Tackling Anti-Vaccine Sentiments in a Time of COVID-19

23 February 2021 by

Singapore has just received its first shipment of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine,. This is the second Covid-19 vaccine to be approved for local use, following the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. These vaccines have been described to be instrumental in the global effort to combat the pandemic. Yet despite strong evidence of vaccine efficacy, ‘anti-vaccine influencers’ still lurk online, feeding fears and stirring up misinformation. DJ speaks to Siti to better understand her work in countering such anti-vax narratives.

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Response to The Straits Times Op-Ed

10 February 2021 by

A recent op-ed written by Chua Mui Hoong and published in The Straits Times, ‘S’pore teen detained under ISA: Wake-up call for Christian community’ (5 Feb 2021), has piqued some interest and stirred emotive discussions within the non-religious community. This is particularly because Archbishop William Goh, of the Catholic Church, was quoted that he ‘believes that the greatest risk of religious fanaticism comes from a hostile and extreme form of secularism’. He argued that an overly secular society would push religion into marginalised, private areas, diminishing the scope for open, public sharing and discussions of commonalities and differences. Some of us may remember Archbishop Goh’s previous misinformed comments on atheism and secularism.

This bears repeating.

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Scientist looks to combat pseudoscience amidst COVID-19

18 May 2020 by

As the COVID-19 outbreak worsens worldwide, people are increasingly desperate for any remedy to fight the scourge. Occasionally, snake oil salesmen will peddle pseudoscience just to make a quick buck from the ill-informed and vulnerable. We can do our part by practising media and scientific literacy, engaging in civil and empathetic discussion, and looking out for one another.

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Amendment 2020 to the Humanist Society (Singapore) Constitution: An Update

22 April 2020 by

Following approval from the Registry of Societies, the proposed ‘2020 Amendment’ to the Constitution of the Humanist Society (Singapore) has been voted upon and accepted at the Annual General Meeting on 14 March 2020.

Here are the broad changes:

1. Associate Membership.

Associate Membership is now available for our friends, allies, and partners who are religious and subscribe to the values of humanism. A separate Declaration is available for applicants to ratify, in lieu of the Minimum Statement of Humanism. Associate Members enjoy the same fees, requirements, and privileges as our regular, Full Members, but will neither be eligible to vote nor run for office in the Executive Committee.

2. Membership Grace Period.

Previously, members were not eligible to vote at any general meeting unless membership dues had been paid at least one month before the meeting. With this ‘grace period’, members will be eligible to vote as long as all membership fees have been paid before the general meeting.

Members will also be allowed to pay their annual subscription fees during the extended six-month ‘grace period’ to prevent their membership from lapsing.

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2018 Asian Humanism Conference

4 January 2019 by

The 2018 edition of the Asian Humanism Conference (AHC) in Kaohsiung has just concluded, following its two-day run from 29 to 30 Dec 2018. The event was hosted by the Humanistic Pastafarianism in Taiwan, sponsored by the Young Humanists International (YHI), and attended by delegates across regional humanist groups, representing India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, as well as Taiwan. Together, these groups form part of the Asian Working Group under YHI. The Humanist Society (Singapore) was represented by Executive Committee Member, DJ Tan.

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Our concerns regarding ‘Beauty and the Beast’

13 March 2017 by

Beauty and the Beast text

Beauty and the Beast text taken from commons.wikimedia.org

The society’s current President, Mr Tan Tatt Si, wrote to key figures regarding the negative reactions to the film ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

The Humanist Society (Singapore) expresses concerns over calls by some segments of the public to censor the upcoming film, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, over the depiction of a gay character in the film.

Our Society is a non-profit organisation gazetted in 2010. We are a community of humanists, atheists, agnostics, and other like-minded people in Singapore. Over the past 7 years, we have organised many public talks reaching hundreds of people, partnered with universities and public agencies for several projects, taken part in more than 10 interfaith dialogues, and worked with VWOs to engage in community service. We have also written to the press to contribute to public debates over key national issues.

Our Society recognises that many people in Singapore are still uncomfortable with the LGBT community and a delicate balance has to be achieved between those who want change, and those preferring the status quo. Our national laws and media regulations take into account these existing sensitivities. We understand that the mainstream media, such as national TV programmes, newspapers, and radio channels play an important role in nation-building and maintaining our social fabric. While the portrayals of LGBT individuals on visual mediums such as television programmes are carefully calibrated, a ‘light touch’ has been adopted for online content, and LGBT communities have found some space for expression on blogs and YouTube. LGBT communities also celebrate the annual Pink Dot event.

That said, the Humanist Society urges the government to allow our media regulations to evolve further with changing mindsets. An increasing number of younger Singaporeans are becoming more accepting and understanding of the LGBT community. Scores of global professionals, investors, as well as academics who live, work, and play in our city also look forward to contributing to a nation that is accommodating of different viewpoints. This includes highly-skilled human capital crucial for our ongoing economic restructuring.

We hope that the IMDA will not censor or rate ‘Beauty and the Beast’ excessively, over the depiction of one gay character in the film. Educating the public about inclusiveness towards sexual minorities and raising awareness about the discrimination they face will facilitate the maturing of views regarding the LGBT community. Censoring or banning the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ also deprives the chance for the majority of families who have no issues with the depiction of homosexual characters to appreciate the movie in the theatres as the filmmakers intended. This includes many humanists and freethinkers, many of whom have no issues with the LGBT community.

Best regards,

Mr Tan Tatt Si
President

On behalf of the Executive Committee
Humanist Society (Singapore)

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