Speakers' Corner, Singapore to these free speech concerns, Speakers' Corner was created as local adaptation of the Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, London, in 2000. In a 1999 interview with "New York Times" columnist William Safire, the Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said the idea had first been suggested by the Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, but Goh felt that it was not yet the right time to set it up. The following year, the Government decided to go ahead despite its fear of potential public disorder, as the idea enjoyed widespread support from the public and civil society groups. During a Parliamentary
Speakers' Corner, Singapore relaxation of the rules potentially allows for speakers' messages to be heard by larger audiences. A minor change was also introduced to the conditions for the use of Speakers' Corner – no banner, film, photograph, placard or poster containing any violent, lewd or obscene material may be displayed or exhibited whether before, during or after the event. In the first month after public demonstrations were permitted at Speakers' Corner, 11 out of the 31 applications received were indicated as being public protests. Hearers of Cries, a group concerned with the plight of abused maids, became the first group to hold