Walid Ghazal’s Weblog

In the city-state’s first major penal code amendments in 22 years, Parliament repealed a section criminalising “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”.

Parliament however kept the penal code’s section 377A, which makes sex between men a criminal offence, rejecting a petition by gay rights activists and their non-homosexual supporters to abolish the law as well.

Opponents of the law say it is a relic of British colonial rule.

The law punishes offenders with up to two years in jail, although it has rarely been enforced.

Under the just-approved amendments, new offences were enacted to tackle child prostitution and sex tourism, as well as cover crimes committed with the use of technology such as the internet and mobile phone text messaging.

But a rare petition read in Parliament to abolish the law banning sex between men sparked the most passionate debates in the normally staid legislature dominated by the ruling People’s Action Party.

Legislators supporting the law’s retention centred their arguments on the need to maintain family and moral values in the conservative Asian society, while proponents appealed for equal treatment of minorities guaranteed by the constitution.

Member of Parliament Siew Kum Hong, who supported the petition, said legalising sexual acts between two consenting heterosexual adults, while refusing to decriminalise the same acts between homosexual men, was discriminatory.

But Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong weighed in for the retention of the law, saying that Singapore remains a conservative society - with the traditional family as its main building bloc - and homosexuals cannot set the tone for the mainstream.

Abolishing the law could “send the wrong signal” and push gay activists to ask for more concessions, such as same-sex marriage and parenting, Mr Lee said.

Gays “are free to lead their lives and pursue their social activities,” the Prime Minister said, citing the existence of gay websites and gay bars.

“But there are restraints, and we do not approve of them setting the tone of mainstream society,” he said.

“They live their lives, that’s their personal space. But the tone of the overall society, I think, it remains conventional, it remains straight and we want it to remain so.”

Lee said keeping the statute unchanged, while not aggressively enforcing it, remained the best option.

Singapore would adapt to global economic changes in order to stay competitive, but must take a more cautious approach when it comes to moral values, Mr Lee said.

“We were right to uphold the family unit when Western countries went for experimental lifestyles in the 1960s - the hippies, free love,” he said.

“But I’m glad we did that, because today, if you look at Western Europe, the marriage as an institution is dead, families have broken down, the majority of children are born out of wedlock and live in families where the father and the mother are not husband and wife living together bringing them up.”

Gay rights activists say the law against homosexual sex affects about 200,000 people in the wealthy island-republic of more than four million.

ITS bad news for men  women really do prefer chocolate to sex.

A survey for a shopping centre  has found that while women put chocolate at number four in their list of things that makes them happiest, sex comes in at number five.

Among the other findings are that the top way for women to cheer themselves up is eating. It doesnt say what. Lettuce? Celery sticks? Not likely. More chocolate, surely?

Number three in the happiest moments category is in bed. Having wild sex? Dont be silly, weve already made ourselves quite clear with the chocolate question. At least there is no mention of actually booting him out of bed.

Had they given interviewees a choice of in bed with other-half or in bed alone with crisp sheets (ironed by someone else), bottle of Chardonnay, family pack of Maltesers and Prison Break on the telly, the latter would have won hands down.

This is pretty grim reading for men all round, but then had they asked chaps the same questions, I reckon the fairer sex would be pretty miffed by the results. So, just to even things up a bit, here are the official her lists, joined by my own him lists.

Things that make you happiest

HER

1. Being with family;

2. Being in love;

3. Holidays;

4. Chocolate;

5. Sex.

HIM

1. Her going to her family, so he can stay in and watch rugby on the telly in peace;

2. That bit at the beginning of a relationship, before mortgages and babies, when she is so in love with him she will have sex with him a lot;

3. Holidays  she might have sex with him;

4. Beer;

5. Internet porn.

Top 10 best gifts

HER

1. A weekend away;

2. Cash for a shopping spree;

3. Chocolate;

4. Flowers;

5. A beauty treatment.

HIM

1. A dirty weekend away;

2. Not being forced to go on the shopping spree with her;

3. Beer;

4. A subscription to Auto Trader magazine;

5. Her giving him a massage (yeah, right, like thats going to happen! Try emptying the dishwasher every so often&).

Happiest moments

HER

1. At home;

2. By the sea;

3. In bed;

4. Shopping;

5. In the bath.

HIM

1. At the pub;

2. In the sea  fishing;

3. In bed, having sex, or anywhere having sex, really;

4. Cataloguing his CD collection;

5. In the shower. Its the only place in the house he can shut the door to shut out the noise of her nagging.

Secrets from the women’s toilets

MEN often wonder what goes on in ladies loos. Now the truth can be revealed. Women have punch-ups.

Jockey Kieran Fallons estranged wife Julie, 41, has just been fined £400 and given a 12-month unconditional discharge for attacking another woman in the toilets of a pub.