A world without objective, impartial newspapers

The government says that it is critically important for Singapore to have mainstream media that report the facts impartially. That's why the mainstream media are regulated more tightly than cyberspace. But is it sustainable? Do blogs have historical parallels than can help illuminate what the future may hold? Full essay.

The peace faction has got it wrong

They all sound the same - these articles that say Islam is a religion of peace. How convincing can they be? How effective in the battle against extremism? Full essay.

Changing the information landscape

With a Freedom of Information Act, we can know how a government decision was made, but it still does not give us any way to correct its behaviour. Or does it? Full essay.

Teacher unaccountably terminated

When pressed for a reason, the Ministry of Education provided a mouthful of gibberish. Opacity in government hides mistakes, abuses and even corruption. Power must be balanced by accountability. That's why we need a Freedom of Information Act. Full essay.

Creationism - a dangerous beast

Believing in creationism is not just stubbornly illogical, its propagation is also a threat to the public good. But does it not have the immunities we grant to religion? Full essay.

Lina Joy case holds lessons for Singapore

Look carefully at this celebrated Malaysian case and you'll see legal questions that resonate with our own experience of law and bureaucracy in Singapore too. Full essay.

My kissing project, part 1

I am embarking on a project taking photographs, with the aim of putting them up in a small exhibition. But something tells me this is going to run into censorship problems wth the state. Full essay.

Watch out for the big men

Veteran opposition politician J B Jeyaretnam wants to form a new party to push for reforming Singapore's political system. Are his chances of success good? Full essay.

Why Section 377A is redundant

Looking at the cases unearthed by Mohan Gopalan showing how Section 377A has been used in the past, two things stand out: some should not have been prosecuted, while others could have been prosecuted under other laws. We never needed 377A. Full essay.

Heftier list of s.377A cases

A law student contributed this huge table listing the prosecutions made under Section 377A of the Penal Code (gross indecency between males) during the last 15 - 16 years. Guest contribution.

UNSW follows Warwick University out

"One of the things we'd learnt... is that geography is really important," said Fred Hilmer, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of New South Wales. What kind of geography? Full essay.

Harmless traits can be criminalised, says minister

Minister of State for Education Lui Tuck Yew told students that even if homosexual orientation is inborn, even if it causes no harm to others, it is still legitimate to criminalise its expression, since "a major segment of society is [not] ready to move." Dislike is enough to overturn equality and civil rights - goes his argument. Full essay.

God, morality and Haidt

Chua Mui Hoong said that while religion can inform one's beliefs, God should not be brought in to the public debate about morals. But it hasn't, has it? Full essay.

Mediacorp's survey on decriminalisation

62 percent of Singaporean "heartlanders" want to keep homosexuality illegal. Of those under 30, "four in ten" feel the same way. Full essay.

From City Hall to the Gaza Strip and back

A committee chairman resists stepping aside even when others have pointed out potential conflict of interest. The slippery slope to corruption begins with such lack of rectitude. Full essay.

Lost in a fog of fear

Amid the noise made by the fundamentalist fringe, has anyone noticed that the heartlander Chinese majority don't seem to care very much whether the anti-gay law stays or goes?

Go to the main Yawning Bread site (www.yawningbread.org) to read the full essay. There seems to be something wrong with Google-blogger - I'm unable to put in a hyperlink from here.

Singing, voting and the unknowables

It's arguably the greatest voting exercise on earth, a huge experiment in popular democracy. But data about people's behaviour is scarce.

Go to the main Yawning Bread site (www.yawningbread.org) for the full essay. Google-blogger is wonky; I can't create a hyperlink from here directly to the article.

Rebutting Yvonne Lee, part 3

Caleb Yong writes in response to Yvonne Lee's May 4th article in the Straits Times: "It is unfortunate that she does not consider the citizenship of homosexuals".

Go to the main Yawning Bread site (www.yawningbread.org) for the full letter. Google-blogger somehow does not allow me to create a hyperlink from here.

The battle of St James - rebutting Istyana

Koh Jie Kai points out the even bigger flaws in Istyana Putri Ibrahim's letter published in the Straits Times on 3 May 2007, headlined 'Gay acts harm no one' argument flawed'.

Go to the main Yawning Bread site (www.yawningbread.org) for the full guest article. Google-blogger is currently, well, flawed - I can't create a hyperlink from here.

Rebutting Yvonne Lee, part 2

Ooi Jian Yong gives a rebuttal from legal perspectives to Yvonne Lee's article 'Decriminalising homosexual acts would be an error' which appeared in the Straits Times on 4 May 2007.

Go the main Yawning Bread site (www.yawningbread.org) to see the full piece. Google-Blogger is currently wonky and I cannot create a hyperlink from here.