Opposition politician Chee prefers jail to fine

"I cannot and will not legitimise an unjust law by paying the fine if I am convicted in court next week," Chee said in a speech to the Foreign Correspondents Association in Singapore.

"In default, the judge will also announce a prison sentence and if you don't pay the fine then you'll go to jail," he added.

Chee heads the Singapore Democratic Party, which has no seats in parliament. He is campaigning against laws requiring permits for public speaking he says violate his constitutional rights.

He has been charged with and pleaded not guilty to two offences under the Public Entertainment Act after making two speeches. He is due to stand trial on the first count on Monday.

Chee faces a maximum fine of S$5,000 (US$3,000) if found guilty. A fine of more than S$2,000 would bar him from standing for elections for five years under Singapore law.

Chee has written to President Ong Teng Cheong asking him to convene the Constitutional Court and review his case.

He says the permit system, censorship laws and state control of key media stifle debate and prevent the opposition being heard, forcing him to take to the streets and break laws.

Chee said he and opposition stalwart, Workers' Party leader J.B. Jeyaretnam, had written to the United Nations.

"We will continue to pursue this line and to bring to the attention of the international community, to the United Nations, to focus more attention on the election laws, the process here and to put pressure on this government to conform to international norms of free and fair elections," Chee said.

His public speaking tactic has split opinion among opposition leaders and academics who fear his high-profile run-ins with the law could hurt the opposition's cause.

"I don't think it will give the opposition a good name. People will think the opposition is always getting arrested and charged in court," Chiam See Tong, one of two elected opposition members in parliament, told Reuters at the weekend.

But Jeyaretnam, convicted in 1988 of the same offence Chee is now charged with, has said there are few options open to speak out which do not involve a risk of breaking a law.

The government, controlled since independence in 1965 by the People's Action Party (PAP) which has 81 of 83 elected seats in parliament now, says ample opportunities to be heard exist.

Officials say the public likes the PAP's strong approach and the rules on permits are procedural requirements that do not affect the substantive right of free speech.

There is some question how much support Chee's campaign has beyond the SDP's some 200 members. He says gauging support is hard but vows to carry on speaking, even if convicted.

However, a Straits Times report (ST Jan 28) said according to Section 224 of the Criminal Procedure Code there are several options to deal with an offender who does not pay his fine.

The court may imprison him, order the sale of his assets or order a physical search for whatever money is his.
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