Daily Lessons from Life 20 July 2012 - Yale defends ban on demonstrations, political parties from S'pore campus

"Yale defends ban on demonstrations, political parties from S'pore campus - CNA 20 July 2012

SINGAPORE: Yale University, has defended a ban on demonstrations and political parties at its new campus in Singapore.

In a statement issued on Friday, Yale University leaders said they entered the partnership with National University of Singapore (NUS) fully aware that national laws on freedom of expression would constrain the civic and political behaviour of students and faculty.

Yale University president Richard C Levin said the university undertook this partnership with NUS to advance the development of liberal arts curriculum and pedagogy encouraging critical inquiry in Asia. Yale-NUS College President Pericles Lewis had in a letter to faculty colleagues on Friday, clarified the policies of the College regarding freedom of expression, which had been incompletely or incorrectly represented in some media accounts.

Mr Lewis said: "Any college or university must obey the laws of the countries where it operates. "He added that Yale is aware that there are restrictions on speech and public demonstrations in Singapore. He said in terms of political engagement, students at Yale-NUS, like students at NUS, are free to join any political party and their youth organisations but stressed that these organisation are based off-campus. Yale-NUS College, a collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), is scheduled to start its first classes in 2013 before the new campus officially opens in 2015."

Poor Yale's leaders. They have to face this constant questioning and challenges to their wisdom to collaborate with a perceived 'nanny or benigh dictatorial state' on university education since day 1 by their so-called 'more liberal colleagues'!

Lessons for me are:

1. good for the Yale's leaders to persist and follow through with this collaboration. At least dissenting views were heard and then ignored! It shows in the West when a leader is strong, he or she can STILL persists! LOL!! Of course, I am sure IF the MOU terms said Yale will have to bear a big cost may deter the Yale's leaders to back out;

2. some of the Western liberals can continue to voice their dissent about how Singapore government curtails freedom of speech and banning public demonstration without permit, it is good that they did not come to Singapore to demonstrate in public. Suffice to say they WILL BE arrested and put in jail should they try!! A bit of realism or dose of reality for the perceived liberals?;

3. it is plain for all to see that 'freedom of speech WITHOUT responsibility' simply CANNOT work in a multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-lingual country like Singapore. There must be OB markers clearly set out. As for public demonstration without a permit, I guessed our little red dot simply cannot afford to have incidental rioting resulting from 'good intention public demonstration goes awry'!!

Welcome Yale-NUS school to Singapore. May the REAL debate begin with the 1st batch of students...