ELECTRONIC

ASSIGNMENT
COVERSHEET

Student Number 32813747

Surname Thu

Given name Myat Thu

Email myatthu278@gmail.com

Unit Code MCC337C

Unit name Cultural and Media Policy

Enrolment mode Internal / external

Date 15th July 2016

Assessment name Assignment 2 Essay: Review Submission

Tutor Jailani Abu Bakar

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To whom it may concern,

As a member of a Singaporean it is difficult to express the latest feedback of news in
the changing surroundings due to the advancement of technology in today’s
modernized world. As things around our surroundings are changing day by day, we as a
citizen need to know the latest news feedback in order to keep and have some
awareness on our nearby situations. In this letter, I am totally referring to Mr Tan Dawn
Wei’s Article titled, “National Library Board (NLB) Saga: Two removed children’s books
will go into adult section at library” (Wei, 2014). The National Library Board (NLB)
illustrates that the two children’s books which were ‘And Tango Makes Three’ and ‘The
White Swan Express’ were being taken against action as well as more complaints were
being made by the publics.

The two children’s books from National Library Board (NLB) which were taken against
action in July 2014 were ‘And Tango Makes Three’ and ‘The White Swan Express’
(Chua, 2014). ‘And Tango Makes Three’ is based on a true story about two male
penguins in a New York Zoo raising a baby penguin as a couple. ‘The White Swan
Express’ is about a story which talks more about the youths approval by straight, gay, a
mixture of racism as well as each of the parents. I, hereby, want to emphasize that
these books should be moved into the adults section (France-Presse, 2014) so that
there will be none of the arguments coming from the communities and other publics.
Also, I want to elaborate and feels that the voices of opinions and the communities
thoughts should be raised so that the authorities can know whether they should take
action against or not.

This article was published through the use of traditional media as well as also online to
make the readers know what is happening in which circumstances in the changing
world and also to keep and give alert to make sure that the information reaches to the
readers on time. Also, it is to ensure that the readers have some awareness on their
changing surroundings. Believing that, the readers voices are raised higher and be
heard throughout the whole world so that the information sent and received by the
readers would be true and accurate as well as also more reliable and trustworthy to the
readers. Without the readers voices being raised, the information distributed to the
societies will not be true and inaccurate. Also, the source will not be trustworthy and not
suitable for the readers to read; likewise, they will just find another source which would
be reliable and accurate so that they would be able to know This review submission is
targeting to focus on the role of Singapore’s National Library in today’s world context
with the relationship of policies in Singapore and the social norms due to the outside
pressure given by the societies as well as the organizations.

The act of auto-regulation, a theory, in relation with the review submission is when one
is in an uncertainty state and watchdog by the government to ensure that the
environment is safe enough; it triggers automatically itself regulates to the traditional
site to play the role safe (Lee Terence, 2002).

As Singapore’s National Libraries are being controlled by the Governmental

Organizations as well as the National Library Board (NLB), it could be seen that the
pressure given by the societies and the government organizations to the theory of auto-
regulation should be reduced. Moreover it should contribute a more useful approach for
the communities as well as having a free convenient surroundings to discuss and deal
for the communities issues problems as it seems to believe that it is a theory of the
public sphere. The information of Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB) transmitted
should consider the removing away of those two books which vividly indicates that the
opposition should persist covered and banned that these two books would likely bring
some changes of the awareness of the presence of those individuals who does not
meet the patterns of the communities (Price, 1995) or the policymakers has created.

The recommendation would be that the roles of the public libraries in Singapore remains
devoted on concentrating to contribute messages rather than giving in the pressure to
the publics, i.e. meaning that those two books should be persisted and stationary and
should not be taken out. In my opinion and thoughts for instance, the linkage between
the theory of the public sphere and the Singapore’s Public Libraries should have a
public conversation or a dialogue for the communities to speak up about their necessary
concerns and also their opinions to let them know it on time and basically to plan and
create a public point of view about their necessary concerns. I really think that without
the consultations (Asia, 2015) in the citizens there cannot be any improvements
between the relationship of government organizations and the citizens; it would be
totally unfair for the oppositions or those who are supporting their rights. Giving them
voice would be the best suggestion and opportunity so that they can have a better
understanding and idea what to do and not do. Another suggestion is teaching them the
right way (Pearl, 2015) to possess a better life. Determinations as mentioned above; by
not having an opportunity to have their say about the necessary issues illustrates as an
only one sided determinations making process, it would not be totally untrue to
understand such kinds of situations as a form of authoritarianism where the authorities
organisations determine what should or should not be permitted for the consumption of
the citizens (Tan, 2014).

Like the libraries in Canada, the non-dependent of any governmental organisations

would lead to lesser pressure thus causing less auto-regulation.

Distributing out the information sources is also essential because it needs to reach out
to the target audiences on time with accurate and trustworthy news. It also needs to
promote the role of being a public sphere for the purpose of Singapore’s National
Library Board (NLB) in Singapore’s Communities Library. Habermas (1991) states that
the theory of public sphere is a surrounding or gap free from governmental
organizations or the influencing of the economic factors where the sources regarding
with the problems and other factors which influence the public goods images and the
reputations are reviewed fully to better create a public opinion. In relation to the context
of the theory of the public sphere with most of the national libraries in Canada (North
America), is also one form of a public sphere with the communal realm generally
possessing to the public as they ran on the communal funding for the public services.

This article mentions that it uses the traditional media in order to reach out to the target
audiences such as newspaper, television and social media. These tools are very good
and effective as it uses new technologies and other traditional media methods in order
to reach out to the target audiences on time. Distributing out information in terms of
punctuality is also very essential in this case as the target audiences are just waiting for
the upcoming news to get basically an idea, overview as well as knowledge of what is
happening in which part of the surroundings to have some awareness and also to keep
protection on their surroundings.
According to Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB), they target to promote and
share mostly knowledge and information to the target audiences as well as also make
education for the public by contributing the messages service through Singapore’s
National Public Libraries and also including the National Library. In addition,
Singapore’s Governmental Organisations of the selected committee which is
responsible for analyzing the reviews and the suggestions, Singapore’s Censorship
Review Committee (CRC) mentions that their key objectives, main aim as well as the
principles are staying in touch with the publics (Siew, 2009) and also keeping them up-
to-date (Eugene, 2010) with the recent news situation and also censorship instructions
in accordance to always expanding communities while protecting Singapore’s
importance of communal coherence, nation safety (Mc Guingan, 1996) as well as the
society and family attitudes.

Moreover, in today’s modernized world, with the given awareness in the surroundings,
the public gatherings at the Pink Dot Events (Citizen, 2016), a movement about
supporting the freedom to love in terms of sex or gender equality which is done to
promote inclusive society. It is also necessary that the Singapore’s Censorship Review
Committee (CRC) needs to keep the society up-to-date by providing them with useful
information as they will be able to get a better understanding and idea as well as in my
opinion they need to analyse how quickly the communities are changing and also
emerging.

It is always essential to create and build an inclusive and accepting society; it requires
younger generation because these generations can visualize their imaginations and
thoughts to create a better place in order to fulfill the communities needs and what they
want. Without the younger generation trying to create and build an inclusive and
accepting society, it would be seemed that there would be a slow progress in the
changes and also it would be moving forward slowly as time changes. As there is a
saying that, “Unity is the Strength”, every of the communities should try and participate
in to maintain and create an inclusive and accepting society, so that each and every of
the communities can possess a better part of what they need and want.
I appreciate your time and look forward to a respond,

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Myat Thu

References Lists

Asia, Channel News. National Library Board sets up independent panel to advise on
review of materials. 2015.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/national-library-
board/1785564.html (accessed April 15, 2015).

Chua, Alfred. NLB pulls two children’s books that do not promote family values. 2014.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/nlb-pulls-two-childrens-books-dont-promote-
family-values (accessed July 11, 2014).

Citizen, Online. Sending a united message of love and understanding at Pink Dot 2016.
2016. http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/06/sending-united-message-love-
understanding-pink-dot-2016/ (accessed June 04, 2016).

Eugene, Tan Quancai. One Rule to Rule Them All: a Study of Singapore Censorship.
2010. http://sgnewwave.com/main/2010/03/one-rule-to-rule-them-all-a-study-of-
singapore-censorship/ (accessed March 10, 2010).
France-Presse, Agence. Singapore halts pulping of gay-themed children's books . 2014.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/18/singapore-halts-pulping-gay-
themed-childrens-books (accessed July 18, 2014).

Habermas, J. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry Into a

Category of Bourgeois Society. The MIT Press, 1991.

Lee. T. 2002. “New Regulatory Politics and Communication Technologies in Singapore.”

Asia Pacific Media Educator, No. 12/13, December: 4-24.

McGuingan, J. 1996. “Censorship and Moral Regulation.” Culture and The Public
Sphere, 154-75. London: Routledge.

Price, E, M. 1995. “The Public Sphere.” In Television, the Public Sphere, and National
Identity, 21-39. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Pearl, Lee. National Library Board saga: No names yet for external review panel . 2015.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/national-library-board-saga-no-names-
yet-external-review-panel (accessed February 23, 2015).

Siew, Sara. Censorship Review Committee. 2009.

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1571_2009-09-18.html (accessed
2009).

Tan, Corrie. Art of censorship in Singapore. 2014.

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/art-of-censorship-in-singapore (accessed
June 07, 2014).

Wei, Tan Dawn. NLB saga: Two removed children's books will go into adult section at
library. 2014. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nlb-saga-two-removed-
childrens-books-will-go-into-adult-section-at-library (accessed July 18, 2014)