hear?
Well check these out. Two articles, one by Reuters (of the UK) and the other by ChannelNewsAsia (of Singapore), on the same issue, the farewell words by the US ambassador to Singapore.
The Reuters article: U.S. envoy slams Singapore's political curbs
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The outgoing U.S. envoy to Singapore criticised the city-state's limits on political expression, saying governments will pay an increasing price for failing to give citizens freedom of choice and expression.
U.S. Ambassador Franklin L. Lavin said it was surprising to find what he called constraints on discussions given Singapore's strong international links.
"In this era of Weblogs and Webcams, how much sense does it make to limit political expression?" Lavin told an audience at his farewell dinner on Tuesday. The speech was made available on the U.S. embassy's Web site.
In August, police ordered a 36-year-old filmmaker to surrender equipment used to make a documentary on opposition figure Chee Soon Juan. A student on a state scholarship shut down his personal Web site in May after a government agency threatened a libel suit for his online comments.
On Friday, Singapore jailed two men for posting racist comments aimed at the country's ethnic Malay community, who are mainly Muslim, on the Internet.
"Singapore has flourished over the past 40 years, but is a 20th century model adequate for the 21st century?" Lavin asked.
"Remaking (Singapore's) economy is, in a sense, the easy decision. Shaping a political system to reflect the needs and aspirations of its citizens is more difficult and more sensitive," he added.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last week ruled out adopting a Western liberal democracy with a multi-party system in the next 20 years, saying that it was unsuitable for the country.
Lavin, whose four-year tenure saw the conclusion of a U.S.-Singapore free-trade agreement and a deepening of security ties, takes up a new post in Washington as undersecretary for international trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
He will be replaced by Patricia Herbold, a lawyer and a Republican fundraiser.
A parliamentary republic with elections held at regular, constitutionally mandated intervals, Singapore has been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP) since independence in 1965.
Opposition politicians, who hold only two of the 84 seats in parliament, have long complained that frequent defamation suits by PAP officials have stifled dissent -- a view echoed by a 2004 U.S. State Department report on Singapore.
Many analysts expect parliamentary elections in the coming months although they are not due to be held until mid-2007.
In May, Amnesty International criticised Singapore's human rights record, saying that control on political expression remained tight despite government promises of greater openness.
The CNA article: More can be done to boost S'pore-US ties: Outgoing Ambassador Lavin:
SINGAPORE : Singapore and the United States are like-minded countries with a common approach towards trade, political stability and the fight against terror.
That is the view of outgoing US Ambassador Frank Lavin, who is returning home. He has been appointed Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.
But Mr Lavin says more can still be done, including progress on free trade agreements between ASEAN and the US, and cooperation in areas such as tackling bird flu.
Singapore and the US have always enjoyed a good relationship, especially with the conclusion of the landmark US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, and the Strategic Framework agreement for closer security cooperation.
But he says there is room for even more improvement.
Mr Lavin said: "You do not want to permanently rest on your laurels. We have come a long way and we should look at all these challenges we have, like bird flu.
"We want to see increased economic liberalisation in ASEAN, we might see more movement on ASEAN-US free trade agreements. This will help Singapore as well, and see India come online in the world economy."
It has also been a memorable four years for Mr Lavin in Singapore, including the SARS crisis.
He recalled one tough decision he had to make.
Mr Lavin said: "The US embassies were evacuating people out of China, Vietnam, Toronto. We got a fair amount of voices in the American community saying it is time to signal to evacuate here as well. The only basis for keeping our doors open so to speak was that we had very strong confidence in the Singapore government and leadership."
Going forward, he said the Singapore-US relationship is very friendly and sound - politically, economically and strategically.
He is confident that when his replacement Patricia Herbold takes over next month, she will continue to build on this firm foundation. - CNA/de
Did you notice the difference? What was the centre of the Reuters article was not even once mentioned in the CNA article. Is it because it didn't sound too good?
And recently, in SPH, we just ascend the throne to be the chairman ? think AGAIN.
Gee I wonder.
