志异 Draft by Drama box December 2014 (english) | Page 44

As a result,
opinions are
being trapped
within nationalistic
sentiments,
compromising the
individual’s rights
to free will – the
right to agree or
disagree, as well
as the ability to
make independent
judgments.

In To Singapore, with Love, Singaporean documentary maker Tan
Pin Pin interviewed individuals who had been leaders of student
movements, leftist activists or members of the communist
party. The subjects spoke about their life stories as political
exiles who left the country in the 1960s. Upon screening by the
Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), the film was
given the classification of ‘Not Allowed for All Ratings’ due to the
consensus reached by the authority that the film both distorts
history and undermines national security. This led to an uproar
within the filmmaking and artistic circle, who responded by
issuing a joint statement expressing their ‘deep disappointment’.
Members of the public also signed petitions that requested for
greater freedom of expression for filmmakers in Singapore.

History Bound by Nationalism
The two incidents mentioned may seem independent of one
another but on closer inspection share a common relation. Both
the removal of the children’s titles and banning of To Singapore,
with Love are strapped to problems that are identifiable. The
former was due to the arguments regarding homosexuals and
non-conventional families. It all started with a complaint from an
anti-gay rights reader claiming that the titles contained messages
that were not ‘family-friendly’ and may whet the appetite of
Pink Dot, a group that champions for homosexual acceptance
in Singapore. On a similar note, the Malayan Communist Party

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