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POFMA order issued to The Online Citizen over false claims about death penalty in Singapore

POFMA order issued to The Online Citizen over false claims about death penalty in Singapore

The Ministry of Home Affairs logo. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)

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SINGAPORE: The Online Citizen (TOC) has been ordered to insert a correction notice on an article published on its website on Nov 22 that made false statements about the death penalty in Singapore. 

As part of the order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), the alternative news platform is also required to carry similar correction notices on its Facebook, Instagram and X posts on Nov 22.

“TOC’s article (which was shared on its social media posts) alleges that the state suppresses dissenting views on the death penalty through POFMA Correction Directions. This is false,” the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a media release.

“The state only issues POFMA Directions if a false statement of fact has been communicated, and if it is in the public interest to do so.”

MHA also said that a POFMA correction direction does not require the recipient to adopt the government’s position or to remove the original post. Instead, it requires the government’s position to be carried alongside the original post, so that people can read the post containing the falsehoods, together with the official clarifications, and come to their own conclusion.

“The state does not limit dissent, suppress alternative perspectives, stifle open debate or pressure dissenting voices to conform, as alleged by TOC,” the ministry added.

TOC's article on Nov 22, written by its chief editor Terry Xu, also suggested that Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, in an interview with CNN, took contradictory positions on Singapore's drug policies, said MHA.

The ministry said on Monday that the article did not provide the full context of what Mr Shanmugam said.

The minister, according to MHA, spoke about Singapore's relative success - compared to other countries - in controlling the drug situation over the long term. In the CNN interview, Mr Shanmugam cited a survey in which a large majority of respondents said that Singapore's death penalty was more effective in deterring serious crimes like drug trafficking.

"In context, it would be clear from the minister’s statements that Singapore’s success must be understood in relative terms, and that without Singapore’s zero-tolerance and comprehensive drug policy, including the death penalty, the drug situation in Singapore would be much worse," said MHA.

“It is misleading (and hence false) for the author to omit relevant facts, and selectively quote the minister, to reach the position that the minister had taken contradictory positions about Singapore’s anti-drug policies.”

An article on the government fact-checking website Factually explains further why the assertions made by TOC are false.

TOC will be required to carry a correction notice alongside the publications with a link to the government's clarification on the matter.

A check by CNA showed that on Tuesday morning, TOC had added the correction notice to the website article, as well as the Facebook and Instagram posts.

Source: CNA/cm(gs)
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