By Jeremy Au Yong
THE National Library Board (NLB) on Tuesday explained why it stopped a former political detainee from being a speaker at an upcoming forum organised by some undergraduates.
The man at the centre of the controversy is Mr Vincent Cheng, who was accused in 1987 of masterminding a Marxist conspiracy and detained by the Government for three years.
The NLB said it asked the National University of Singapore History Society to remove Mr Cheng's name from its line-up of speakers as it went against the original intent of the event.
It added that the society included the name at the last minute and did not consult the board, which was sponsoring the event by letting the students use facilities at the National Library Building along Victoria Street for free.
Mr Cheng, 63, was scheduled to speak at the seminar this Friday. Last Thursday, however, the NLB asked that his name be removed, History Society president Bernard Chen told The Straits Times.
The move led to a flurry of complaints on blogs and online forums, with some accusing the NLB of political censorship. On Tuesday, the board issued a statement setting out its position.
Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
