OB marker
Encyclopedia
An OB marker, short for "out of bounds marker", is a term used in Singapore
to denote what topics are permissible for public discussion. The full form of the word is rarely used.
The term is adopted from golf
, where an out of bounds marker denotes the area beyond which playing is not allowed. However, unlike golf, the OB markers of Singaporean political discourse are not visible. The term "OB markers" was first used in 1991 by the then-Minister for Information and the Arts George Yeo
to describe the boundaries of acceptable political discourse.
An additional complication is introduced by the fact that OB markers may shift depending on the political climate, so a topic that was previously permissible may be banned in the future, and vice versa. In 1999, George Yeo said that it is difficult to define exactly what the OB markers are in advance.
In 2003, a Remaking Singapore sub-committee, chaired by Raymond Lim, described OB markers as "action and speech that engage directly in electioneering and party politics; that is, within the arena of the contest for political power".
published an essay "The PAP and the people - A Great Affective Divide
" suggesting that the People's Action Party
is not representative of the people. Then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
warned her to join a political party if she wanted to air political views in public, and stated that "demolishing the respect for and standing of the Prime Minister and his government by systematic contempt and denigration in the media" was out of bounds.
in 2005. An undisclosed person posted a series of cut-outs of elephants to criticise the delayed opening of the mass transit station. This led to a police investigation. Although the person was later let off with a stern warning, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng
commented that "we cannot apply the law to some and turn a blind eye to others. If we do, then the law becomes the real white elephant."
Later, a group of students from Raffles Girls' School were preparing to sell T-shirts bearing "Save the White Elephants" to raise fund for a charity. This prompted a warning from the police, but later Wong admitted that the police had overreacted.
wrote the article "S'poreans are fed, up with progress!", for his weekly opinion column in Today
concerning the rising costs of living in Singapore. The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
labeled him a "partisan player" whose views "distort the truth", and his column was suspended by the paper.
has described OB markers as "unconstitutional: by subscribing to the idea of OB markers, people abandon their constitutional rights or risk having such rights abused." He described adherence to OB markers as a form of self-censorship
. The Southeast Asian Press Alliance has describe the OB marker system as "a suffocating environment where the limits of one’s freedom to express is defined by citizens themselves."
, topics known to be permanently out of bounds are comments that might produce ill-will and hostility between different races and religious groups. This applies to the Internet as well, where 3 people were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act
for posting racist comments on the Internet, and two subsequently sentenced to imprisonment
in September 2005.
At Singapore's Speakers' Corner
, the rules state that:
. However, in 2007, the proposal to repeal sections 377 and 377A of the Penal Code received a very public airing. This led to a local journalist, Sumiko Tan
, suggesting that the OB markers have been redefined.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to denote what topics are permissible for public discussion. The full form of the word is rarely used.
The term is adopted from golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, where an out of bounds marker denotes the area beyond which playing is not allowed. However, unlike golf, the OB markers of Singaporean political discourse are not visible. The term "OB markers" was first used in 1991 by the then-Minister for Information and the Arts George Yeo
George Yeo
George Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts , Minister for Health , Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs...
to describe the boundaries of acceptable political discourse.
An additional complication is introduced by the fact that OB markers may shift depending on the political climate, so a topic that was previously permissible may be banned in the future, and vice versa. In 1999, George Yeo said that it is difficult to define exactly what the OB markers are in advance.
In 2003, a Remaking Singapore sub-committee, chaired by Raymond Lim, described OB markers as "action and speech that engage directly in electioneering and party politics; that is, within the arena of the contest for political power".
Notable cases
There are several notable cases where the Singaporean government has flagged OB markers.Catherine Lim
In 1994, author Catherine LimCatherine Lim
Catherine Lim is a best-selling Singaporean fiction author known for writing about Singapore society and of themes of traditional Chinese culture. Hailed as the "doyenne of Singapore writers", Lim has published nine collections of short stories, five novels, two poetry collections and numerous...
published an essay "The PAP and the people - A Great Affective Divide
The PAP and the people - A Great Affective Divide
“The PAP and the people – A Great Affective Divide” is the title of a political commentary which was published in Singapore’s main newspaper, The Straits Times, on 3 September 1994. It was written by Singaporean author Catherine Lim , who believed there existed a division in Singaporeans’ attitudes...
" suggesting that the People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
is not representative of the people. Then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
warned her to join a political party if she wanted to air political views in public, and stated that "demolishing the respect for and standing of the Prime Minister and his government by systematic contempt and denigration in the media" was out of bounds.
2005 White Elephant incidents
The lack of clear definition of OB Marker resulted in mixed responses by the police and the government during the White Elephant incidents at Buangkok MRT StationBuangkok MRT Station
Buangkok MRT Station is an underground station located on the North East Line of the Mass Rapid Transit in Singapore. The station is in Sengkang and near to Hougang and serves residents in the vicinity....
in 2005. An undisclosed person posted a series of cut-outs of elephants to criticise the delayed opening of the mass transit station. This led to a police investigation. Although the person was later let off with a stern warning, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng
Wong Kan Seng
Wong Kan Seng is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2011...
commented that "we cannot apply the law to some and turn a blind eye to others. If we do, then the law becomes the real white elephant."
Later, a group of students from Raffles Girls' School were preparing to sell T-shirts bearing "Save the White Elephants" to raise fund for a charity. This prompted a warning from the police, but later Wong admitted that the police had overreacted.
mrbrown
In 2006, blogger mrbrownMrbrown
Lee Kin Mun , aka mrbrown, is a Singaporean blogger well known for his social and political commentary amidst Singapore's tight media restrictions. Affectionately known by many as Singapore's "Blogfather", mrbrown is one of the more notable bloggers in the Singaporean blogosphere. His podcast...
wrote the article "S'poreans are fed, up with progress!", for his weekly opinion column in Today
Today (Singapore newspaper)
Today is a free English-language compact in Singapore published by government-owned MediaCorp print media arm. It is distributed from Monday to Sunday....
concerning the rising costs of living in Singapore. The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts is a ministry of the Government of Singapore...
labeled him a "partisan player" whose views "distort the truth", and his column was suspended by the paper.
Criticism
Singaporean political science researcher James GomezJames Gomez
Dr. James Gomez is an academic from Singapore and he manages an online consultancy – The GOMEZ Centre. A prominent public intellectual in the country, he is currently the Executive Director of Singaporeans for Democracy and a member of the Singapore Democratic Party .-Biography:Gomez was born in...
has described OB markers as "unconstitutional: by subscribing to the idea of OB markers, people abandon their constitutional rights or risk having such rights abused." He described adherence to OB markers as a form of self-censorship
Self-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own work , out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities of others, without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority...
. The Southeast Asian Press Alliance has describe the OB marker system as "a suffocating environment where the limits of one’s freedom to express is defined by citizens themselves."
Other related restriction on speech
While OB Marker usually refers to the restriction on political discourse, there are other forms of restriction on speech in Singapore.Race and religion
Under the Singapore Sedition ActSedition Act (Singapore)
The Sedition Act is in Chapter 290 of the Statutes of Singapore. It was last revised in 1985.In September 2005, the Sedition Act was first used on individuals when three men, including a teenager, were charged for making seditious and inflammatory racist comments on the Internet.-Seditious...
, topics known to be permanently out of bounds are comments that might produce ill-will and hostility between different races and religious groups. This applies to the Internet as well, where 3 people were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act
Sedition Act (Singapore)
The Sedition Act is in Chapter 290 of the Statutes of Singapore. It was last revised in 1985.In September 2005, the Sedition Act was first used on individuals when three men, including a teenager, were charged for making seditious and inflammatory racist comments on the Internet.-Seditious...
for posting racist comments on the Internet, and two subsequently sentenced to imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
in September 2005.
At Singapore's Speakers' Corner
Speakers' Corner, Singapore
Singapore Speakers' Corner is a local version of London's Speakers' Corner, where members of the public can give speeches and engage public debates...
, the rules state that:
- The speech should not be religious in nature, and should not have the potential to cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality has long been a taboo subject in Singapore. For example, in 2005, an overseas-located gay website was banned by the Media Development AuthorityMedia Development Authority
The Media Development Authority is a statutory board of the Singapore Government, under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts .-History:...
. However, in 2007, the proposal to repeal sections 377 and 377A of the Penal Code received a very public airing. This led to a local journalist, Sumiko Tan
Sumiko Tan
Sumiko Tan is the news editor of the Home Section for The Straits Times, a Singapore-based broadsheet newspaper. She was formerly the editor of The Sunday Times and magazines team.Tan's father is Chinese Teochew and her mother is Japanese...
, suggesting that the OB markers have been redefined.
Others
Other past and present topics widely considered out of bounds include:- Corruption or other alleged failings in government, such as in Lee v. FEER