The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) on Wednesday rated the film "To Singapore with Love as "Not Allowed for All" on grounds that it undermined the country's national security.
Such a rating would mean that the film by Tan Pin Pin cannot be exhibited or distributed in Singapore, based on the Film Classification Guidelines.
The MDA said in an official statement that they have evaluated the film and its contents and they have come to the decision that it subverted national security.
They claim that the film misrepresented the efforts of the various security agencies to safeguard national security and stability, as acts that persecuted innocent individuals.
The MDA added that those involved in the film painted a false picture and said incorrect accounts of their reasons for leaving and remaining outside of Singapore. It said were apparently members or sympathizers of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).
The Minister for Communications and Information Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim defended the MDA decision by saying that the involved individuals spoke falsely about the reality because they were intent on overthrowing the elected Singaporean and Malaysian government through armed struggle and subversion.
He added that former CPM members and sympathizers who decided to return to Singapore had to abdicate their Communist beliefs and admit to their acts. He said that to this day, those ex-CPM members still live in the country and contribute to its progress.
While Tan was disappointed in the MDA's decision to rate her film that way, she expressed in a Facebook post that she may resubmit the film for a new rating in the future. She claims that the aim of the documentary was to narrate the lives of the exiles, and not antagonize the country's security measures.
The artistic community in Singapore also expressed their disappointment in the MDA, citing the many awards and recognitions the documentary had garnered from around the world.
They said banning the showing of the film meant that the government would be limiting discussion on the country's history. They are currently appealing for the MDA to reconsider.