status quo

For every action there is an equal and opposite government program

Leong Wee Keat
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

IT'S a crime with age-old roots that has infiltrated high-tech avenues.
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And to send a "strong message" to culprits, the laws are being changed so that racial insults made over the electronic media, such as the Internet, will soon be considered an offence under the Penal Code.
.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said this amendment "would provide another legislative option to deal with future offenders".
.
In 2005, prosecutors had to resort to a rarely-used legislation, the Sedition Act, to bring criminals to book when three men were separately accused of promoting racial ill-will and hostility through comments posted on blogs and online forums.
.
Under the soon-to-be revised Penal Code, a person who knowingly causes religious or racial disharmony, or promotes ill will between different groups on the grounds of religion and/or race, could be jailed up to three years or fined, or both.
.
For racial or religious aggravated offences, penalties could also be increased by one-and-a-half times.
.
The MHA said this approach is similar to that taken for enhanced penalties for certain offences committed against maids.
.
"This new section will help to preserve the social harmony which our country enjoys and send a strong message to any person who may try to disrupt social harmony," said the MHA.
.
Brother Michael Brough-ton, a member of the Inter-Religious Organisation, said such laws would enforce "external conformity" and "hasten the education process".
.
"In Singapore, I guess the way things work is that a law enforces it first," he said. But he believed education was still the key to achieving racial harmony.
.
"We want our younger ones to grow up internalising the principle," said Brother Broughton, a deputy principal of St Joseph's Institution. Leong Wee Keat
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

IT'S a crime with age-old roots that has infiltrated high-tech avenues.
.
And to send a "strong message" to culprits, the laws are being changed so that racial insults made over the electronic media, such as the Internet, will soon be considered an offence under the Penal Code.
.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said this amendment "would provide another legislative option to deal with future offenders".
.
In 2005, prosecutors had to resort to a rarely-used legislation, the Sedition Act, to bring criminals to book when three men were separately accused of promoting racial ill-will and hostility through comments posted on blogs and online forums.
.
Under the soon-to-be revised Penal Code, a person who knowingly causes religious or racial disharmony, or promotes ill will between different groups on the grounds of religion and/or race, could be jailed up to three years or fined, or both.
.
For racial or religious aggravated offences, penalties could also be increased by one-and-a-half times.
.
The MHA said this approach is similar to that taken for enhanced penalties for certain offences committed against maids.
.
"This new section will help to preserve the social harmony which our country enjoys and send a strong message to any person who may try to disrupt social harmony," said the MHA.
.
Brother Michael Brough-ton, a member of the Inter-Religious Organisation, said such laws would enforce "external conformity" and "hasten the education process".
.
"In Singapore, I guess the way things work is that a law enforces it first," he said. But he believed education was still the key to achieving racial harmony.
.
"We want our younger ones to grow up internalising the principle," said Brother Broughton, a deputy principal of St Joseph's Institution. Leong Wee Keat
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

IT'S a crime with age-old roots that has infiltrated high-tech avenues.
.
And to send a "strong message" to culprits, the laws are being changed so that racial insults made over the electronic media, such as the Internet, will soon be considered an offence under the Penal Code.
.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said this amendment "would provide another legislative option to deal with future offenders".
.
In 2005, prosecutors had to resort to a rarely-used legislation, the Sedition Act, to bring criminals to book when three men were separately accused of promoting racial ill-will and hostility through comments posted on blogs and online forums.
.
Under the soon-to-be revised Penal Code, a person who knowingly causes religious or racial disharmony, or promotes ill will between different groups on the grounds of religion and/or race, could be jailed up to three years or fined, or both.
.
For racial or religious aggravated offences, penalties could also be increased by one-and-a-half times.
.
The MHA said this approach is similar to that taken for enhanced penalties for certain offences committed against maids.
.
"This new section will help to preserve the social harmony which our country enjoys and send a strong message to any person who may try to disrupt social harmony," said the MHA.
.
Brother Michael Brough-ton, a member of the Inter-Religious Organisation, said such laws would enforce "external conformity" and "hasten the education process".
.
"In Singapore, I guess the way things work is that a law enforces it first," he said. But he believed education was still the key to achieving racial harmony.
.
"We want our younger ones to grow up internalising the principle," said Brother Broughton, a deputy principal of St Joseph's Institution.