In Focus: Singapore Rebel

Singapore is one of the smallest countries in Southeast Asia and with a population of only 5.3 million. It is also the strongest economy in Southeast Asia. Basically, the island state is the epitome of first world development, not just in the region, but also around the world.

However, one issue that continues to haunt Singapore is the limits and restrictions that the government imposes on the media and freedom of speech and expression. In fact, as recent as a month ago, the government came up with a law that was seen as wanting to curb the online media.

So, I decided to explore this issue and speak to some of the country’s leading advocates of free speech and expression. I spent time with Art Fazil, a popular musician not just in his home country, but also in Malaysia. Aside from his professional career, he also has an alter-ego online named Mas Riddim.

I also met up with Martyn See, a documentary filmmaker who has had several of his films (which were always about opposition politics) banned, unbanned and banned again. He was even once hauled up for investigation by the police over his work.

And I managed to chat with Singapore's most popular humourist blogger, Lee Kin Mun aka Mr. Brown. This is a guy who isn’t afraid to poke fun at anyone and anything. Nobody has been spared his wrath. And the consequence? He had a column in a local newspaper suspended.

To find out what these people have to say, tune in to 'In Focus' tonight, Tuesday (30th July 2013), at 8:30pm.

*Catch the new season of In Focus every Tuesdays, 8:30pm, on Astro AWANI.