| Yawning
Bread. October 2007
The parliamentary petition and open letter - press reports source: Straits Times, Today and The New Paper, 9 - 18 October 2007
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9 October 2007Straits Times Online campaign to repeal gay sex law picks up By Chua Hian Hou An online campaign urging the Government to repeal a law criminalising gay sex is gathering support with many backers signing in their real names. The campaign, via an open letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at www.repeal377a.com, has collected over 2,200 signatures since it started last Friday. The site's spokesman, Mr Alan Seah, said the online letter was set up by 'about 20 concerned individuals' - some gay, others straight - who felt the section of the law is 'discriminatory and not good for Singapore'. Under Section 377A of the Penal Code, it is a crime for men to have sex, whether in public or in private. Those signing the letter were asked their real names, voting constituencies, jobs, and companies they worked for. These details, which did not have to be disclosed, were then published online. While most chose to stay anonymous, the 40 or so pages of signatures include many people who included their names and those of their employer. The signatories range from multinational company executives to engineers and teachers. Probably the most senior corporate figure here to sign the letter up to now is Nets (Network for Electronic Transfers) chief executive officer Poh Mui Hoon. Ms Poh, who signed in her personal capacity, declined to be interviewed. Software giant Microsoft's finance director for Asia John MacLennan, 43, said he signed the petition because he felt the law was unjust. Mr MacLennan, who is gay, is a permanent resident here. A gay 31-year-old Singaporean government scholar working in an elite statutory board said he did not believe there would be repercussions to signing with his and his employer's name. If that happened, 'so be it, I have enough credibility in my area of work that this would not be an issue', he said, although he declined to be named for this story. Another signatory, research assistant Low Soo Mei, said she signed because she felt sad that her homosexual friends should have to 'live in fear that they can be prosecuted (under Section 377A)'. Ms Low, 25, is straight. While pleased at the positive response, gay activist Alex Au acknowledged that 'online petitions don't have a very stellar history of effectiveness'. He applauded those who put their real names to the letter, noting that there was significant 'social and institutional discrimination' against the gay community and those who supported them. For the same reason, it was 'understandable' why so many chose to stay anonymous, although this clearly hurts the campaign's credibility, said Mr Seah. Another boost for the campaign is coming from celebrities such as Pamela Oei, Hossan Leong, Beatrice Chia and Mark Richmond, who are making a rap song to raise awareness. The song will be uploaded to video-sharing website Youtube within the next few days. The creative industry has traditionally been one of the gay movement's stronger supporters. The letter will be taken offline on Oct 19, and the names of the signatories consolidated and sent to the Prime Minister's Office, said Mr Seah. * * * * * NMP to submit Parliamentary Petition to repeal gay sex law By Chua Hian Hou A petition is to be presented to Parliament by Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong on behalf of a group that wants the Government to repeal a law criminalising gay sex. He intends to submit the Parliamentary Petition - a request by the people on a particular issue - next week. This is ahead of Parliament's sitting on Oct 22, when a number of issues will be debated. These are likely to include wide-ranging amendments to the Penal Code, which governs most criminal offences here. The proposed changes do not include Section 377A, under which it is a crime for men to have sex with each other, whether in public or in private. Following its latest review of the Penal Code, the Government said it decided to maintain the status quo since Singapore is a generally conservative society. But the authorities will not actively prosecute people under Section 377A. Mr Siew said the idea for the petition was suggested to him by its two lead signatories, lawyer George Hwang and gay media company Fridae.com's chief executive Stuart Koe. He agreed to submit it as he believes Section 377A should be repealed. The petition, which argues that the law is discriminatory, has been put online for others to download, sign and drop off at collection points by Sunday. Mr Siew will then submit it to the Office of the Clerk of Parliament, where it will be checked for compliance with certain requirements. If the petition is in order and endorsed in time for the Oct 22 sitting, Mr Siew will get to read a summary of it to the House. The petition will then be referred to a Public Petitions Committee, which will discuss and file a report on it to MPs. There are no rules governing what happens to petitions after this, said constitutional law expert Kevin Tan. Parliament can 'ignore, recognise, or choose to act on' the petition, he added. Dr Tan, an adjunct professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the petition appeared to be a 'last-ditch effort' to get the law repealed. But he does not expect it will as 'similar representations have been heard before (during the Penal Code review), at great length'. He also could not recall the last time such a Parliamentary Petition was presented, or how often this occurs: 'If it did happen, it must have been in the 1980s or before that.' Mr Siew said an MP can file a motion to debate the committee's report on the petition, and he will do so 'at an appropriate time'. The petition is separate from an online campaign to get signatories for an open letter to the Prime Minister expressing similar sentiments. * * * * *
Stars lend name to plea for change Online rap video seeks support for change of current gay laws Local celebrities have rallied together in a rap video to garner support for petitions to urge the government to change its mind about the current gay laws. The rap video which runs for just under two minutes and which has a line up of well-known names, such as Pamela Oei, Selena Tan and Emma Yong of the Dim Sum Dollies is in support of a public online campaign urging people to sign on two documents to amend Section 377A of the Penal Code. The video begins with a rap, but ends with a plea by the named celebrities, urging the public to support the campaigns. The two documents include an Open Letter to the Prime Minister and a formal petition to be submitted to Parliament on Oct 22 by Nominated Member of Parliament Siew Kum Hong which will require actual signatures. Last week, Mr Siew said the idea for the petition was suggested to him by its two lead signatories, lawyer George Hwang and Mr Stuart Koe, chief executive of gay media company Fridae.com. Mr Siew said he agreed to submit the petition as he believes Section 377A should be repealed. On Oct 22, Parliament will hear the debate on a number of issues, including wide-ranging amendments to the Penal Code, which governs most criminal offences here. The proposed changes do not include Section 377A, under which it is a crime for men to have sex with other men, whether in public or in private. Following its latest review of the Penal Code, the Government said it had decided to maintain the status quo since Singapore is a generally conservative society. The authorities also said it will not actively prosecute people under Section 377A. A survey by Today this year showed that people here are still conservative. Asked if homosexuality should be made legal, 62.3 per cent of 300 respondents disagreed 25.3 per cent strongly so. Only 11.6 per cent thought it should be legalised while interestingly, 26 per cent had no views either way. As of yesterday, the organisers of the two campaigns said they had collected 4, 618 signatures for its online campaign. They could not provide figures for the parliamentary petition by press time. The online campaign to gather signatures for the Open Letter closes on Friday, while yesterday was the last day for people to show their support for the parliamentary petition. Other celebrities in the video include 881 star Yeo Yann Yann, actors Irene Ang, Tan Kheng Hua, Neo Swee Lin and Lim Kay Siu, 987FM programme director Mark Richmond, television host and stage actress Beatrice Chia, creative director Glen Goei and comedian Kumar. * * * * * NMP files petition to House on gay sex law Siew Kum Hong submits Parliamentary Petition on behalf of group; more than 1,000 signatures collected By Keith Lin Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong has filed a petition to Parliament on behalf of a group that wants the Government to repeal a law that makes gay sex a crime. At 9.45am yesterday, Mr Siew walked into Parliament House to submit the Parliamentary Petition, which is a request by the people on a particular issue. It seeks to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code, which forbids men from having sex with each other, whether in public or in private. The Straits Times understands that more than 1,000 people from all walks of life signed the petition during the three-day drive to get signatures. It ended on Sunday. A spokesman for the Office of the Clerk of Parliament, which is the House's secretariat, yesterday indicated that the petition is being examined to ensure its compliance with specified requirements. Should it be certified as being in order, Mr Siew will get to read a summary of it and its 'prayer' - legal parlance for plea or request - when Parliament sits next Monday. Wide-ranging changes to the Penal Code, which governs most criminal offences here, are expected to be debated then. Following the Code's latest review, the Government has said it will keep the existing law on gay sex as Singapore is a largely conservative society. But it made clear this law will not be strictly enforced. The petition argues that this is discriminatory, as oral and anal sex between consenting adult heterosexuals will be legal under the proposed changes. The idea for a petition was suggested to Mr Siew by its two lead signatories, lawyer George Hwang and Mr Stuart Koe, chief executive of gay media company Fridae.com. Mr Siew, a lawyer, said he agreed to submit it as its arguments were 'valid' and 'cogent'. 'Here, we have a compelling argument, based on the fundamental protections guaranteed by the Constitution, that so many people agree with and support,' he said. 'I felt a responsibility to Singaporeans to present this to Parliament and give the House a chance to consider the petition.' The petition, once read, will be referred to the Public Petitions Committee, which will discuss its contents and file a report on it to MPs. Mr Siew has said he intends to file a motion to debate the committee's report. MP Baey Yam Keng, one of eight members on the committee, noted that it is technically possible for changes to be made to laws during parliamentary debates. History however has shown that such changes are unlikely, he added. Such petitions are rare. The last one was in 1985, when former Workers' Party chief J.B. Jeyaretnam did it on behalf of Mr Sivadas Sankaran, who took issue with certain parliamentary privileges. * * * * * Parliamentary petition to urge repeal of discriminatory law garners an overwheilming 2,519 signatures in three days. Petition accepted by Clerk Of Parliament and will likely be debated upon at next parliamentary session Singapore - In an overwhelming show of support, 2,519 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents turned out in force, over three days, to submit physical signatures in support of the Parliamentary Petition to urge the repeal of Penal Code Section 377A. Though the official number of signatures accepted by the Clerk of Parliament is not known, the petition has been endorsed and will likely be debated upon, when NMP Siew Kum Hong presents the Petition to Parliament at its next sitting on 22 October, 2007. Heart-warming stories abound of individuals who, on their own volition, went to great lengths or made personal sacrifices in order to submit signatures. A 53-yr old Eurasian woman, currently living in Johor Bahru, made her way through customs and immigration, just so she could make her submmission. An 18-yr old student called one of the organisers and pleaded to have the Sunday deadline extended by a day, as she wanted to get her schoolmates to sign, when classes resumed on Monday. She brought in 70 signatures. Other true accounts, include, an anonymous individual who submitted a whopping 150 signatures, law students who sacrificed their weekend to canvass for signatures at popular night-spots, parents who signed right next to their children's signatures and a Singaporean living in Hong Kong, who had his signature couriered to Singapore. In short, people from all walks of life - fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, regardless of backgrounds, beliefs and sexual orientation, made the effort to support the cause. The petitioners named in the petition are Singaporean lawyer, George Hwang, Dr. Stuart Koe, Chief Executive Officer of gay Asian portal, Fridae.com and Tan Joo Hymn, a full time mother. In alluding to the heartening response received, Ms. Tan said, "We were certainly moved by some of the stories we heard. Judging by the number of signatures we gathered, across a wide spectrum of concerned individuals with differing backgrounds, it unequivocally proves that this is an issue of concern for all Singaporeans, not just the gay community. It is about non-discrimination and the constitutional rights of a minority group. As our Prime Minister has said, the government endeavours to create an environment where an individual has maximum space to live his life without impinging on other people." "I believe the Singapore society has matured very quickly over the years, to be more inclusive and accepting of people from all walks of life. We are seeing parents of gay children publicly voicing their support by signing on the petition, and we have been receiving heartfelt comments by family and friends of gay persons on the repeal377a.com site pleading for the section to be repealed. This is a call by Singaporeans to embrace the diversity within our society," added Dr. Koe. The signing of the petition is governed by specific rules, as laid out in the Standing Orders of Parliament. Signatories are required to provide their full name and address, as well as an obviously unique signature, before the entry is deemed to be valid. Parliamentary petitions are not common in Singapore. The last known petition was made in 1985. In reviving the use of the parliamentary petition, Mr. Hwang remarked, "The Standing Orders for Parliament provide for this mechanism. Though, it has not often been used, it is there for the people when the situation calls. Here, the petition is about voicing this very important issue of equality and non-discrimination, rights guaranteed by our Constitution. We may have opposing moral views on homosexuality, but that is not the issue here. The issue is whether we should set a precedent for the discrimination of minorities. This not only blemishes Singapore's reputation as a democracy, but more importantly, our constitutional history." For further information and latest updates, please visit www.repeal377A.com. -End- For media enquiries only, please contact Johnson Ong or Leigh Pasqual. * * * * * It's all about equal rights Don't speculate about me, focus on issue, says NMP in gay-rights fight By Leong Ching Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong is 32, a lawyer and a young activist. He has spoken on CPF reforms, discrimination against NSmen and ministers' pay in Parliament. Now, however, he could be most remembered as the NMP who brought the gay issue to Parliament. Mr Siew is tabling a petition in Parliament to repeal a law that makes gay sex a crime. And it has led many to wonder: Is he gay? 'I am not. I have a girlfriend,' Mr Siew told The New Paper. 'But I have been staying clear of this question - because that is not the issue. It has nothing to do with whether I am gay or not. 'So I have deliberately refrained from volunteering that I am straight. But since you asked, I responded.' His is not an agenda on behalf of gay rights. There is a larger issue. 'I truly do believe that Section 377A is unfair, unjust, and plain wrong,' he said. 'It is contrary to principles of equality and non-discrimination, and it seeks to use the criminal law to enforce a specific moral view which is contrary to accepted fundamental precepts of criminal law.' The Parliamentary Petition will be filed ahead of Parliament's sitting on Monday. MPs are slated to speak on the amendments to the Penal Code, which governs most criminal offences here. The proposed changes are many, as the law has not been amended since the mid-1980s. However, they do not include Section 377A, under which it is a crime for men to have sex with each other, even in their own bedroom. Mr Siew said earlier that the idea for the petition was suggested by its two lead signatories, lawyer George Hwang and gay media company Fridae.com's chief executive Stuart Koe. On his blog, in public comments and in interviews, Mr Siew has avoided declaring his sexuality - until now. 'For the record, I am decidedly straight. I am in a serious and committed relationship with a wonderful woman,' he said. 'But I have always been loathe to mention that because I did not want to dignify this sort of speculation with such a disclaimer. 'Whether I am gay or not should really have nothing to do with the merits of the debate. 'After all, this is not a gay issue but an issue of equality and non-discrimination. 'It is an issue for all Singaporeans. The debate, he stressed, 'is about the public, the people, heterosexuals and gays, who believe that Section 377A is wrong and should be repealed, and are willing to put their names down in writing to stand behind it.' His girlfriend, he said, also signed the petition. He declined to give further details about her, save that 'she supports me in doing this'. He admits that there will be 'perceptions and suspicions' that he is tabling the petition because he is himself gay. 'That really speaks volumes about the level of debate in Singapore,' he said. His actions, he said, were motivated by his long-held personal views, 'views which I must add are held by a broad spectrum of Singaporeans regardless of sexual orientation', he said. 'I felt an obligation to agree to present the petition to Parliament,' he said, adding that he was 'completely overwhelmed' by the response the petition has generated - both positive and negative. More than three newspaper forum letter writers have argued against repealing the law. One also questioned Mr Siew's right to raise the issue in Parliament. While Mr Siew did not want to talk about the outcome he is hoping for, he added that he is happy the petition 'has generated a useful discourse'. 'It is important to have a debate on the concepts of equality and non-discrimination in Singapore. 'It was a diverse group of people who signed the petition - straight, gay, male, female, young, middle-aged, old. Even religious people signed the petition. 'So that shows that these issues cut across lines and resonate universally,' he said. But the petition is unlikely to move the Goverment. It has already said that it would not amend the law. At a forum last month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explained that the Government's view was that it should not push forward on this issue, but follow society's views. And the majority of Singaporeans, he said, was not ready. Earlier, the Government had said that it would maintain the status quo, as Singapore is generally a conservative society. But authorities would not actively prosecute people under Section 377A. Constitutional lawyer Kevin Tan said he, too, did not think the petition would lead to any change in legislation. 'The Government has stated its stand, and
since the arguments in the petition are not new, I can't see the
Government back tracking,' he said.
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