Singapore: Very rich, but without freedom

Porto Alegre, August 17, 2008

by Luís Henrique Vieira

Singapore is widely known as an island of prosperity and somewhere you can get rich easy. The country has the 6th GDP per capita of the world (US$ 49,714). Otherside, some people can get suprised with some rules for native people from Singapore. The blog Censorship in Singapore reveals that Singapore´s government establishes many kinds of censorship in the laws of the country.

The amazing island of Singapore

To play a game or watch a movie in the asian island you have to be allowed by the BFC (Board of Film Censors) under the MDA (Media Development Authority). According to the government, games like Mortal Kombat, Doom or Grand Theft Auto “allow players to make crimes”. Persons with less than 18 years can´t buy these games.

In Singapore is ilegal to broadcast political movies ou films with a lot of violence. The Texas Chain Say Massacre, Shortbus and Life of Brain were banned in the country.

Broadcasting rules

“Authority” means the Media Development Authority of Singapore established under the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 172);

“broadcasting apparatus” means any apparatus capable of or designed or constructed for the reception of any broadcasting service and specified in the First Schedule;
“broadcasting apparatus licence” means a licence granted under section 20 in respect of broadcasting apparatus, and “broadcasting apparatus licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“broadcasting licence” means a licence granted under section 8 or 9 for the provision of a licensable broadcasting service, and “broadcasting licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“broadcasting service” means a service whereby signs or signals transmitted, whether or not encrypted, comprise —
(a) any programme capable of being received, or received and displayed, as visual images, whether moving or still;
(b) any sound programme for reception; or
(c) any programme, being a combination of both visual image (whether moving or still) and sound for reception or reception and display,
by persons having equipment appropriate for receiving, or receiving and displaying, as the case may be, that service, irrespective of the means of delivery of that service;
“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Authority and includes any temporary Chairman of the Authority;
“chief executive” means the chief executive of the Authority appointed under section 28 of the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 172) and includes any person acting in that capacity;
“class licence” means a licence determined under section 9 to be applicable to certain licensable broadcasting services, and “class licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“Code of Practice” means a Code of Practice issued under this Act;
“debenture” includes debenture stock;
“dwelling-house” includes a hotel, inn, boarding house or other similar establishment;
“encrypted” means treated electronically or otherwise for the purpose of preventing intelligible reception;
“free-to-air broadcasting service” means a licensable broadcasting service made available for reception in not less than 2 dwelling-houses by broadcasting apparatus commonly available to the public without payment of a subscription fee;
“free-to-air licence” means a broadcasting licence granted under this Act for the operation of a free-to-air broadcasting service, and “free-to-air licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
“Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore” means the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore established under section 3 of the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 137A);
“licence” means a licence granted under any provision of this Act, and “licensee” shall be construed accordingly;
” behalf of the Government.

Learn more in Censorship in Singapore.