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SINGAPORE : There is no change to the government's position on political parties organising outdoor activities. Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee made this clear in Parliament on Tuesday.
He was responding to a query from Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim on the basis for which a permit was given for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to participate in a recent cycling activity at West Coast Park.
Associate Professor Ho explained that the event was a family carnival organised by the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), a charity with a social mission.
He said: "While it is affiliated to the PAP, the PCF has remained completely non-political since its set-up in 1986.
"The authorities considered the Family Day setting and community service focus of the event, as well as the status of PCF as a registered charity, and did not object to the event, as the policy of disallowing outdoor political events did not apply in this situation."
Continuing the debate, Nominated MP Eunice Olsen pointed out that in August last year, Associate Professor Ho had said that law and order issues could arise when members of the public engage politicians at such events. She asked if the same risks applied at the event organised by the PCF.
Associate Professor Ho disagreed, saying this was different from a political party organising an event under its own banner.
He added that the PCF has a track record of not engaging in politics and is simply on the ground doing good for kindergartens and the less fortunate. - CNA/ms
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