The Public Order Act, which was just passed in Parliament on Monday, got me wondering just how far the PAP will go to thumb its nose at the Constitution to serve its narrow political interests.
Among some “highlights” of the law are:
- A demonstration by a lone person is called an “assembly”.
- Two persons walking together form for a common cause is a “procession”.
- Assemblies and processions both need permits from the Commissioner of Police.
- Cause-related activities (i.e., political activities) require permits regardless of the number of persons involved. (I guess that means that zero-person activities can also be banned.)
- An entry-level policeman has the power to order people to “move on” away from an area, even if they are not committing an offence. Those people have to comply, even if that policeman is in the wrong.
- The police have the power to ban ordinary citizens from filming them as they work.