return to Singapore if they agree to be interviewed by the authorities on their past activities to resolve their cases. Criminal offences will have to be accounted for in accordance with the law. These facts had been published at the time of these events, and are on public records, even though some Singaporeans today may be unfamiliar with these cases."

MDA and the authorities are right in that MANY younger Singaporeans do not know about these people and the history.

Lessons for me are:

1. good that some film makers are trying to make the film about this forgotten era or history of Singapore;

2. good that MDA has provided its reasons for rating the film a NAR so that those who do not know about this segment of Singapore political history get the facts right. It may actually trigger some to do more research and get to know the political history of Singapore better. Some, or all, may become defenders of any attempts to distort our political history!;

3. given that those being exiled were featured in the film, it shows that they are probably still harbouring the desire to return to Singapore. If so, they should ask for a fair and open trial and take a stand. If the authorities are WRONG about them, they will be set free forever once the court rules in their favour. Of course, if they are found guilty of the crimes charged, they should face the consequence of such past 'mistakes' and take the lawful punishment, whatever it may be on their chins and close the chapters. In this way, they get to come back to Singapore legitimately. Are they willing to do that? If not, they should probably let the bygone be bygone as whatever they had done or the government of the day had done to them are NO LONGER relevant to today's Singapore!

Singapore of today faces a very different set of challenges. Many have no easy solutions and the government is already working overtime.