Last Saturday, Law Minister K. Shanmugam stated that the current law on vandalism could be revamped, provided the majority of society wishes for more freedom through artistic expressions. In a follow-up article by the Press Secretary to the Minister for Law, it was stated that there were two alternatives available here; one, to keep the current approach and to maintain the stance that no one is allowed to express him/herself on public buildings/spaces and two, to let them express themselves on public buildings/spaces. However, I think his options for this case were somehow rather extreme. Surely there can be a compromise here? I personally think that this latest vandalism is more one of humour than criminal intent. We do not have to allow anyone and everyone to express their art everywhere. What we can do is to allow them certain areas to do so. This way, these areas with artistic expressions and culture can be sights to go to, for both locals and tourists alike.
Read the articles here:
Law Minister K. Shanmugam
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_811901.html
Chong Wan Yieng (Ms) Press Secretary to the Minister for Law
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_812114.html
Assignment 2 Comment Blog 