Singapore legislation
Section 27
Section 27
Possession of subversive documents
(1)
Any person who without lawful excuse carries or has in his possession or under his control any subversive document shall be guilty of an offence under this Part and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.
(2)
Any person or any office bearer of any association or any responsible member or agent of any organisation who receives any subversive document shall deliver the same without delay to a police officer; and any person, office bearer, member or agent who fails to do so, or who, unless authorised to do so by a police officer not below the rank of superintendent of police, communicates to any other person, or publishes or causes to be published the contents of any such document, shall be guilty of an offence under this Part and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.
(3)
In this section, “subversive document” means any document having in part or in whole a tendency —
to excite organised violence against persons or property in Singapore;
to support, propagate or advocate any act prejudicial to the security of Singapore or the maintenance or restoration of public order therein or inciting to violence therein or counselling disobedience to the law thereof or to any lawful order therein; or
to invite, request or demand support for or on account of any collection, subscription, contribution or donation, whether in money or in kind, for the direct or indirect benefit or use of persons who intend to act or are about to act, or have acted, in a manner prejudicial to the security of Singapore or to the maintenance of public order therein, or who incite to violence therein or counsel disobedience to the law thereof or any lawful order therein.
(4)
Every document purporting to be a subversive document shall be presumed to be a subversive document until the contrary is proved; and where in any prosecution under this section it is proved that a person was carrying or had in his possession or under his control a subversive document he shall be deemed to have known the contents and the nature of the contents of such document:Provided that no person shall be convicted of an offence under this section if he proves to the satisfaction of the court —
that he was not aware of the contents and the nature of the contents of the subversive document which he was carrying or had in his possession or under his control; and
that he was carrying or had the subversive document in his possession or under his control in such circumstances that at no time did he have reasonable cause to believe or suspect that such document was a subversive document.