Singapore opposition MP hit for 鈥榝ake news鈥
Print Edition
A SINGAPORE opposition politician was asked to correct a Facebook post criticizing state education spending yesterday, the fourth use of a new 鈥渇ake news鈥 law that has been used against government opponents.
Government ministers are the arbiters of the Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, which came into effect in October amid concern that it would be used to silence opposition ahead of an election expected within months.
In an effort to alleviate those concerns, Minister of Law K Shanmugam said when the legislation was passed in May that the law was meant to tackle 鈥渇alsehoods,鈥 鈥渂ots,鈥 鈥渢rolls鈥 and 鈥渇ake accounts,鈥 and that free speech would not be affected.
Since the law was invoked on November 26, three figures linked to the opposition and an opposition party have been told their online posts must carry a banner stating that they contain false information.
The posts ranged from accusing the government of influencing decisions by the state investment fund to an assertion that white-collar unemployment was rising.
The Ministry of Education yesterday directed opposition politician Lim Tean to correct a Facebook post about foreign students receiving more government funding than domestic students. Lim responded on Facebook to defend his initial post saying it referred to grants and scholarships, and not overall spending, and he was considering legal options.
鈥淚t is clear to me that POFMA is being used by this government ahead of the upcoming GE (general election) to silence its opponents and chill public discussion,鈥 he said.
The POFMA did not immediately comment. The Asia Internet Coalition of Internet and technology companies has called the law the 鈥渕ost far-reaching legislation of its kind.鈥
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
