MDA needs to rethink censorship

Dear Editor,

I refer to the recent $10,000 fine imposed on StarHub Cable Vision (SCV) by the Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore. SCV featured two girls kissing in a commercial on MTV’s Mandarin-language channel.

While MDA sees it as a threat to dominant social and moral norms, alleging that the commercial “promoted lesbianism as acceptable and romantic”, we need to understand that there are diverse sexualities and sexual orientation that exist in our society.

Rather than promotion, we should be able to see it as a representation of lesbianism, which is unfortunately often either invisible, stereotyped or misunderstood. We should thus not allow the tyranny of the majority to marginalise other peoples.

Furthermore, it is not criminal here that two women are in passionate embrace and kissing. Such a policy only reflects the sex-negativity of Singaporeans and the denial of homosexuality as part of society. It also says a lot about the degree to which the government will allow sexual minorities to be represented.

The fears of the promotion, celebration and “spread” of homosexualism all stem from a stereotypical misunderstanding of homosexuality. Many are quick to assume that the media is all powerful and can totally influence or change one’s sexual orientation in this case.

It seems that MDA formulates its policies based on the positivist findings of Albert Bandura’s 1961 Bobo doll experiment, wherein children in the experiment are observed to assault the Bobo doll after watching an adult hitting it. Sexual orientation, like violent behaviour, is thought by the authorities to be learned, hence the need for disciplining through media control.

With a blinkered focus that only takes into account an audience’s relationship with media, we forget about the political influences of dominant moral communities, based on their numerical superiority, which shape the production and dissemination of media messages and images. Too much attention is placed on how we can censor and ban, so that people do not become “corrupt”, however defined by the dominant groups.

What I also find mystifying is that there is relatively not much attention and debate focused on the pervasive depictions of violence in the media, but rather larger concerns on homosexuality, which does not result in bloodshed or death. There are many television programmes that depict violence, its glorification, as well as vengeful violence. Acts of media violence often go unpunished and acts of love gets SCV a fine of $10,000.

Ho Chi Sam

MAS should regard it as an obligation to exchange mutilated notes

I REFER to the article ‘$50 notes with ‘KF’ mark: Defaced bills ‘command no value” (ST, 27 Mar).

While it is right for MAS to exchange mutilated notes for good ones in the event that they are accidentally given to us, I am surprised that MAS regards it as an ‘act of grace’ rather than an obligation.

If an ATM delivers defaced notes to me, a situation clearly beyond my control, and neither the bank nor MAS is willing to recognize the value of those notes, I can and will sue the bank for fraud.

Ng E-Jay

Police Follow Up on Singapore Protestor

I was a participant in the 15 March 2008 protest organized by SDP along with two of my young children.

On 20th March 2008, at about 9.45pm, while trying to put my two tired kids to sleep, a loud bang on my door jolted them up.

At the door, I was greeted by two non-uniformed police officers who identified themselves and told me that I was under investigation for participating in an illegal assembly and procession.

My questions are:

1) Since they could identify me as one of the protesters, I am sure they are well aware that I have two young children. Did they need to bang on my door so hard? Yes, my door bell is not working, but my ears are. I am certainly not deaf!

2) Is this police way of intimidating citizens who are not afraid of exercising their constitutional rights to participate in a peaceful protest?

3) Do the police want my young children to see them as intimidating figures rather than as "friendly neighborhood policemen", as they like to market themselves to be?

4) What has become of our society if even speaking up is a crime, citizen are being intimidated for doing so, and yet limping terrorists are out on the loose?

LaMei

MOH U-turn on Aesthetic Medicine

Dear editor,

I like to make some comments about the “aesthetic medicine” issue and the apparent U-turn by MOH.

Public trust doctors- we should not abuse that trust

Despite protests from certain quarters of the medical community, I feel that it is right that doctors should be judged by higher standards than laymen. To say that if beauticians and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners are allowed to carry out unproven treatment, doctors should be too is to ignore the good reputation that doctors in Singapore had taken decades to earn.

I do not agree that dubious treatments without any shreds of evidence should be allowed.As members of an honourable and ancient profession, patients inherently trust that any treatment recommended by us is not snake-oil. They assume the treatment is good for them and that it is evidence-based. They do not hold beauticians to such lofty standards.

This higher standard applies to all professions. Hence when a doctor, lawyer or accountant has “fraud” convictions, he will be deemed unfit to practice and be struck off the membership rolls.

Place of Aesthetic Medicine in Singapore healthcare

Recent action by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ban unproven treatment ( and subsequent U-turn) has brought sharp focus on the place of Aesthetic Medicine in Singapore Healthcare.
Even amongst doctors, the views vary widely with one end of the spectrum feeling that treating normal face and skin is not “medicine” and should be best left to beauty salons. The other extreme is that the supply and demand for “beauty” in the marketplace should be left to play itself out without restraint and that economics would always find its own equilibrium. Willing buyer willing seller scenario.

My view is that Aesthetics is here to stay and will not be wished away. As not all aesthetic treatment is “snake-oil” we should not throw the baby out with the bath-water by banning aesthetic medicine.

Working towards win-win

The medical community, led by the Singapore Medical Council and the MOH, has to decide what treatment is proven and safe. It has then to decide who is competent to perform these. There would necessarily be several tiers where simple procedures such as Botox can be safely administered by trained GP’s and higher tier surgeries such as Liposuction, should be the preserve of doctors who had extensive training and who understand advanced anatomy and surgical pathology as these are potentially lethal in the wrong hands.

The authorities must provide ample opportunities for interested doctors to undergo structured instructions and the necessary certifications. Doctors should not need to learn Botox over a weekend in Bali.

Plastic surgeons should volunteer to impart their skills to fellow doctors who have passions for this field. This would help dispel notions that this is a “turf war” being played out. Although competition has lowered prices of procedures like Botox, the enlarged pie also benefit all doctors, even specialists. It is a win-win scenario.

Best of all, Singapore Medicine gets to keep its good reputation intact,

Dr.Huang Shoou Chyuan

Is there a niche for African professional immigration?

I refer to the letter by Alex M. Mutebi published on page S6 on 15 March
2008.

I am sure Africans from Nigeria or from any other African country have
their share of scientists, physicians, professors, lawyers, diplomats
and businessmen as mentioned by Mr. Mutebi.

That is why they should remain in Africa. Compared to S. E. Asia, Africa
is a huge continent and needs these professionals for its own development.

There is a report in the Financial Times about Malawi's 'Brain Drain'
Crisis and the lack of medical workers in Malawi, a country that
epitomizes the problem that "brain drain" causes for many of Africa's
health care systems.

In the report, there are only 100 doctors and 2,000 nurses for Malawi's 12
million people because many health care workers trained in the country now
practice in developed countries, which pay higher salaries.

The problem is so severe that the authorities in Malawi want foreign
governments that employ medical workers from Malawi to compensate the
country for the cost of training new doctors and nurses.

One can extrapolate the lack of medical professionals in Africa to other
areas of expertise as well.

S. E. Asian countries have their own professionals with whom we are
comfortable and it's hard to see where the niche is for Africans who want
to settle here.


Jeff

Why Police Action on Peaceful Protest in Singapore?

I refer to the peaceful protest by SDP held on 15 March 2008.

I got to know about the protest through word of mouth and decided to exercise my constitutional rights as a Singapore Citizen by participating together with my two young children. My purpose was simple: to highlight the rising cost of living that is affecting me and my family.

Recent increases in childcare costs, milk powder, transportation and medical costs, are taking a toll on families like me with very young dependents.

What started out as a peaceful protest turned unnecessarily rowdy in the end because the police held up the group of protesters outside Funan Digimall and prevented them from moving.

The police intervention created a scene that attracted big crowds of passersby.

As a Citizen who is non-partisan, I will support causes I believe in, regardless of who the organizers are. In times of price hikes where we were told by our ministers to buy house brand bread, eat frozen meat, I do not think I have the spare cash to enjoy the luxury of junk foods. It¡¯s World Consumer Day on 15 March 2008, so what is wrong with protesting about the recent escalating price hikes?

What has become of our society if even speaking up has become a crime, and peaceful protests end up with arrest, yet limping terrorists are out on the loose?

"Once in a while, when we claim to be representing the workers, we must stop to question ourselves-- why then are we not part of the workforce?"

LaMei

Why my letter always kenna rejected?

Why my letter to ST forums always kenna rejected?

Okay lor, they don't publish, I publish myself.

Anyone else kenna rejected also free to send to valenminbari@gmail.com

Only rule is you must show some proof that it was rejected.