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SINGAPORE - -On September 1, 2000, a historical groundbreaking event at Hong Lim Park took place - The Speakers' Corner, a place for Singaporeans to air their views. But I did not make out what any of the speakers have said, from the first right up to the last. I could discern nothing except their actions and body language. It was also a tough day for many Singaporeans and foreigners who sauntered there to speak or listen. They had to bear the intensive rays of the hot sun and watchful eyes of the "high authority". We knew the law against using microphones was going to be a problem but I probably was the only one who did not expect the problem to be this bad. Within every crowd, the audience from the second row onwards could hardly hear the speakers, despite the speakers' close-to-shouting efforts. Hong Lim Park was open-air and it was simply too difficult for sound waves to travel far. Of course, the audibility also relied heavily on the individual speaker. One, a former Colombo Plan Scholar by the name of Tan Kim Chuang, spoke in loud and booming voice, even singing songs, and from a far distance, his shouts of "Merdeka" could be heard. My impression was one of a "Lee Kuan Yew-wannabe". But he seemed to be one of an exception than the rule. The Project Director of THINK Centre, Yaw Shin Leong, lost his voice by 6.30 p.m., half-an-hour before Hong Lim Park's free speech operations would close for the day. He had been there since 10 a.m. in the morning and had already pulled through various interviews and given at least 3 other short speeches before the start of Speakers' Fest. Being a soft-spoken person, the volume of my vocal chords would never have made it through hours of yelling to any sizeable crowd. I began to realise how "lucky" I was not to have spoken on the day itself. I spent half the day going through the crowds, from one person to another, to petition for the use of microphones at Hong Lim Park Speakers' Corner. The petition was an initiative of THINK Centre. As a "marketing gimmick", I would point to the speakers, first asking them if they could hear was said, then imploring them to help us support our move by putting their name on it. Most expressed support and agreeably placed their signatures. Some laid concerns that the use of amplification would mean that noise would "criss-cross" each other's "territory", causing the speakers to out-shout one another. Fair enough. The simple solution, I felt, was to keep a comfortable distance from each others' spots. However, what I honestly found hard to accept was some listeners' opinion that the volume was satisfactory, and the use of microphones was disruptive to the peaceful surroundings nearby. Disruptive? I think these people conveniently forget that there is such a thing as "noise standards". If microphones could be used, with a noise limit imposed, where is the disruption? Measure it in decibels (a unit measurement used for renovation in construction industries) or any other ways for all I care, as long as we have a Speakers' Corner where the speakers can be heard. We are in the middle of a big park, and around it are shopping centres, commercial buildings and eating places. If the seventh month Hungry Ghost Festival auctioneers were allowed to use microphones near HDB flats until 10.30 p.m. (a ruling made recently and even for that I find the timing late), why not Hong Lim Park, where topics are undeniably more interesting, where the noise is beyond the range of residential estates, and where activities cease at 7 p.m.? Sigh, the inconsistencies of life! It defeats the purpose of having a Speakers' Corner when the speakers cannot even be heard. I wonder what is next on the cards. A library full of political books but no lighting? After today, I'm doubtful as to whether I will ever say my piece without microphones. Even a loud hailer would be nice. For all the bad this may bring, there will surely be better good. Microphones are necessary and let's work towards the day when we can use them! Remember all we want at Speaker's Corner is a MICROPHONE! Marvin Tan is with Think Center, Singapore |
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