Abstract
For Singapore, 2008 has been a bumper year for legal actions and decisions against the international media and political opponents of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), underlining the government's resolve to keep political comment and expression within tight limits. Yet in his August National Day Rally Speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also announced a watering down of restrictions on political uses of electronic media and outdoor protest rallies. While these may seem like divergent patterns, political change around the edges has long been a feature of the PAP'S approach to preserving the political system's fundamentals. PAP leaders would not likely dispute that. More difficult for them to concede is the extent to which PAP political battles and system tinkering are shaped by the strategies of Singapore Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan. But while Chee may exert an influence over the PAP'S political agenda, there remain serious obstacles to broad domestic appeal.