Fears over Singapore Yale-NUS College’s course on dissent ‘not unfounded’: minister
- Education minister Ong Ye Kung says universities in the Lion City should not be ‘misused’ for partisan politics
- His highlighting of an axed course’s dialogues with activists such as Seelan Palay, Jolovan Wham and Kirsten Han is seen as evidence of a ‘blacklist’
Speaking in parliament, Ong took aim at several vocal critics of his ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) who were meant to have featured as speakers in the course, including the module’s convening instructor, well-known playwright Alfian Sa’at.
Yale-NUS, a collaboration between Yale University and the National University of Singapore, last week said its internal investigations had concluded that the course – to have run from September 27 to October 4 – was axed because it lacked “academic rigour”.
On social media, Alfian has disputed the liberal arts college’s account of events leading up to the module’s cancellation. Some online commentators have suggested the episode was yet another instance of dissent being curtailed in the Lion City.
The module’s cancellation has also raised questions about whether elite United States Ivy League institution Yale made the wrong decision in 2013 by choosing Singapore, often criticised by rights groups for the PAP’s ironhanded rule, as the site of its Asian satellite campus.
In his comments to lawmakers, Ong reiterated Yale-NUS College’s stance that no external parties had influenced its final decision, but added that his ministry had been concerned by the itinerary of the course set out by Alfian.