We learned on Tuesday that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the following decree on events held at Speakers' Corner, the one place in Singapore where people can legitimately organise protests or cause-related activities:

"The Government's general position has always been that foreign entities should not interfere in our domestic issues, especially political issues or controversial social issues with political overtones. These are political, social or moral choices for Singaporeans to decide for ourselves. LGBT issues are one such example.

This is why under the rules governing the use of the Speakers' Corner, for events like the Pink Dot, foreigners are not allowed to organise or speak at the events, or participate in demonstrations.

The Ministry of Home Affairs will take steps to make it clear that foreign entities should not fund, support or influence such events held at the Speakers' Corner. In the context of LGBT issues, this will apply both to events that advocate the LGBT cause such as the Pink Dot, as well as events whose purpose is to oppose the LGBT cause." (emphasis ours)

In response, Pink Dot's organisers said:

"...we have done all we can to ensure Pink Dot SG stays within the law.

Our Corporate Sponsors that have supported us over the years are all registered and incorporated in Singapore. We are fortunate to count among them admired household names, employers of choice for a sizeable portion of our workforce, inextricably linked with and fully a part of this beautiful fabric we call home." (emphasis also ours)

They've subtly raised a valid point here, though — what is defined as a "foreign entity"?? 

Is it sufficient for them to be registered and incorporated here? Or do they have to be founded here? Do all their owners have to be Singaporean? Do they have to be substantially made up of Singaporeans, perhaps have more than half of their employees be Singaporean?

Singaporean economist and public intellectual Donald Low, who himself is neither in support or opposed to Pink Dot, takes this further in his questions in response to MHA's declaration:

We break down what he wrote above:

1. How does one define what a foreign entity is, when you're talking about companies? 

To the IRAS (our tax authority), folks like Apple, Google, Microsoft and such are tax residents, because they are subject to Singapore's tax laws.

To the MAS (our central bank), foreign banks are required to incorporate their retail operations locally, and so they are regarded as local entities.

The EDB (an agency that goes out to the rest of the world to secure foreign investments into Singapore) has a major initiative to encourage foreign companies to view Singapore as a home, not just as a host.

2. So if you say "it's just politics, not business", what about the fact that these supporting sponsor companies may see Singapore's LGBT segment as a key target market for their business?

Low notes the LGBT segment has greater spending power than others.

And what if they want to be seen as a company that supports progressive social causes?

A foreign-owned company can easily say they are being discriminated against by being disallowed from supporting things that local companies are allowed to, right — doesn't that ever so slightly taint Singapore's pro-business image?

3. And what does "sponsorship" entail, and how will it be enforced?

Cash is obvious, but what about in-kind donations?

What if a company decided to give its staff special bonuses and encouraged them to donate them, or made T-shirts bearing the company logo and got their staff to attend?

Or what if Pink Dot acknowledges the companies as "friends" or "supporters" instead of as "sponsors"? As Low points out, loopholes abound.

4. And even if all the above were to be set out clearly, do we really want to be the world's laughing stock again?

Imagine how this already looks to the outsider:

Singapore, a small island-nation of just under 6 million people, outlaws peaceful demonstrations and instead restricts them to one small park area, where people need to apply to the police for permission to hold their activities there. Strikes are against the law unless one asks the president for permission.

Now, its authorities want to additionally restrict who can support the legally-sanctioned events at that tiny plot of land, which have to be pre-approved by the police.

Well, all right, then.

Let's just think about this from another perspective raised by author Neil Humphreys —

Related articles:

Time for Pink Dot to start attracting S’poreans who wear half pink

Tactical religious person handing out this flyer outside Chinatown Point opposite Pink Dot event

Top photo by Ng Yi Shu.

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