Buying a book “not banned” in Singapore

Recently heard of a new book about death penalty in Singapore. The book, “Once A Jolly Hangman” by Alan Shadrake, even got the author arrested and charged when he was promoting it in Singapore.

Needless to say, I had to get that book. So I headed down to perhaps the only bookshop that would carry such books, Select Books at Tanglin Shopping Center. Didn’t find it there, so I asked the guy at the counter, who gestured me to wait, quickly (and rather painfully) swallowed his food, and carefully recited his reply, as if his life depended on how accurately he said: “We no longer carry this title, and we will not be carrying this title in the future”.

Now, I’m not exactly the most perceptive person in the world, but it seemed to me that the statement had been specially prepared for walk-in enquirers like myself, probably in response to some kind of threat. As I would discover at a later date, this book is “not banned”:

From Al-Jazeera:
Singapore arrests ‘Hangman’ author

The alleged offences are believed to be linked to the book, Once A Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice In The Dock, which was released for sale in the country late last month but was taken off shelves less than two weeks later after the MDA contacted the store.

An MDA spokesperson said the book had not been banned but added that the authority would “where necessary, advise book importers and retailers to seek legal advice to ensure that the books they sell do not contravene Singapore laws”, local broadcaster MediaCorp said.

By the way, Al-Jazeera is also “not banned” in Singapore..just like how war is peace, and freedom is slavery. Guess that works: you stop people from having access to the book, and at the same time you come out smelling like a rose by saying you don’t do primitive and evil things like banning books..

This really pissed me off. No fucking government was gonna stop me from reading this book now, but if Select Books don’t have it, chances are no one else would. No one else in Singapore anyway…

So off to Johor Bahru I went.

ban this!

Just like any other book talking shit about Singapore, it was ridiculously easy to find in Malaysia (it works both ways lah). Why, I even got it from a Singapore-owned bookshop..