SINGAPORE: The latest hot issues on the Internet revolve around section 377A and the issue of promoting gay rights in Singapore.
The Section 377A of the Penal Code criminalises homosexual sex.
National Solidarity Party candidate Nicole Seah posted comments on social networking site Facebook, saying she wondered if Section 377A is a big problem.
Ms Seah said homosexuality is a touchy subject.
She questioned if repealing such a law would dilute the nuclear family unit.
The statement attracted more than a thousand "likes".
Many who commented on Ms Seah's Facebook page echoed Ms Seah's call for the focus in the General Election to be on more important issues.
Meanwhile, the online world is also abuzz with comments on the People's Action Party (PAP) salvo against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), over a video posted on video sharing site YouTube.
The video allegedly showed SDP candidate Vincent Wijeysingha at a forum discussing the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code.
Dr Balakrishnan, along with his PAP team-mates in Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency (GRC) issued a statement questioning the political motives of Dr Wijeysingha after the video surfaced on YouTube.
SDP Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan has responded, saying the party is not pursuing the gay agenda "and none of our MPs will".
Many have also said on the Internet the issue of sexuality should not be raised in the polls.
-CNA/wk
Source: GE Gay issue shouldn't be raised in polls, say netizens - Channel NewsAsia
PAP: Will Wijeysingha pursue gay agenda? SDP: No, we will not
SINGAPORE - Putting an end to speculation, a People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has confirmed that a videotaped discussion flagged by this newspaper yesterday on "the promotion of the gay cause in Singapore", was indeed the one to which the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports had alluded, in his recent remarks about Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Vincent Wijeysingha.
"The issue is not Wijeysingha's sexual orientation. That is a matter for him," said the team from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in a joint statement. Rather, "the video raises the question on whether Wijeysingha will now pursue this cause in the political arena and what is the SDP's position on the matter".
The PAP team, which comprises Dr Balakrishnan, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Sim Ann, noted that the discussion at the forum captured on video "touched on sex with boys and whether the age of consent for boys should be 14 years of age".
Today was the first newspaper to flag the six-minute video (picture) on YouTube which some netizens had speculated could be the footage Dr Balakrishnan had earlier accused the SDP of suppressing, saying it raised "very awkward questions about the agenda and motivations of the SDP and its candidates".
In the video, lawyer M Ravi responds to questions from participants about challenging Section 377A, the law which criminalises sex between men.
The PAP team noted that in the video, Mr Wijeysingha, who was introduced as being from the SDP, had said: "I think the gay community has to rally ourselves" and that "those of us who are interested" could look further into "how we can address the 377 issue as well as further rights issues in relation to gays and lesbians".
Said the PAP team: "We believe that candidates should be upfront about their political agenda and motives, so that voters are able to make an informed choice."
THE SDP hits back
The statement was met with a robust response from SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan, who posted a video on the party's website last night.
"Let me state categorically, we are not pursuing the gay agenda and none of our Members of Parliament will," said Dr Chee.
Its candidates had stepped forward because "they love this country and they know that Singaporeans yearn for an alternative voice in Parliament. That's their only agenda", he said.
"When we speak up, we do so for all Singaporeans because we serve all Singaporeans, not just a segment of Singaporeans."
Dr Chee also criticised how Dr Balakrishnan had raised the issue.
He said the core of Singapore's pledge is the creed of non-discrimination, and "this is why we are so disappointed Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has raised this issue in such a manner".
"I can only hope he will not adopt smear tactics in this campaign and we ask him not to go down this road.
"We are better than that, we can disagree on policies and not have to resort to personal attacks," added Dr Chee, who concluded by calling on Dr Balakrishnan to agree to a debate with the SDP and make public the accounts for last year's Youth Olympic Games.
Excerpts from the video ...
RAVI: How come ah, 14 years old in Sweden can form opinion? Consent is as low as 14 years old between males in some Western countries and so on … We are the global community. Why the discrimination and all that …
PARTICIPANT: How you plan to rally the gay community to help the cause?
RAVI: I have no energy to rally anybody, because I myself am very tired … So I don't have time. Maybe a first gay MP in Singapore. (Pointing at Vincent) Oh you're from Singapore Democratic Party ah, all the other opposition parties won't support you, better don't do that.
VINCENT: Can I answer that question?
RAVI: Yes.
VINCENT: I don't think it's for Ravi by himself to rally the gay community. I think the gay community has to rally ourselves. So perhaps one outcome of today's forum could be those of us who are interested to come together to further consider how we can address the 377 issue as well as further rights issues in relation to gays and lesbians. Maybe we should exchange numbers, have a bit of a more informal kind of conversation in days to come. See where we go from there. So, can I put that on the table as a proposition?
Source: TODAYonline | Singapore Votes | PAP: Will Wijeysingha pursue gay agenda? SDP: No, we will not
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