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 Speakers' Corner was set up, expressed the view that its use had declined because there were now other avenues for people to express themselves such as the Internet (including the Government's online feedback portal Reach), newspapers, and radio and television channels. Also, people might feel that the venue is not always the best place "to meaningfully and constructively press their views on issues". He saw Speakers' Corner as "playing the same role as envisaged – mostly dormant but good to have". Speakers' Corner, Singapore Speakers' Corner is an area located within Hong Lim Park, Singapore, where citizens and permanent residents