r>      how is this to be achieved？ who is to represent and interpret the will of “society”, if not the elected government？ in countries with an elected and functioning government, it is the government`s responsibility to define public policy and to govern in accordance with the constitution and the laws of the land, in the interests of the collective and public good.
      if they fail to do so effectively, the electorate can vote them out in the next election. every individual in such a society lives within the framework of policies and laws determined by the elected government.
     ms julie ng asked why the government still needs to censor films at all, since she is already 21. but censorship is not just a question of age, but societal norms of public decency and morality. even in western countries like the uk and australia, censorship boards decide what can or cannot be shown publicly in films. every country needs to uphold the values affirmed by the majority of its population. in no country is individual freedom absolute.
     singapore society must evolve and grow on its own terms and at its own pace. just because we refuse to ape other societies mindlessly in having street demonstrations or in our censorship standards does not make singaporeans a“de-vocalised” lot, or signify any lack of idealism or self-mobilisation.
     on the contrary, it underlines a growing maturity and confidence in our own model, which has enabled singapore to grow and prosper.

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