You have an excellent track record in this forum so I will be frank.
As I pointed out in my post, it was tacit approval. There no form, no application or an online approval form that was sent to the PAP for approval. Choo was there well before TOC was launched. At any one time, I would guesstimate that 20% of Singaporeans would be keen to start a forum, start a party, or have a platform to allow people to voice their views and share their opinions. It is not out of the box idea and therefore a rare shooting star. It is an outcome of this regime and the conduct of SPH.
Out of this lot, a few will go to the extent of actually exploring ways to make this reality. There will be discussions, likely champions found and fellow travellers gathered.
A tiny number of them have actually sent in their applications to Registrar of Societies for formal registration or wrote into to seek clarification. 99.99% did not get the nod, was given an unambiguous rely or asked to jump through hoops by putting various conditions.
When TOC was launched, Intelligentsia guessed what had happened. Others saw what happened. Some tried to emulate and did not get the nod. Student in tertiary institutions were keen to follow but were told not to. Only Kent Ridge Common came online and the only one who followed TOC's approach to touch hot button topics was removed.
Even Roundtable near the end was cautioned. Mr Brown which did not even rate as an outright political entity had his legs cut at the knees and had his his column yanked.
Since TOC was formed, they have been discipline, professional and fair. They covered previously taboo issues and did things that SPH or Mediacorp or any other non political entity never did. TOC until now has not become militant or confrontational but continued to tackle issues. I also note that they never ever questioned the Electioneering adventures of the PAP, the subservient role of PA, or the unfair elections methods such as GRC, high deposits. These are truly taboo areas and someone must have told them the ground rules. Again I can tell you no "official" notification exist.
Why then were they gazetted now? Why did the authorities not do anything before. Is Choo or Andrew well educated, scholarly with excellent academic qualification. What was criteria that allowed this leeway when Roundtable with some impressive credentials did not share the same licence.
Maybe fortuitous, or maybe the authorities had no clue.
Yes, its very real. No one had spoken to PAP or any goverment bodies officially about TOC before the group comes about.
Choo joined TOC after the concept was laid, not before.
