Cripes, what’s got into these guys?

I used to live in Singapore and I used to write for the Far Eastern Economic Review, mostly slapping around China’s oppression in those palmy expat days.

Today, the once-ominiscent FEER, now a news-turned-essay magazine, and down on its heels due to the Internet and global forces, is nevertheless back on the Singapore sheet list.

In fact, this time the Singaporean government has downright banned it.

And for SUCH a Singapore reason! They said the FEER failed to provide the name of someone they could serve papers to, in the (inevitable) event they sued them for their coverage. If they can’t have some point man from which to sue them out of business, then they won’t let this magazine be sold on the city-state. Their ban was harsher than the previous ones – they actually banned any possession of the magazine at all, even if a businessman walks in with one on him at the Changi airport from a commuter flight in from Kuala Lumpur. If he does that, he’s toast.

Here’s what really bothered them, though. The poor, scruffy, now-barely-there Far Eastern Economic Review did an interview with an equally poor, scruffy, barely-there democracy activist in Singapore, Chee Soon Juan. They considered his statements about a scandal at a state charity threatening to their grip on power and want to sue over that. Cripes. So much for all the prime-ministerial disco dances, and state-sponsored, let-yer-hair-down Gay Festivals. Singapore, when it comes to political power, is still the same old Singapore, acting more un-confident of its ability to retain power than ever. Such a shame! Such an annoyance! But they won’t stop doing it.

In my opinion, they are asking for it by doing this. But the Singapore government continues to take great pride in oppressing as many foreign journalists as they possibly can.

Wise up, Singapore!