in his 2008 national day rally speech, prime minister lee hsien loong indicated that the purpose behind various government policies, including the creation of speakers' corner, was to "liberalise our society, to widen the space for expression and participation". its reception was mixed, however, and there have been a wide range of views and perspectives on the impact of speakers' corner in increasing the space for free speech and the freedom to assemble. it has been called an "exercise in tokenism" for the purpose of preserving a literal "space" for engaging in free speech while also "cornering" it in that space. this is reflected in the relative lack of progress towards liberalization in other areas such as awards of high damages in libel lawsuits brought by politicians which has been said to have a chilling effect on political speech in singapore. former workers' party member james gomez has also expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the speakers' corner as a site of vibrant political debate, citing the lack of a "culture of speaking" amongst singaporeans. the ban on racially or religiously sensitive speech has been criticized as possibly curtailing free speech on genuine political matters and limiting the scope of constitutionally entrenched fundamental liberties.