FROM Monday, Singaporeans can head to the Speakers' Corner not just to air their views but hold public demonstrations too.

Its evolution into a protest park falls on the eighth anniversary of Hong Lim Park being turned into a soapbox for Singaporeans.

Anything goes, almost.

Demonstrators can hold up placards, wave banners, and use hand-held loudhailers so their messages are seen and heard. They can do so round the clock, lifting the current ban on speaking from 7pm to 7am. Loudhailers, however, can be used only from 9am to 10.30pm.

But law and order rules still apply.

This means no lewd or violent visuals. Also barred are race and religious issues.

Permanent residents, viewed as having a stake in Singapore, can also participate. But if they, like foreigners, still have to apply for a permit if they want to speak.

These new rules were released by the Police and National Parks Board on Monday at a press conference, where both agencies assured citizens of less, rather than more regulations and monitoring.

It comes a week after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about allowing public demonstrations as a way to open up more space for political expression in his National Day Rally address.

For a start, the management of Speakers' Corner will be taken off the police and handed over to NParks.

It will now deal with the registration of speakers or organisers of demonstrations, who can register online via NPark's website from Saturday.

This is a departure from past practices where speakers had to register at the Kreta Ayer Police Post next to the Park.

There is also no limit on how many groups can demonstrate on any day, as long as everyone can be contained within Speakers' Corner which can hold between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

The Police will also take a hands-off approach. The Police will patrol the Park, like it does in any other areas. But it will investigate if it receives public complaints.