S’pore Poly explains why radio DJ’s talk did not take place

04 Jul 2019

SP has rebutted an allegation by local DJ Joshua Simon that it cancelled his talk at an event last Saturday in order to abide by Ministry of Education (MOE) regulations. An SP spokesperson shared that the student organising committee reviewed Joshua’s script when they received it on the eve of the event, and found it inspirational but assessed that certain parts relating to his sexuality might be inappropriate for the target audience. They sought the advice of the staff of SP, who agreed with the students' views and suggested that Joshua reviews certain mentions in his script, given the audience profile, while preserving the integrity of his story. However, Joshua declined and decided to pull out of the event. SP shared that the students were disappointed but respected Joshua’s decision. An MOE spokesperson also shared about its guidelines for the institutes of higher learnings (IHLs), where they encourage open discussions on various topics, but some issues, especially those that concern race and religion, are sensitive and potentially socially divisive. They added that organisers need to be cognisant of them and exercise appropriate judgment.

[The Straits Times]