EU disappointed its MPs can't speak at forum

MFA: They are free to express views elsewhere but not at S'pore political event


THE European Union (EU) and some European Parliament members visiting Singapore expressed regret and disappointment yesterday that their politicians were denied permission to speak at a public forum here.

But the Singapore Democratic Party, which organised the session, went ahead with the forum on the ministerial pay issue last night.

Three of its party members spoke at the two-hour forum.

Earlier in the day, EU representatives met a senior official of the Foreign Affairs Ministry over members being denied permission.

An MFA spokesman told The Straits Times: 'They asked us to reconsider our decision not to allow some members of the European Parliament to speak at the SDP forum.

'We told them that as a matter of principle, Singapore political issues have to be decided by Singaporeans and not foreigners who had no responsibility for Singapore.'

The spokeman added that the representatives were informed that the European Parliament members were 'free to express their views in the European Parliament or post them on the Internet.

'But they should not come to Singapore to participate in a domestic political event.'

EU ambassador Holger Standertskjold, one of the representatives, said: 'The fact that these members of the European Parliament are now not allowed to speak at a public meeting organised by another legally recognised political party of Singapore is regretted by the European Union.'

His statement also said the EU is committed to freedom of expression as laid down in its charter of fundamental rights and the UN Human Rights Declaration and 'regrets that Singapore does not honour the same values'.

Mr Standertskjold is heading the European Commission delegation to Singapore. The other two representatives are the German Ambassador here, Mr Folkmar Walter Otto Stoecker, and Charge d'Affaires of the Czech Republic Ludek Zahradnicek.

The seven visiting European Parliament members belong to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which occupies 105 out of 785 seats in the Parliament, the third-largest group in it.

ALDE leader Graham Watson said here yesterday that they were 'surprised and disappointed' by the Singapore Government's decision, which he said could affect EU cooperation with Singapore.

The authorities had rejected the applications on the grounds of 'public interest'.

Mr Watson said it chose the SDP to be a local sponsor for the meeting, because the party is a member of its sister organisation, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.

Yesterday, members of the alliance and the council also raised the issue at a meeting with Ms Indranee Rajah, Deputy Speaker of the Singapore Parliament.

Ms Indranee told The Straits Times: 'Participation in political activity by foreign legislators is not a matter of their right.'

During the forum, five of the foreign MPs sat with the three SDP speakers on a stage at Sheraton Towers hotel.

SDP chief Chee Soon Juannoted that when Hong Kongers protested against having a goods and services tax, their government did not introduce it.

'Without this ability to tell the Government that we don't want some of your unpopular policies, the ministers' pay hike, for example, the PAP will continue to run roughshod over us,' he said.