No. S 426
Public Entertainments and Meetings Act
(Chapter 257)
Public Entertainments and Meetings (Speakers’ Corner) (Exemption) Order 2008
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 16 of the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act, the Minister for Home Affairs hereby makes the following Order:
Citation and commencement
1.  This Order may be cited as the Public Entertainments and Meetings (Speakers’ Corner) (Exemption) Order 2008 and shall come into operation on 1st September 2008.
Definitions
2.  In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires —
“public speaking” means any play-reading, recital, lecture, talk, address, debate or discussion, for which a licence is required under the Act if not for this Order;
“Speakers’ Corner” means the area in Hong Lim Park and delineated in the Schedule.
Exemption
3.—(1)  Public speaking at the Speakers’ Corner by any person who is a citizen of Singapore is exempted from the provisions of the Act if the following conditions are complied with:
(a)the person has been approved by the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation under regulation 8(3) of the Parks and Trees Regulations (Cap. 216, Rg 1) and the person complies with the terms and conditions of such approval;
(b)the person does not deal with any matter —
(i)which relates, directly or indirectly, to any religious belief or to religion generally; or
(ii)which may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups in Singapore;
(c)the person speaks only in any of the 4 official languages in Singapore, or any related dialect; and
(d)no placard, banner, poster, photograph or film which contains any violent, lewd or obscene material is displayed or exhibited by the person, whether before, during or after the public speaking.
(2)  A performance or an exhibition at the Speakers’ Corner organised by any person who is a citizen of Singapore is exempted from the provisions of the Act if the following conditions are complied with:
(a)there are only citizens and permanent residents of Singapore participating in the performance or exhibition;
(b)the organiser and every person participating (other than a person participating solely as a member of an audience) in the performance or exhibition —
(i)have been approved by the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation under regulation 8(3) of the Parks and Trees Regulations; and
(ii)comply with the terms and conditions of such approval;
(c)the organiser, or an authorised agent of the organiser, is present at all times during the performance or exhibition, as the case may be;
(d)the performance or exhibition does not deal with any matter —
(i)which relates, directly or indirectly, to any religious belief or to religion generally; or
(ii)which may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups in Singapore; and
(e)no placard, banner, poster, photograph or film which contains any violent, lewd or obscene material is displayed or exhibited by the organiser of or any person participating in the performance or exhibition, whether before, during or after the performance or exhibition.
(3)  Any demonstration at the Speakers’ Corner organised by any person who is a citizen of Singapore is exempted from the provisions of the Act if the following conditions are complied with:
(a)there are only citizens and permanent residents of Singapore participating in the demonstration;
(b)the organiser has been approved by the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation under regulation 8(3) of the Parks and Trees Regulations (Cap. 216, Rg 1) and the organiser complies with the terms and conditions of such approval;
(c)the organiser, or an authorised agent of the organiser, is present at all times during the demonstration;
(d)the demonstration does not deal with any matter —
(i)which relates, directly or indirectly, to any religious belief or to religion generally; or
(ii)which may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups in Singapore; and
(e)no placard, banner, poster, photograph or film which contains any violent, lewd or obscene material is displayed or exhibited by the organiser of or any person participating in the demonstration, whether before, during or after the demonstration.
Savings
4.  Nothing in this Order shall be construed to limit or in any way affect the operation of any other written law.
Revocation
5.  The Public Entertainments and Meetings (Speakers’ Corner) (Exemption) Order (O 3) is revoked.

Made this 29th day of August 2008.

BENNY LIM
Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.
[MHA/PS/10/3/05; AG/LEG/SL/257/2005/1 Vol. 1]