Constitutional Documents

The Constitution Of The Republic Of Singapore
Liberty Of The Person
Very, very good. There appears to be fundamental liberties accorded a person except where he is deemed an enemy alien or on grounds of contempt of Parliament. Well, this applies to political agitators or opponents, no doubt.

This then calls for a whole slew of measures like an arrest warrant issued under the hand of the Speaker and detention, sometimes with non-releases and so on.

Now, I am not sure what an enemy alien means. Perhaps it means a foreigner but a local could, under the circumstances, turn into an enemy alien too, can't he? Circumstances like the whole works of nonsensical and anti-citizen or groups of citizens' policies?

Equal Protection
All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.

Accorded only on the ground of religion and race while descent and place of birth cannot be discriminated against. What about age, gender and sexuality? Plus other thingies I can't think of right now.

And only with regard to employment, establishing and carrying on of businesses and or of property ownership, it seems.

Smacks of our pro-businesses and pro-foreigner-turn-citizen ethos. Nothing wrong with that but what kinda people are we getting in?

People who come here to run businesses (sounds a lot like workers' exploitation in many cases and I have worked for Indonesian, Chinese and Malaysian bosses before, and of course our very own native bigshots), care two hoots about the place here, make their fortune and then they scoot off. Or they luxuriate in their own little wealthy kindgom here.

What limited scope, the Constitution!

Prohibition of banishment and freedom of movement
Subject to some provisos, every citizen of Singapore has the right to move freely throughout Singapore and to reside in any part thereof.

Now why does a police officer who conducted a check on moi eons ago, then tells moi I have no right to be in this part of Singapore as I reside somewhere else.

According to his logic, if you live in Sengkang, you must work, play, eat, shit and masturbate in Sengkang. You can't be anywhere else.

So shouldn't they be restricting foreigners more?

Freedom of speech, assembly and association
Subject to the interest of the security of the state, public order, morality and incitement to any offence among others.

Again the provisos seek to curb any political agitators and opponents.

Freedom of religion
Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion and to propagate it.

So it should be for agnostics and atheists.

Agnostics and atheists have every right as religious devouts do to practise their non-religion and to propagate it. Their own personal space, at home or in public, should not be intruded upon.

There is a place for worship and it seems like these are churches, mosques and temples. Religious practitioners can joss, burn, incense, chant or pray as loud, as much or as fiery as they want to. In fact such places of worship are best sited further away from residential places.

Just as foreign guest workers (and these are usually big groupies) should have their own living quarters (especially those in the construction and heavy technical service industries) located further away from residences.

Security can be better maintained that way in controlled areas like these. Not to mention, noise and smoke pollution.

Many religious practitioners worry about the funeral of an atheist or agnostic. I say, once you close your eyes upon death, you don't care or worry anymore about what happens or what ceremonies are performed.

I will just have a few pop songs sung at mine, my body inspected in a glass coffin and thereafter, my body cremated and the ashes in an urn taken home to rest.

No need for any religious ceremonies or rituals.

Rights in respect of education
I will write about this some other time.