Minister for Information and the Arts, Lee Yock Suan, told parliament under the new law, broadcasters could be punished with financial penalties or the suspension of their service for a specified period.

A similar law already exists for print media under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, which enables the government to gazette and limit the circulation of foreign newspapers found to have been engaging in domestic politics.

The new bill, which amends the Singapore Broadcasting Authority Act, extends the same principles to foreign television channels which are re-broadcast in Singapore by the island state's sole cable network, Singapore Cable Vision.

"Our politics is for ourselves alone, for Singaporeans to decide, not for foreigners to come in and tell us what we should do for Singapore," Lee said in parliament in response to questions.

Singapore's High Court ruled in 1989 that reports or editorial comments which went beyond what was factual could amount to "engaging in domestic politics" if they were made with a view to push political ideas or influence public opinion.

A MATTER OF PRIVILEGE

Lee said foreign media operated in the city state as a matter of privilege, not of right.

"Incendiary" reporting could cause racial riots and de-stabilise Singapore and its citizens would ultimately suffer as confidence collapsed and jobs were lost, he said.

Lee said the ruling was not likely to pose a setback to Singapore's ambitions to become a regional media hub. "They (foreign media) don't like it, but they understand it. The effect on our media hub will be minimal," he said. Singapore was already a regional information hub with 5,500 foreign newspapers and journals in circulation and cable subscribers able to access 46 channels, he said.

Lee said the bill did not seek to deny public access to foreign channels, but to impose financial penalties on errant stations which engaged in domestic politics.

The law had been used in the past against the Economist and the Asian Wall Street Journal.

Lee said the foreign media had come around to accept this policy and Singapore's right of reply over the years.

In addition to restrictions on subscriptions and a suspension of service under the amendment, foreign broadcasters may be fined up to S$100,000 ($55,250) upon conviction, the minister said.