02/07/2017

The famiLEE feud: Why LHY is speaking up

Lee Hsien Yang in his own words: ‘Why I’m speaking up’

Since the episode involving my parents’ house became publicised, my sister, Wei Ling and I have taken to social media to reach the people of Singapore. We have no other access. Please let me step back and introduce myself, so that Singaporeans know where I am coming from.

I am the youngest child of Lee Kuan Yew. I have an elder brother Hsien Loong, and an elder sister Wei Ling.

I am a private individual who has always avoided public attention. I am not a politician, and I have never desired to be a one. When I reach out to Singaporeans, please bear in mind that I am a novice. I have neither brigades of staff nor teams to back me up. Indeed, until this episode occurred, I had never posted on Facebook. As such, I ask for your patience – I am only a man working to honour his father’s wishes.

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PM Lee dragged Government into personal dispute, says Lee Hsien Yang
PM Lee Hsien Loong and his brother Lee Hsien Yang are now embroiled in a very public feud. — AFP pic composites

Alleging that his elder brother Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the one who “dragged the Government into a personal dispute”, Lee Hsien Yang said today that he and his sister Dr Lee Wei Ling had not intended to criticise the Government by making public their accusations of PM Lee.

“Our private family dispute would have remained a private family dispute, if PM Lee had not used government agencies and a secret ministerial committee to force his way. Sadly, it is Lee Hsien Loong who has dragged the government into a personal dispute,” said Lee Hsien Yang via a Facebook post.

He was responding to Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong’s remarks in Parliament on Tuesday, where he questioned the younger Lee siblings’ motivations for making public allegations about their elder brother. Goh had said: “Are they whistleblowing in a noble effort to save Singapore, or waging a personal vendetta without any care for the damage done to Singapore?”

related:
PM Lee waives Parliamentary privilege of ministerial statements
Lee family war rumbles on as Singapore’s parliament debates

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No attack on the Singapore system: Lee Hsien Yang

Showing that PM Lee Hsien Loong has allegedly failed to meet the standards expected of him is not an attack on the Singapore system.

Rather, it is to preserve it, Mr Lee Hsien Yang wrote in a Facebook post last night.

His post came a day after the end of a 2-day parliamentary debate over the accusations of misuse of power.

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Lee Hsien Yang 2 hrs

Does DPM Teo believe that a Ministerial Committee of PM's subordinates should be opining on a private dispute between the PM and his siblings? Does DPM Teo believe that a secret Ministerial Committee is the right forum for re-examining a court-proved will?

Our letter to the committee in May 2017 is at this link:

The five points are as follows:
  • "It refused to reveal the identity of its members, and its terms of reference.
  • It refused to list the options under consideration.
  • It focused primarily on LHL's attacks on Lee Kuan Yew's demolition wish.
  • These were repetitions of earlier attacks made by LHL's then-personal lawyer, Lucien Wong.
  • It involved the Attorney-General's Chambers over LHL's 'private family matter'."

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Lee Hsien Yang asks if DPM Teo thinks a ministerial committee should opine on 'private dispute'

Mr Lee Hsien Yang has again questioned if Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean believes that a "Ministerial Committee of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's subordinates should be opining on a private dispute between the PM & his siblings".

In his latest Facebook post on Monday (Jul 3) on the Oxley Road dispute, PM Lee's brother also asked if DPM Teo "believes that a secret Ministerial Committee is the right forum for re-examining a court-proved will".

In the post in which he provided a link to his letter to the committee in May 2017, Mr Lee Hsien Yang said there were "five facts" that DPM Teo has not said about the "secret committee".

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DPM Teo’s press secretary rebuts Lee Hsien Yang

Mr Lee Hsien Yang has presented a selective & inaccurate account of his exchanges with the ministerial committee tasked to consider options for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's house at 38, Oxley Road, said Ms Lee May Lin, press secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Contrary to what the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has claimed, she added, the committee had made clear the scope of its work & who it reports to. It also looked into the circumstances surrounding the late Mr Lee's will only after Mr Lee Hsien Yang asked the committee to refer to a clause in the will, she said.

Her statement followed Mr Lee Hsien Yang's Facebook post yesterday in which he hit out at the "mysterious" committee for being "neither transparent nor proper".

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Lee Hsien Yang explains why he made 38 Oxley Road dispute public

Mr Lee Hsien Yang explained on Sat (Jul 1) why he & his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, went public with a dispute regarding their late father's house at 38 Oxley Road.

In a post on Facebook, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's brother said the reason the siblings felt compelled to "bring these issues before the people of Singapore" was that they were "pushed by (PM Lee)'s secret Cabinet committee".

"As we sought to remind the people of Singapore of our father’s last wish, we encountered opposition every step of the way. It became clear that we faced a vast and coordinated effort by Hsien Loong against us. He did not want our father’s wishes remembered or carried out; he wished to rewrite history to claim that Lee Kuan Yew ‘accepted’ the preservation of his house. Hsien Loong was ready to use his power and influence to thwart our father’s wishes, to meet Hsien Loong’s and Ho Ching’s personal political agenda."

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Lee Hsien Yang added 3 new photos 9 hrs

Why I'm speaking up.

Adding Link to pdf. https://goo.gl/Nah2ra

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I am just trying to honour my father's final wish: Lee Hsien Yang

Amid questions on why he and his sister Lee Wei Ling have made their dispute with their elder brother and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong public, Lee Hsien Yang explained that he simply wanted to honour their late father’s wish to demolish the family home on 38 Oxley Road.

“I am just a son trying to honour my father’s final wish: to demolish my father’s house immediately when my sister, Wei Ling, no longer lives there,” wrote Hsien Yang in a Facebook post on Saturday (1 July). The three are the children of the late Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister.

Hsien Yang also addressed insinuations that he seeks to redevelop the land on which the Oxley Road house sits into a condominium for financial profit after buying it at 150 per cent of market price.

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Speaker of Parliament says lifting of whip for Oxley Road issue signals robust debate
Parliament has 'checks and balances'
Halimah: Parliament has 'checks and balances'

Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob called on all MPs to examine issues surrounding the Oxley Road dispute thoroughly, saying a robust parliamentary debate today is necessary to put to rest allegations of misuse of power.

Speaking yesterday, ahead of what is arguably the most closely watched debate in recent years, she said: "I do hope that we will have a very robust debate & that we will have some finality on the issues that have been raised because I think that is in the interest of the country."

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make a ministerial statement to respond to allegations of abuse of power made by his siblings Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling in a feud over the fate of their late father's Oxley Road house. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean is also slated to speak.

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Halimah Yacob says she hopes Oxley Road dispute will be 'properly debated' in Parliament

Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob on Saturday (Jul 1) said that she hoped issues would be "properly debated" in Parliament on Monday, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is set to address allegations by his siblings against him.

"There will be of course a lot of speeches, but I do hope that we can see that the issues are properly debated and hopefully, if we can have some finality, that would be ideal. But I really leave it to the debate," she said when asked on the sidelines of a People's Action Party (PAP) event what she hopes to see during the debate.

"As the speaker, my task is to ensure that it's a fair, open, transparent debate that goes on on Monday."


STANDING ORDERS OF THE PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE
Ministerial Statements

23. A statement may be made by a Minister in Parliament on a matter of public importance. Members may seek clarification on the statement but no debate shall be allowed thereon.


Parliament an appropriate platform for PM Lee to address 38 Oxley Road allegations: Analysts

Mr Tan said that it is unlikely the dispute will be resolved following the debate, as there will be lots of details and dates to follow, and “information overload” is a real possibility.

Also, he suggested that the debate will probably not repair the rift between the PM and his siblings, “who will respond to his and the Government’s statements and replies in Parliament”.

If it is decided that further scrutiny is needed, Parliament could decide to have a select committee look further into the matter, or the PM could convene a Committee of Inquiry, Prof Tan added

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Parliament hearing a chance to bring closure on 38 Oxley

Regardless of what transpires in parliament, there is significant public expectation not only for a reconciliatory closure to this bitter dispute but also how to move forward purposefully on the matter of 38 Oxley Road.

Notwithstanding the competing and contesting values impacting upon the options for the site, due process, transparency and accountability must be applied and seen to apply.

Ultimately, PM Lee and the government have to prevail in the court of public opinion. How they do so matters immensely to Singapore and Singaporeans.

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WITH BUSY PARLIAMENT SITTING, HOW MUCH TIME LEFT FOR QUESTIONS ON OXLEY RD?

I refer to the article “PM Lee and DPM Teo to make ministerial statements on Oxley Road house in Parliament” (Straits Times, Jun 30). It states that “When Parliament sits on Monday (July 3), Singapore will hear both Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean deliver ministerial statements on a stunning dispute involving the fate of the Oxley Road house of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

PM Lee will address allegations of abuse of power that his siblings, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, have made against him, according to the Order Paper released by Parliament on Friday (June 30). DPM Teo’s statement will be about the ministerial committee formed to consider options for the house at 38, Oxley Road. MPs will also raise questions on the ongoing dispute between PM Lee and his two younger siblings.”

According to the Order Paper for Parliament on 3 July, 2017, the session will start at 11 a.m. There will be 85 questions for oral answer and the Introduction of the Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Bill, before the ministerial statements by the PM and DPM on 38 Oxley Road! After the ministerial statements, there will be the Second Reading of two bills and 39 questions for written answer! How much time will be allotted for MPs’ questions on 38 Oxley Road?

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Chee Hong Tat: LKY wouldn't have wanted 'baseless allegations' made that hurt Singapore

Mr Lee Kuan Yew would not have wished for a family dispute to be turned into a public quarrel that hurt Singapore's international standing.

Neither would he have wished for 'baseless allegations' to be made against Government leaders & institutions, undermining confidence in the systems he created, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat said last night, in a Facebook post on the ongoing feud involving Mr Lee's children.

Mr Chee, who was the late Mr Lee's Principal Private Secretary from 2008 to 2011, said he was greatly saddened to see what had been happening over the past 2 weeks, "especially when I think of the pain it would bring to Mr & Mrs Lee".


Lee Kuan Yew would not wish for family dispute to hurt Singapore's standing: Chee Hong Tat
Mr Chee was principal private secretary to Mr Lee Kuan Yew from 2008 to 2011

Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew would not wish for a family dispute to be turned into a public quarrel that hurt Singapore’s international standing, his former principal private secretary Chee Hong Tat said on Sat (Jul 1).

Referring to the spat between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong & his siblings Lee Hsien Yang & Dr Lee Wei Ling, Mr Chee, who is now Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, said in a Facebook post that the "wild allegations have damaged Singapore’s reputation, something which (Mr Lee Kuan Yew) spent his entire life building up".

"Mr Lee would not wish for a family dispute to be turned into a public quarrel that hurt Singapore’s international standing. Neither would he wish for 'baseless allegations' to be made against Government leaders and institutions, undermining confidence in the systems he created. Mr Lee would put Singapore’s interests above personal interests," he wrote.


Chee Hong Tat 徐芳达 4 hrs

I served as Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s Principal Private Secretary from 2008 to 2011. It was the best posting I ever had, as I had the opportunity to learn directly from Mr Lee and observe how he dealt with different types of people and handled difficult issues. During those 3 years, I also got to know Wei Ling and we became friends. Wei Ling is someone I admire and respect. She has strong views and can be very blunt at times, but she has a good heart and genuinely cares for the people around her.

It saddens me greatly to see what has been happening over the past 2 weeks, especially when I think of the pain it would bring to Mr and Mrs Lee. The wild allegations have damaged Singapore’s reputation, something which Mr Lee spent his entire life building up. I do not believe Wei Ling will intentionally cause harm to her country. So I have asked myself over and over again, why is she doing this? Has she been misled and misunderstood what happened?

One thing I learnt from Mr Lee is to always put the country’s interests above personal interests. Mr Lee would make this point repeatedly in his discussions with Ministers and civil servants, and he demonstrated it through his actions. He drummed this into all of us. He also believed in the rule of law and that no one, including himself, was above the law. These values formed the foundation of our nation building and differentiate Singapore from other countries in the region.

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Lee Wei Ling: Lee Hsien Loong & Ho Ching angered me very early on

In the post, Lee Wei Ling explained the reason for Ho Ching’s three-month sabbatical leave announced in April 2015, shortly after Lee Kuan Yew’s passing. News of Ho Ching’s part-time sabbatical then was widely reported.

Ho Ching wrote then, on April 15, 2015: "Now is as good a time as any to spend some time on a couple of long standing things which I have wanted to do." This was her Facebook post announcing her sabbatical.

However, Lee Wei Ling alleged that Ho Ching personally oversaw the cataloging and removal of items from 38 Oxley Road house during that period of time, for the purpose of recreating the interior of the house for public exhibition. This occurred shortly after Lee Kuan Yew’s passing. The sabbatical was subsequently extended to six months.

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Lee Wei Ling calls Lee Hsien Loong “bad PM” and “dishonourable son” attempting to build a “Lee family cult”

In the latest turn of the escalating Oxley Road feud, Dr Lee Wei Ling has taken to Facebook to show Singaporeans “the true face and motives of Lee Hsien Loong and Ho Ching.”

Re-emphasising her allegations that the Prime Minister and his wife have abused the power of the PMO, Dr Lee called her brother a “bad PM” and marked his wife, Ho Ching, as an “even worse Mrs PM, especially as there is no official position as Mrs PM.”

In her post, Dr Lee revealed that following Lee Kuan Yew’s passing, Lee Hsien Loong allegedly threatened to gazette 38 Oxley Road in anger after Lee Kuan Yew’s will was read to the family. Dr Lee wrote, “This greatly disturbed me. He was willing to go against Papa’s wishes as soon as Papa was gone. He is a dishonourable son.”

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Dr Lee Weiling claims PM Lee threatened to gazette 38 Oxley Road after LKY’s will was read

Dr Lee Weiling claims that her brother, Lee Hsien Loong had threatened angrily to gazette 38 Oxley Road after the last will of Lee Kuan Yew was read out to the family.

In a latest post by Dr Lee, she wrote that she wants Singaporeans to see the true face and motives of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching and it was their abuse of power of the Prime Minister Office (PMO) that led to her making up her mind.

She wrote that the abuse of power makes PM Lee a bad Prime Minister and Ms Ho Ching worse, as there is no official position as Mrs PM in Singapore.

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PM Lee had threatened to gazette Oxley Road house, says sister

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had "threatened angrily" to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a national monument after the death of his father Lee Kuan Yew, his sister Dr Lee Wei Ling (pic) claimed.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Dr Lee said this happened after Lee Kuan Yew's will was read to the family, and the Singapore Prime Minister's actions "greatly disturbed" her.

"He was willing to go against Papa's wishes as soon as Papa was gone. He is a dishonourable son," she wrote.

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Lee Wei Ling 15 hrs

I want Singaporeans to see the true face and motives of Lee Hsien Loong and Ho Ching. What made up my mind to expose them was their abuse of the power of PMO. It makes him a bad PM and she an even worse Mrs PM, especially as there is no official position as Mrs PM. It is not just that he is not a filial son, his behaviour as PM is not ok.

Hsien Loong threatened angrily to gazette 38, Oxley Road after the lawyer’s read the will to us. This greatly disturbed me. He was willing to go against Papa’s wishes as soon as Papa was gone. He is a dishonourable son.

I resented Ho Ching & Hsien Loong’s attempt to build a “Lee family cult”. Ho Ching took “sabbatical” to “help sort out Lee family affairs”. This consisted of her spending her days at Oxley Road, getting the photographer & catalog items which she would pack into plastic boxes to send to storage, and her attempts to recreate the way Oxley looked decades ago. She had no business doing this at all.

NHB accepted without protest many things Ho Ching wrongfully took and handed over, so many that they had enough to create a “Lee Kuan Yew Museum”. Yet later when NHB selected and took furniture and items which were significant from Oxley for display in the museum, they were subsequently told by PMO to refuse the exhibition simply because we had required that the last paragraph in Papa’s will be simultaneously displayed to remind the public of his desire for 38, Oxley Road to be demolished.

Hsien Loong and Ho Ching angered me very early on. Both were not straight and were taking advantage of the fact that no one would date criticise them for acting improperly.

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Gilbert Goh Yesterday at 03:14

We probably will hear a one-sided account tomorrow in Parliament by the Prime Minister as LYH and LWL alluded.

94% of Singaporeans polled also suggested that Parliament is not the right place to discuss a domestic spat that involves three siblings.

Its a international disgrace and truly we have more urgent things to talk about nationally than the familee home. #ownselfcheckownself

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Lim Tean: PM Lee must sue for defamation to clear his name else President needs to convene an independent Commission of Inquiry

Adding to the chorus of voices denouncing the Prime Minister for choosing Parliament to defend himself, Lim Tean, a veteran lawyer and recent politician, has called for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to sue his two siblings for defamation over the allegations that they have been unleashing against him over the past two weeks. He also calls for the President to convene an independent commission of inquiry, should the PM refuse to raise the matter in the court.

Citing his experience as a practising lawyer in Singapore for 17 years, he highlights the point that in order to get at the truth, all the relevant parties, accusers and accused must be subject to cross-examination by counsel and all the evidence must be before the Commission and Parliamentary questions cannot take the place of cross-examination.

He wrote, "I see that for the Parliamentary session on 3 July , MPs have to file their questions in advance and we already know the questions which  the Worker’s Party MPs will ask. This might be alright for normal parliamentary sittings but not when the truth has to be discovered. It is like a student being given the exam papers days before the exam. There will also be limited time for follow-up questions on 3 July and none of the MPs except for maybe the Prime Minister himself will have the full facts before them to come to a proper decision."

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Tan Jee Say to Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of The Republic of Singapore

As President, you have the specific duty of safeguarding the integrity of the public service, and it is incumbent on you to get to the bottom of all this, to establish the facts and if true, hold those responsible fully accountable and put into place means and measures to ensure that no one can abuse his or her public position for private gain without the most severe punishment meted out to him or her.

As this is a matter of grave public concern, it is absolutely vital that you direct this inquiry to be conducted by way of open public hearings so as to ensure public confidence that nothing will be swept under the carpet and that every relevant detail will be examined.

This issue is of extreme urgency and the inquiry should be conducted soonest possible. As this matter takes place under your watch, you cannot simply pass the buck to the next President as you still have more than two months left of your presidential term of office. A period of two months is more than sufficient for this inquiry to be conducted and completed in good order as our public service is well-known for its efficiency.


Tan Jee Say: “Dear Prime Minister, please think of Country, Family, Colleagues, and resign now”
Former civil servant and Secretary-General of SingFirst, Tan Jee Say has written an open letter to the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, asking for his resignation. Citing five reasons why PM Lee should resign, Mr Tan made a plea to PM Lee to think of his country, family and colleagues and to step down as the Prime Minister

"Dear Prime Minister, please think of Country, Family, Colleagues, and resign now" - I know, along with many Singaporeans, that you must be feeling very troubled these two and a half weeks. But we also know that you are a man with a very strong will. As you told Singaporeans at a rally during the 2015 General Election, "Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him or give it up."

But giving up does not necessarily mean weakness in a person if it is done for noble reasons that are for the greater good of society. In view of what had happened between you and your siblings in the last few years that exploded in full public view only recently, I would like to make this plea to you, "Dear Prime Minister, please think of your Country, Family and Colleagues, and resign from the premiership now!" Here are my 5 reasons :
  • You have become a liability to the nation.
  • Your priorities are misplaced.
  • You had not been in the best of health.
  • Not being PM can be positive for your children.
  • Several of your ministerial colleagues have been dragged into the dispute.

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"I will GET UP!"

related:
The famiLEE tree
The famiLEE feud: PM Lee "I'm not sure that it is solved"
The famiLEE feud: AGC to start legal action on Li Shengwu for contempt
The famiLEE feud: AGC looking into FB post by Lee Hsien Yang's son
The famiLEE feud: Protest at Hong Lim Park
The famiLEE feud: Demolish the house, end the saga, let's move on
The famiLEE feud: LWL, LHY to stop presenting online evidence
The famiLEE feud: Lee Hsien Yang responds to Parliament Hearing
The famiLEE feud: Parliamentary Hearing on Oxley's Dispute
The famiLEE feud: PM Lee Hsien Loong's Ministerial Statement
The famiLEE feud: Why LHY is speaking up
The famiLEE feud: July 3 Parliament session a cover-up & whitewash?
The famiLEE feud: Not another minister on the Will again!
The famiLEE feud: Lee Hsien Yang & his wife in Hong Kong
The famiLEE feud: Rise of the 'First Lady'
The famiLEE feud: Govt 'Poking Nose' into Oxley's fate
The famiLEE feud: Will House Debate clear the air?
The famiLEE feud: PM apologises for family feud
The famiLEE feud: Singaporeans sick and tired of endless Oxley Rd allegations
The famiLEE feud: "Past three days"
The famiLEE feud: "Will of Wills"
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PM broke down in Parliament talking about his Dad
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A Post-LKY Singapore?

01/07/2017

The Great Barricade @ Pink Dot 2017


PM Lee’s Nephew Supports Pink Dot
 And The Event Reached Max Capacity

Thousands of Singaporeans flocked to Hong Lim Park on Saturday (July 1), as the much-anticipated Pink Dot was held after overcoming many obstacles.

Among them: Foreign sponsorship was banned, which led to local companies filling in the gap; foreigners were banned entirely, leading to barricades being erected around the park; and people complained over even the event’s ad at Orchard Cineleisure.

In happier news, however, Paralympian Theresa Goh came out and became a Pink Dot ambassador. Here she is at the event.

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Over 20,000 people lit up a park to celebrate pride
More than 20,000 Singaporeans came to Pink Dot, the city's annual LGBTQ festival this year, according to organisers

There were so many people who tried to join the event — which sported a rainbow theme this year — that the park where it was held had to be closed at 7 p.m. for capacity.

That's no small feat considering the number of roadblocks the nine-year-old festival has encountered this year.

After the pride event's last edition in 2016, the city's government barred foreign sponsors and foreigners from taking part in the event, and ordered organisers to set up barricades around the 2.32 acre park in response to changes in rules regulating demonstrations in the city. The result was increased costs for Pink Dot's organisers.


Pink Dot 2017 draws thousands despite new restrictions

Support for the annual Pink Dot celebration remained strong with thousands attending the event despite the long queues, tighter security measures and new regulations preventing foreigners from attending the event.

According to the official statement from Pink Dot 2017’s organisers, “close to 20,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs)” turned up at Hong Lim Park on Saturday (1 July) for the event, which is held in support of Singapore’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Long queues were seen from early in the day, with many also watching from the periphery as the main event area progressively filled up. The crowd was so dense that, at one point, an event emcee announced that the venue grounds had reached “full capacity”.


Singapore LGBT activists hold rally with no foreigners
Activists hold pink umbrellas to shade them from the sun
Many activists held pink umbrellas to shade them from the hot sun

Thousands have attended an annual Singaporean gay rights rally, which foreigners are now banned from attending under new laws.

Only citizens and permanent residents are allowed at the event, which has come under growing restrictions.Estimates suggested the number of those attending had dropped slightly - but organisers said the event was still over capacity.

Gay sex is illegal in socially conservative Singapore.


Foreigners banned as Singapore holds gay-rights rally

Thousands of Singaporeans dressed in pink packed a city park on Saturday for a gay-rights rally under tight security after the government banned foreign participants.

Singapore's Pink Dot rally started in 2009 and has historically attracted crowds of up to 28 000 despite a backlash from conservative groups in a state where protests are strictly controlled.

But those taking party in this year's rally, which promotes 'freedom to love', had to show identity cards to prove they were citizens or permanent residents before being allowed into a barricaded zone.


Singapore Gay Pride Rally Draws Thousands Amid New Curbs
A woman holds a rainbow flag at the Pink Dot rally, Singapore's annual gay pride rally, at a park in Singapore July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside REUTERS

Singapore's annual Pink Dot gay pride rally drew thousands of people on Saturday, despite new restrictions aimed at keeping foreigners out of domestic politics and barricades put up around the rally site.

The rally has been held since 2009 under stringent public assembly laws at Speakers' Corner, an area set aside for demonstrations, performances and exhibitions. But this year, Speakers' Corner was barricaded and participants had to show ID to prove they were citizens or permanent residents before they could enter, with a set maximum taking part.

Under Singapore law, sex between men is punishable by up to two years in jail, though prosecutions are rare. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told the BBC earlier this year than he was "prepared to live with (the law) until social attitudes change". Foreigners have never been legally allowed to join rallies in the city-state, but many have got around the restriction by "observing" such events.


Annual Pink Dot event held in Singapore's Hong Lim Park

People wave a rainbow flag during the Pink Dot event held in Singapore's Hong Lim Park on July 1, 2017.

The annual Pink Dot event which supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) people was held on Saturday. Supporters light up a rainbow and pink torch lights during the Pink Dot event held in Singapore's Hong Lim Park on July 1, 2017.

The annual Pink Dot event which supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) people was held on Saturday.


Singapore’s Pink Dot Pride event attracts thousands despite government restrictions

The Pink Dot parade has taken place in Singapore despite restrictions from the Government and attracted thousands of attendees. The parade took place on Saturday in Singapore at Speaker’s Corner.

Thousands attended and the parade attracted capacity-filling numbers despite attempts by the authorities to curtail the event. Earlier this year it was announced that foreigners wouldn’t be allowed into the event.
People were forced to show IDs in order to gain entry to the event and only permanent residents of Singapore were permitted.

The Pride rally also gained record sponsorship despite tough government restrictions aimed at preventing foreigners from attending. The organisers of the Pink Dot Rally raised the equivalent of $183,000 US Dollars from more than 100 companies for the rally.


Pink Dot SG added 4 new photos 22 June at 19:56

With Pink Dot 2017 returning to its night dot format this year, we can’t be more excited! Here's what you need to know if you are coming down to support the Freedom to Love. Let's make this year safe and fun for everyone.

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PINK DOT 2017: BRING YOUR IDS AND OTHER TIPS

For the safety of everyone, there will be security checks conducted at each of the seven checkpoints, including checks on photo IDs and bags. Be it pink or blue NRIC, passport, 11B, driving license or even student concession card, remember to bring the physical card with you. Come early to avoid long queues and to enjoy a meaningful day out at Pink Dot!

If you are transgender, gender non-conforming, coming in drag or are concerned that your appearance does not match your photo ID, our security officers have been briefed to handle this sensitively and appropriately. Otherwise, please approach one of our friendly volunteers for assistance.

Pink Dot 2017 remains a focal point and safe space for LGBT Singaporeans and straight allies to support the Freedom to Love. To help prevent long queues, minimise and consolidate your belongings and picnic items; and avoid bringing sharp and/or pointed objects. Most importantly, bring enough water to prevent dehydration.

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Pink Dot 2017: The voices behind today's event

I was tasked to present a neutral point of view of the annual rally in support of the LGBTQ community, inclusiveness and the freedom to love.  It was supposed to be a factual piece, to hear from both sides — for and against, and to find out where Singaporeans think we're headed when it comes to LGBTQ rights. But the more I spoke with those most affected, and digested the counter arguments as to why Pink Dot shouldn't be supported, I found it impossible to be impartial. Neutral is not an option in equality. Not when it affects some individuals' lives so profoundly, leaving them open to discrimination and alienation while their opponents experience none of the repercussions, except for the need to work on tolerance.

The common argument used against Pink Dot is that it is not pro-family and that Singapore's society is too conservative to discuss or acknowledge the rights of the LGBTQ community. We have come to these conclusions not through any sort of nationwide surveys, but because of a vocal minority who have emerged over the last few years, following the rise of Pink Dot's awareness and attendance, who speak out against any form of discourse on the matter. The antagonism comes in various forms — from organising a counter Wear White Day, to the astroturfing of Pink Dot's sponsors with unsolicited advice and boycotting threats, to the canvassing of different legislative bodies as the recent spate between ASAS and Cathay Organisation over the Pink Dot "Freedom to Love" tagline was made apparent. Yet dialogue between the two differing camps has never actually taken place in the last nine years. Attempts by the Pink Dot committee to reach out to the Wear White Movement in 2014, and most recently ASAS, went without response.

"I just don't understand why there are certain people who are so obsessed with a group of people whose lives don't directly affect them. Is it not enough that all we want to do is live like everyone else? I don't think it's enough anymore to be neutral or silent, not when there are people being harmed, even killed, just because they're LGBTQ. To be silent is to be complicit. And I'm not just referring to LGBTQ rights, in whatever cause you choose to champion or speak up for, let it be for the betterment of the world and to allow all human beings equality," impassioned Theresa Goh, Singapore Paralympian and one of Pink Dot's 2017 Ambassadors.

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Red Dot for Pink Dot

With the change to the rules governing Hong Lim Park last year, it is unlikely that these corporations, that are not majority owned by Singaporeans, will be able to support events such as this at Hong Lim Park. But more positively, the Singapore Government also clarified that local companies with a majority Singaporean ownership are welcome to step forward to fill the vacuum left by these multinational sponsors. Darius Cheung (CEO of 99.co) believes that diversity and inclusiveness are values that Singapore companies would support. As such, he has initiated the Red Dot for Pink Dot campaign with the goal of bringing 100 Singaporean companies onboard as sponsors of Pink Dot 2017.

Together with supporters, Carolyn Kan (Founder of Carrie K.) Adrianna Tan (Founder of Wobe), Bjorn Low (Founder of Edible Garden) and other Singapore business leaders, the Red Dot For Pink Dot campaign aims to be the platform where other Singapore business leaders from every industry can lend their support to both inclusiveness and diversity in Singapore.

Pink Dot has always been an event organised by Singaporeans for Singaporeans. As it grew over the last 8 years, corporate support for the event – Singapore’s de facto annual LGBT Pride event – was mainly led by multinational corporations like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Barclays, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, BP, Bloomberg, GE, NBCU, Apple, Microsoft, Visa and Clifford Chance.

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Security personnel for Pink Dot tripled ahead of event
The Pink Dot gathering in 2016. TODAY file photo

Amid the heightened security climate, the organisers of this year’s Pink Dot event, which will be held on Saturday (Jul 1), have tripled the number of security personnel.

Over 60 security officers & auxiliary police officers will be deployed, & metal barricades will be put up around the full perimeter of Hong Lim Park. Bag and body checks will be conducted on participants at each of the seven access points.

Ahead of new laws to better protect the public from the growing terrorism threat - which will come into force in a few weeks - organisers of the annual lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) event are taking no chances to beef up security. “This is the first year that we’ll have bag and body checks. This is to ensure the safety of participants,” said Pink Dot spokesperson Paerin Choa on Wednesday in an interview with TODAY. “We’re living in different times - security measures are a necessity nowadays.”

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Only Singaporeans, PRs allowed to attend Pink Dot 2017: Organisers

Only S'poreans & permanent residents (PRs) will be allowed to attend this year’s Pink Dot, the annual rally held in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender community, the event’s organisers said on Sunday (May 14).

Under recent changes to the Public Order Act, foreigners are not allowed to assemble at the Speakers’ Corner, where the Pink Dot rally is held.

In a Facebook note on Sunday, the event’s organisers said they received a reminder from the police that with the changes in the law, the police will no longer distinguish between participants and observers, and regards anyone who turns up at a Speakers’ Corner event to be part of an assembly.

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HUMANISTS @ PINK DOT 2017
pink dot 2015 booth
SPEAKERS’ CORNER RESTRICTIONS FOR PINK DOT SG 2017

The Humanist Society (Singapore) will once again participate in this year’s Pink Dot event held on July 1 2017 (Sat). We invite you to join us at our booth and picnic as we support the freedom to love!

Only Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents (holders of Pink or Blue Identity Cards) are allowed to be at the Speakers’ Corner for Pink Dot SG 2017 this year. Please refer to the announcement and latest news (e.g. May 30 Today Online) on this matter.

It is unfortunate that non-citizen members of the Humanist Society (Singapore) will not be able to physically participate in this event. The consequence of failing to comply with the laws will result in yourself and/or the organisers being found “guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.” Non-citizen members are encouraged support the event by connecting to Pink Dot SG social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat as they will provide almost-live updates.

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Pink Dot, Speakers' Corner and the Death of Singapore's Only Space for Dissent
Hong Lim Park is dead. Long live Hong Lim Park

When people gather for Pink Dot – the closest thing Singapore has to a gay pride event – on July 1, 2017, they’ll have to celebrate behind a fence, with security at all entrances and exits.

Hong Lim Park wasn’t really that much of a space to begin with. The small public park, also known as Speakers’ Corner, is the only place in Singapore in which people can congregate for speeches, protests, rallies and demonstrations without a permit. But this doesn’t mean that there aren’t rules: this year, foreign entities – such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, or Barclays, all of whom had sponsored previous Pink Dots – are barred from supporting events at the park without a permit. Amendments were made to the Public Order Act also bar foreigners from assembling at Hong Lim Park. If this law is breached, both the foreigner and the organizers of the event could be arrested and prosecuted. The penalty upon conviction has been stipulated as “a fine not exceeding S$10,000 [US$7,228] or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.”

The logistics of enforcing such legislation is a massive headache for anyone wanting to organize an event at Hong Lim Park. With the passage of this amendment, the government is essentially requiring organizers to ensure that only Singaporeans and permanent residents enter a public park for the duration of their event – a demand that is as onerous as it is unreasonable.

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Pink Dot SG
Aerial photograph of the inaugural Pink Dot event held on Saturday, 16 May 2009 at Hong Lim Park.

Pink Dot SG, (more commonly referred to simply as Pink Dot) was held on Saturday, 16 May 2009.

It was Singapore's historic, first open air LGBT-supportive event. It established a record for the greatest number of participants to turn up for any congregation at Speakers' Corner, Hong Lim Park since the latter's inception.

The landmark gathering was accorded extensive coverage in the international and local media. In the years to come, similar eponymous events based on the original concept, values and messaging of Pink Dot would be held in cities all around the world.


Pink Dot SG
The LGBT community converging at Hong Lim Park in Singapore for Pink Dot SG in 2014

Pink Dot SG, known exonymously as Pink Dot, is an event that has occurred annually since 2009 in support of the LGBT community in Singapore. Attendees of Pink Dot events gather to form a "pink dot" to show support for inclusiveness, diversity and the freedom to love in the country. Pink Dot events typically include concert performances and booths sponsored by organizations that support the LGBT community and cause in addition to the event's name-brand formation.

The success of Pink Dot in Singapore has inspired similar events in several other countries, leading to the event to become known as Pink Dot SG — SG being an initialism for Singapore. It has been held each year in Singapore from 2009 to 2019 at the Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park on a Saturday in the months of May, June or July. The 2020 and 2021 editions were held as online livestreams, in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 edition was held in-person once again in June.

In September 2008, the rules governing activities conducted at Singapore's Speakers' Corner at Hong Lim Park were relaxed, allowing demonstrations organised by Singaporeans to be held at the park, providing that all participants are either citizens or permanent residents. This allowed the first Pink Dot SG event to take place at the Speakers' Corner on 16 May 2009. A total of nine Pink Dot events have been held in Singapore, occurring annually on Saturdays in May, June or July. Many organisations around the world modeled LGBT events after the Pink Dot concept, often borrowing the "Pink Dot" prefix. For distinction, the Singapore events became known as Pink Dot SG. The design of the Pink Dot SG mascot "Pinkie", a personification of the pink dot, was provided by graphic designer Soh Ee Shaun.

Pink Dot SG
Straits Times article dated 25 September 2008

Pink Dot SG is a non-profit movement started by a group of disparate individuals. Dr Roy Tan, a medical practitioner with a passionate interest in archiving the history of Singapore's LGBT community, wanted to take advantage of the liberalisation, with effect from 1 September 2008, of rules governing activities that could be conducted at Speakers’ Corner, Hong Lim Park. He initially registered with the National Parks Board to stage a traditional pride parade on Saturday, 15 November 2008. The LGBT community's immediate response to the idea of a pride parade held in Singapore was less than encouraging. Tan’s promotion of the event on SiGNeL, a local LGBT mailing list, largely drew a blank. Slightly frustrated, he resolved to conduct a one-man pride parade with himself as the only person marching if it boiled down to that as he was determined to set a precedent that would facilitate the organisation of such events in the future. There was a real fear amongst closeted individuals that participating in a parade would be indirectly outing themselves to the world, especially with the intense media coverage that such a groundbreaking development in the conservative republic was expected to attract. Moreover, a pride parade was traditionally a form of protest and Singaporeans had become conditioned to being averse to protest marches after decades of authoritarian rule. As such, other community activists were concerned that the event might not gain the larger mainstream public acceptance that was its aim. Pink Dot SG evolved in the ensuing months out of brainstorming discussions by key stakeholders, rustled up by Tan with the help of his friend Dominic Chua.

The novel concept of forming a giant pink dot itself, never before employed in any LGBT-supportive event in the world, was the brainchild of Pink Dot organising committee member and Fridae's Chinese section editor Choo Lip Sin. However, it must be mentioned that the first activist-inspired public gathering of people dressed in pink was organised by Miak Siew and took place 1 year earlier, in 2007, during the Pink Picnic held at the Botanic Gardens during the third year of IndigNation, Singapore's LGBT pride month. Also, Bian Tan was the first person to suggest on SiGNeL that a gathering of people togged out in pink would have more broad-based appeal than a gay pride parade. The rationale was that a mixed crowd of both straight and LGBT participants dressed the same way to support a cause would circumvent the problem of outing oneself as it would mean that just because one was seen at the event, this would not necessarily signify that one was gay. The design of the Pink Dot mascot, affectionately named "Pinkie", was later provided pro bono by straight graphic designer Soh Ee Shaun. Soh's help was solicited by Dominic Chua, a personal friend of his. The crafting of the PR-friendly slogan "Support the Freedom to Love", which was a concerted attempt to move away from using the word "rights" and which later gained widespread currency both locally and internationally, was the work of Ash Lim. Dr Stuart Koe, CEO of Fridae.com, generously agreed to making his immensely popular and socially responsible LGBT portal Pink Dot's first corporate sponsor. Koe provided website information technology, creative, marketing and logistics support, the use of the Fridae office for meetings, and at least $2,000 to get the inaugural event off the ground.

Prior to September 2008, Pink Dot would have been an illegal event, with the police regarding it as a form of demonstration in violation of the rules governing the use of the Speakers' Corner. For 8 years since its inception in 2000, users of Speakers' Corner were required to register themselves at the police post and were prohibited from employing any audio amplification equipment or conducting themselves in a manner which may be deemed a public protest or demonstration. The status quo changed on 1 September 2008 when the Government decided to relax the rules to allow for protests, demonstrations and self-powered sound systems, all made permissible by just a simple online registration with the National Parks Board (NParks). However, this newfound right was secured through years of effort by activists to open up political space and to persuade Singaporeans to accept the idea of peaceful protests. It took arrests, fines and prison sentences suffered by activists, in particular Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Dr Chee Soon Juan. Chee made a decision in 1999 to risk imprisonment by embarking on a long-drawn campaign of civil disobedience to bring the government to bear for its refusal to honour its citizens' rights to free speech and assembly.