POFMA restrictions imposed on Kenneth Jeyaretnam's website, social media pages over 'multiple falsehoods'

SINGAPORE: From Tuesday (Dec 12), Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam will not be allowed to receive any benefits, including financial ones, from operating his website and social media pages.

This restriction comes after his website, The Ricebowl Singapore, and his Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn pages were marked as Declared Online Locations (DOL) under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).

"The declaration was made following multiple falsehoods communicated on the online locations," said the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) on Monday.

The declaration kicks in on Dec 12 and will run for two years until Dec 11, 2025. 

An online location such as a website or webpage is declared as a DOL if it has carried three or more different false statements of fact that are the subject of active POFMA directions.

In addition, at least three of these false statements must have been communicated to the online location in the six-month period prior to the DOL declaration.

Mr Jeyaretnam has been issued five POFMA correction orders this year.

His most recent correction direction was over claims he made about government spending, healthcare expenditure and the rental of black-and-white bungalows at Ridout Road by two ministers. 

Mr Jeyaretnam's website and social media pages are each required to carry a notice, stating that each of these online locations has been declared as a Declared Online Location.

"With the notice, visitors to these DOLs will be warned that Mr Jeyaretnam has a history of communicating falsehoods on these online locations," the ministry said.

He has complied with this requirement as of Thursday, with his website and four marked social media pages carrying the notice, which says: "Multiple falsehoods have been communicated on this page."

The notice was posted on his website as well as his Facebook and LinkedIn pages early on Thursday, and added to his bios on Instagram and X.

In a comment on the Facebook post carrying the notice, Mr Jeyaretnam said: "Needless to say I do not agree with this."

Mr Jeyaretnam will not be required to cease operations of his website and social media pages.

However, POFMA "prohibits a person from deriving financial benefit from operating a DOL, thereby preventing operators of DOLs from profiting from the communication of falsehoods", said MCI.

Service providers and digital advertising bodies must take reasonable steps to ensure that paid content that they include on these online locations are not communicated in Singapore. 

Individuals and companies must also not provide financial support to these DOLs if they know it would “support, help or promote the communication of falsehoods in Singapore”, added the ministry. 

"Members of the public are advised to be alert to Mr Jeyaretnam’s history of communicating misinformation on these online locations, and to fact-check information published at these DOLs."

The owner or operator of the online locations in question may apply to the Minister for Communications and Information to vary or cancel the declaration. If the Minister refuses the application, an appeal can be made to the High Court. 

There are currently four other online sites that are DOLs. These are The Online Citizen Asia's (TOCA) website, as well as its Facebook, X and LinkedIn pages.