Pornography

Magazines which are deemed not pornographic, and classified under "Adult Interest Magazines" such as Cosmopolitan are allowed in Singapore with Parental Warning - Not Suitable for Young.

A ban on 240 publications, ranging from decades-old anti-colonial and communist material to adult interest content, was lifted on Wednesday (Nov 25) following a routine review by the Media Development Authority (MDA).

But 17 publications remain prohibited under the Undesirable Publications Act, which restricts the import, sale and circulation of publications that the Government considers contrary to public interest.

This means individuals are not allowed to possess these publications and they cannot be distributed or sold in Singapore. These includes: Several of the affected publications are also out-of-print.
 * Elite
 * Men Only
 * Playgirl
 * Mayfair
 * Hustler
 * Cheri
 * Playboy (see below)
 * Girls of Penthouse
 * Swank
 * Gallery
 * Penthouse
 * Genesis
 * Velvet
 * Fiesta
 * Knave
 * All publications by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
 * All publications by International Bible Students Association

The affected publications include the anti-colonial Tamil periodical Dravida Nadu, which was banned in 1949; four communist titles including The Long March, a play banned in 1959; and the English-language magazine World Student News, banned in 1957.

Also no longer gazetted are several adult magazines and books such as The World Of Sex. Fanny Hill, published in 1748 and considered one of the first erotic novels, was also taken off the list after being on it since 1966.

Also prohibited are all publications by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and the International Bible Students Association. The latter was gazetted in 1994, and no other publication has been added to the list since then.

Both organisations are part of the Jehovah's Witnesses group that oppose the bearing of arms and members refuse to perform national service.

MDA said the prohibited publications include hardcore pornographic or religiously sensitive publications which remain in print and that these "remain contrary to public interest".

The last review of restricted publications was conducted in 2004, when Cosmopolitan magazine - known for its articles on fashion, relationships, and sex - was allowed into Singapore after a 22-year ban.

On the titles which have been taken off the prohibited list, the MDA said that publishers who wish to sell them should check if the publications are in line with MDA content guidelines for imported publications.

"The publications industry is largely self-regulated. In assessing whether a publication is suitable for importation or distribution, importers, local publishers and retailers refer to content guidelines issued by MDA and the Undesirable Publications Act.

Playboy
Playboy is an American's men lifestyle and entertainment magazine, known to the centerfolds of nudity. In many parts of Asia, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, sale and distribution of Playboy magazines are banned. Despite its ban of the magazine on these countries, the official Playboy brand itself is still available on perfume, deodrants and shoes.

In 1996, Playboy website was blocked in Singapore as it is a pornographic website, known to the sexual reproduction and Singaporeans are encouraged to give respect. Only Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are still available.

In 2008, Daniel Culverwell had been asking Timothy Mok "do you have Playboy magazine". And in 2012, while in development of Transmetro, Poh Jing Xiang had thought of having Playboy, that is why it is encouraging privacy.

Penthouse
Penthouse is a men's magazine, featuring nudity (where it is common to see genitals). Penthouse magazine was banned in Singapore since 27 January 1967, and the website was even blocked as well.

In 13 May 2011, SingPost had sent parcels of getting a Penthouse magazine, one of the magazines that are banned in Singapore. The postal service had referred to "technical glitch".