"The government will amend the Films Act to allow for certain types of party political films," Singapore Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang said in remarks at a news conference for local media on Friday, now posted on the ministry's website.

"Films which are factual and objective, and do not dramatize....or present a distorted picture will be allowed," he said, adding that political parties will also be allowed to broadcast such films on the Internet during elections.

The government made the decision after accepting most of the proposals of its advisory council that made the recommendations after visiting countries and continents such as Japan, China, the United States and Europe to learn from their experiences.

Lee said the government will set up an independent advisory panel chaired by a retired senior judge, which will vet such films.

Making a political film is a crime in Singapore and those convicted can be jailed or slapped with a hefty fine.

Singapore filmmaker Martyn See got into trouble with the police about two years ago for his film "Singapore Rebel," a 26-minute documentary about the vociferous secretary general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party Chee Soon Juan.

The latest move to allow some political films is seen as a further attempt by the government to create greater openness amid the Internet age where it is becoming more difficult to keep out political films and political discussions.

Last September the government allowed demonstrations to be held without permits at the country's only free-speech zone, quite a change in a country where any street gathering of five or more people without a permit is illegal. Chee and other political activists have been arrested many times for trying to stage peaceful street protests.

Nevertheless, Lee said political parties or individuals running websites that discuss political or religious issues will still need to register with the government.

But he said this is just to ensure responsibility on their part. "Registration does not in any way discourage diverse and robust views which are prevalent online. Political parties which have registered their websites continue to discuss national policies and issues freely and critically on their websites," he said.

He said the government's latest move "will go a long way toward widening the space for political debate and participation, strengthening government-people engagement and ensuring that Singaporeans will be able to tap the full potential of new media to better our society while minimizing the adverse impact."

Singapore has been ruled since independence in 1965 by the People's Action Party which has remained politically dominant over the years, presently controlling 82 of 84 seats in parliament.

While it has been credited for the wealthy city-state's economic success, the country's weak and fragmented opposition parties have complained that stifling restrictions on freedom of expression and a string of libel suits on opposition figures over the years have made Singaporeans fearful of supporting the opposition.