Singapore law to protect racial harmony to take effect from Sept 15
Beginning Tuesday (Sept 15), a person who communicates, produces or distributes content that threatens the maintenance of racial harmony in Singapore could be issued with restraining orders (ROs) against such racial contents.The Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, passed by Parliament on Feb 4 last year, will come into effect on Tuesday, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday.Under the new law, the Minister for Home Affairs is empowered to make such ROs, which will immediately apply once issued.A racial content RO may prohibit a person from communicating or distributing specified information or material; addressing a specified audience on a specified subject, and/or require a person to remove specified information or material is no longer available to the general public in Singapore.It may also bar a person from printing, editing, assisting, or contributing to a specified publication; and from holding office in an editorial board or a committee of a specified publication.