Decision to pull Archie comic incongruous with Singapore’s market economy

The report “Archie comic removed due to ‘breach of content guidelines’” (July 17) stated that the Media Development Authority (MDA) reviewed the comic following a complaint.

The MDA consulted its Publications Consultative Panel, the comic was judged to have breached content guidelines and the decision was made to pull the offending book from the shelves.

I have few quibbles with the review process except that the MDA should publish the minutes and decisions of its consultations to keep the public informed of how its guidelines are interpreted and enforced.

However, the decision to prevent consumers from buying a book is incongruous with Singapore’s market economy and unbefitting of our aim of being a knowledge economy.

Music with explicit lyrics have parental guidance labels and films with adult content are rated R21. Likewise, MDA guidelines state that comics with adult themes should be shrink-wrapped and carry a warning; bookshops have complied diligently with this.

Why was this measure insufficient for the Archie comic?

If the argument is that it went against social norms, most comics would have to be banned from bookshops, for “depictions of alternative lifestyles”. In fact, what is stopping the MDA from withdrawing books such as Fifty Shades of Grey and reinstating the ban on Lady Chatterley’s Lover?

The MDA’s action goes against the free market ethos that has been a pillar of Singapore’s economic policy. Bookshops are businesses, not libraries nor public spaces. But the signal being sent is that moralists now dictate what I can and cannot buy.

This is also detrimental to our aspirations to be a creative hub and knowledge economy. Products that fall foul of MDA guidelines would be prevented from being sold here even if there is demand for them.

This would be discouraging for local content producers, whose works must transcend parochialism if they are to capture the global market.