The five-minute Young PAP (YP) video that went viral and panned for being robotic was earlier in the year deemed safe enough for public consumption by the Media Development Authority (MDA) because "it does not have animation or dramatic elements".

In response to media queries on whether the film had been cleared by the authorities, MDA said the YP video is exempted under Section 2(3)(f) as it does not have animation or dramatic elements, and is made by a political party and presents its manifesto and ideology, on the basis of which the party's candidates will seek to be elected.

MDA also said the video was submitted earlier this year and was even rated PG.

Video was screened last year before MDA approval

But the woes of the YP do not seem to be over.

Questions are now being raised about whether the screening of the video late last year at the PAP party convention contravened the Films Act.

This is because even though the video was screened at the 2013 PAP convention for party members only that was held over two days on December 7 and 8 last year, the event was open to non-party members such as the media.

This screening might have broken the rules as the video was only subsequently submitted to MDA for approval earlier this year, as reported in The Straits Times on May 15, 2014.

Section 14 of the Films Act states:

“Every film in the possession of any person shall be submitted to the Board without any alteration or excision for the purpose of censorship at the owner’s risk and expense and at such time and place as the Board may appoint.”

Previously, in 2009, the PAP’s plan to screen another film, For I Am A Young Singaporean, was withdrawn after the Board of Film Censors failed to approve the film in time.

This resulted in a botched member recruitment launch for the PAP youth wing at that time.

You can watch the video here:

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