The Singapore’s MDA has recently imposed a new online licensing
scheme requiring websites that report on Singapore news and have at least
50,000 visitors a month to obtain annual licenses. The websites will also have
to post a performance bond of S$50,000.
This blog website who has less than 50 readers a day will
definitely not need to go through this crazy licensing, but since all the rules
are arbitrary and fuzzy anyways who says they might not change it to 1 reader
requirement in the future. We interviewed a few people on the street to get
their thoughts.
Banker Jing Bo Eng was rushing off to work with his
Starbucks and Prada manbag when we stopped him to ask some questions, “new
licensing scheme for new websites? Okay lah, I dun really read Singapore news
anyways, so boring, some politician visiting, govt agency killing mosquitoes, some
Singaporean got some award, army personnel cleaning up beaches.” He paused, as
he suddenly was distracted by a lady in a short mini-skirt walking by. He
turned back and comment,” I use the Internet for online gambling, soccer
betting, porn websites and downloading bootleg movies lah, now if they clamp
down on these, I immediately migrate and take all my CPF away I tell you!”
We also managed to catch up with Internet Entrepreneur Mr
Wong I-Dear, and he was concerned with the trend that seems to be occurring, “We
are monitoring the current situation closely and are concerned that this just the
start of a larger plan to control the internet and internet users. Our worry is
that this rules can apply to all forms of internet media and businesses. So if
we set up a gaming website which borders on gambling and have 50,000 per month
and profitable, does that mean we are under the rules too? It does seem that
the government just wants to take money from businesses and people in all ways,
no wonder they are called Pay & Pay.”
Housewife Mrs Mei Li Hoh was very harsh with her words, “Wah-lao
eh, so many other problems like MRT breakdowns, crazy property & car prices,
indiscriminate import of foreigners, dengue fever all never solve! Spent the
time to do all this ‘eat full nothing to do’ [Jiak Bah, Bo Sai Pang] stuff to
regulate the internet, tell them to go and piss into the ocean lah!”
MDA’s Senior Director Boh Zo Kang defended the new ruling as
necessary to ensure that Singaporeans get the right news that they deserve and
it was never intended to regulate the internet, though if they manage to convince
the masses, they may consider expanding the ruling. “We are in the experimental
stage with this ruling, we really like the potential controls and regulations
that will come to the Internet. Next in our long term unrealistic plans is to
solve world hunger and set up colonies of Singaporeans on Planet Mars.”
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