"The State of Singapore is in a State of Emergency as the Yang Di Pertuan Negara did not recall the Order under the Emergency Ordnance since it's inception" statement taken in concept many years ago makes one realise that Civil Order is never the Order of the Day, but rather, in contract the State of Singapore always maintained Civil Order rather than a dictatorship.
That is somewhat 1965. Constitution amended and repealed and now we have the 2008, Singapore is a REPUBLIC. Freedom of information is freedom to disseminate proper information without causing harm to any other party and as a person in the Foreign Media, we don't have to go about digging dirty secrets of Scandals and such as the Singapore Government is CLEAN ENOUGH to declare openly of it's own wrong doings and lapses, and if need to be, someone will have his head chopped off.
Compared to the neighbour, Malaysia, Singapore media is never controlled but disciplined. Knowing the effects of poor information caused the elderly to be reminded of the late 60's massacre between the Malays and the Chinese (commonly known as Gaduh Cina Melayu) when it was just over a small misunderstanding of politics. In which more people were injured or killed than in a day during the rule of SYONANTO.; The Japanese Imperial Army.
As a Singaporean, I do feel at times, the media is BIASED TO THE GOVERNMENT but in essence, the Citizens don't care as long as their "RIGHTS" are protected, ie the Malays with their strong belief in Islam and their Religion; That the Chinese are conservative and all about Money and their Way of Life, that the Indians of their Family Values and well, everyone is in harmony that we are even trained for ten years in school that WE RESPECT EACH OTHER and by understanding so,knowing what to avoid such that we are able to eat on one same table; that If Ali is having dinner and Muthu comes by, he can always join in with his Lamb Briyani and that Tan can join in if the food has no pork as it offends Ali.
Learning to place your life in your neighbours or buddy hands is what in scripted into the lives of the Men during National Service. Barbaric as was during training with Vulgarities all over whilst in camp are totally forgotten when they book out of camp, fearing that if they cuss and swear on the street, they will be caught for public disorder act. Likewise, in the US, children are institutionalized that one must respect others and with filial piety. In retrospect, controls are strictly enforced to the FOREIGN MEDIA for the same reasons.
WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION are what the Western Media called. Be it from Singapore to China or even Turkey, these are what the West called. They distort the actual facts to suit their needs. One good example was the caning of American Teenager Micheal Fay for his Expression of Thought and the Freedom of Speech by means of using a can of PYLOX SPRAY and creating his work of art on someone else's car. He was sentenced to Jail with CANING as Mandatory for his MEDIA ACTIONS which in Singapore, deemed as CAUSING DAMAGE WITH CRIMINAL INTENT or Commonly known as VANDALISM on the First Degree. All the American Government got was a reduction of the strokes of the cane. Which comes to the point of view.
Do you see me as a criminal when I come to your place and trash it all out with me telling you that's my ARTISTIC EXPRESSION? Singapore don't control their media, only keeping a close loop of the radical criminals like SDP Dr Chee SD who won't admit his fault and caused more public disgrace. Don't the PAP know the people are cussing when the tax is up? Of course as even the President has to pay tax on everything too.Even you can tell him off every Saturday morning during his morning jog at ECP.
Each country has their controls, and even the US has it, called PATRIOT ACT which you get a one way ticket to GITMO which are far worse than the Barbaric Singaporeans.