Petition for the immediate withdrawal of the Licensing Regime

the definition of online news sites is rather grey...which could include a blog about reviews on just food, fashion or anything not related to politics. Those who are running blogs, online magazines, etc, should be worried now - even if they are not in the list of 10 mainstream media sites yet. MDA definitions of the terms are rather grey.

Besides its intention to regulate freedom of expression, it's more fishy that they even require a banker guarantee of S$50K to be put up by such sites. This reminds of the $4.6 billion losses made on a single investment by Temasek Holdings (GLC by the Lee Empire), wonder if it got to inspire the decision of implementing such ridiculous media regime as a means to take more money from the citizens of Singapore who are the taxpayers - in order to make up for the losses incurred by Temasek Holdings. Failure to remove any content (within 24 hours) that has been alleged to violate the sedition act - would have the $50K forfeited - quite similiar to the logic of having S$5000 forfeited upon failure of reporting a missing NTS worker (which is a breach of MOM regulations).

Btw, I'm just making assumptions about this new MDA licensing regime. The fact that it was passed down with ambiguous guidelines and requirements without the consensus of the public and ordinary citizens raises eyebrows.

It is our right, not just privilege, to have freedom of speech, freedom of press, and to have our oppressive voices heard. No one deserves to be diluted and ignored. No one deserves to be shut up. Every one of us has a voice, and we make up one Singapore. Let us be heard; because the last resort will be one where everyone loses.

You have the option. Make us your scapegoats and continue to keep us quiet, and continue to do so until we come with pitchforks and torches to your House of Parliament, by which time regretting anything and saying 'sorry' with any plea or begging will fall on deaf ears; or do the right thing now and give us our space to voice our grievances, listen to our voices and make the changes and ractifications necessary for the people of Singapore.

Remember, every time you push us into a corner, we will push back at you. If you suppress us enough, you would not have to wait till GE2016 to see yourselves out, we will come to your door - by which time, the time for talking is over. We will not be quietened by overpaid, under-qualified politicians who want to keep their paychecks coming in at out expense.

Heed our warnings and do the right thing, or prepare to go down in History as the party of destroyers of a nation once flourishing. Now it's up to you, PAP. What will it be?

For those who do not care to protest about the implications of a new legislation simply because they feel it will never affect them or has not affected them yet, perhaps this quote by Martin Niemöller is worth pondering on. Policies that they feel are not going to affect them, would eventually plaque them at some point of time in the future when it would be too late to change anything.

Try to be more informed and empathise about how the implications are going to affect you as a reader who has a sound mind of seeking the truth, or as an aspiring blogger/writer/creative artist.

Avoid this 'not in my backyard' mentality before it's too late.

There is no excuse for giving up on petitioning and protesting simply because we have gotten too immune to a high-handed government who sneakily force policies down our throats without seeking our consent despite our position as tax paying citizens (i.e. their shareholders of Singapore) whom they have to account for.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Media Demise Authority (MDA) - RIP please!