The Sin Pao was a bi-weekly Chinese language newspaper that was established in 1952. By 1957, it was published tri-weekly. The leftist publication had a tumultuous history. In 1954, Sin Pao published the manifesto of a group of Chinese students who demonstrated against national service and were awaiting trial for obstructing the police. Sin Pao was charged with contempt of the court and was fined $200 as the court found that the paper’s publication of the manifesto appeared to vindicate the students’ actions, and hence interfered with the pending court proceedings. In June 1955, under the enactment of Emergency regulations, Sin Pao was banned for publishing articles that were “prejudicial to the successful prosecution” of measures imposed by the government of the Malayan Federation to end the Emergency. The ban was lifted in February 1956. Sin Pao was banned again in December of the same year and four of its executives, including its managing director Mr. Fu Wu Mun, were detained for alleged subversion under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance. Publication of the paper ceased on 2 September 1957. Mr. Tan Chee Liat, the paper’s crime reporter was freed on 3 September. Mr. Fu and another of his associate, Mr. Lee Say Long were granted a conditional release in November after they appealed against their detention. Their appeal lawyer was Mr. David Marshall, Singapore’s first Chief Minister. The fourth executive who was arrested, Mr. Jek Yuen Thong, was released in April 1958. Mr. Jek was appointed as Secretary to the Mayor of the City Council, Mr. Ong Eng Guan, in January 1959.
