US comedian Sammy Obeid issued Singapore correction order over claims he was told to edit his script
"The cancellation had nothing to do with content," said the Singapore government.
US comedian Sammy Obeid claimed that his script for his Singapore show was rejected twice and he was told to remove references to the conflict in Gaza, among other things. (Photo: Facebook/Sammy Obeid)
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SINGAPORE: US comedian Sammy Obeid has been directed by the Singapore government to publish correction notices on his social media posts that alleged censorship as a factor in his cancelled show here.
The correction order was issued on Monday (Sep 1) under Singapore's Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
Mr Obeid claimed on Aug 27 that his script was rejected twice and he was told to remove references to the conflict in Gaza, among other things.
The Singapore authority in charge - the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) - said on Aug 28 that it had not requested any edits to the script. His show application was rejected because it was submitted 10 working days before the show, which was 30 days later than required.
“Mr Obeid’s account of protracted back-and-forth interactions with the government is inaccurate,” the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said on Monday.
“In his posts, he claims that the Infocomm Media Development Authority requested edits, told him to ‘completely remove’ portions of his script, and said it ‘didn’t like’ other sections.”
None of these things happened, the ministry said, adding: "The cancellation had nothing to do with content."
Born in Oakland, California, Mr Obeid described himself on his website as a Lebanese-Palestinian-Syrian-Italian-American.
He had planned to perform twice at Victoria Theatre on Aug 31 and said in his post that 1,001 people had been expected at the shows.
PHONE RECORDING
On Sunday, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong said the authorities were considering "further steps" about Mr Obeid's "fictional account".
Following Mr Tong's comments, Mr Obeid denied lying.
He posted two videos on social media of a phone call between himself and an unidentified person. In the second video, the person, speaking in what appeared to be a Singaporean accent, told Mr Obeid to "take out ... anything that has to do with Palestine and Israel".
MDDI said on Monday that it was aware of allegations based on the recording of a private conversation.
"IMDA was not part of that discussion," the ministry said.
“It never had any discussions - directly or indirectly - with Mr Obeid or his representatives about his script and certainly never asked for any edits or removals."
Under the POFMA correction direction, Mr Obeid will be required to carry correction notices alongside his Facebook, Instagram, and X posts published on Aug 27.
He will not be required to remove his posts.
"These notices will provide readers with a link to the government’s clarification so they can read both versions and draw their own conclusions," said MDDI.
Under Singapore law, anyone who fails to comply with a correction order faces a maximum fine of S$20,000 (US$15,600), or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
If the order is ignored, the government can also direct internet providers to block access to the online content in Singapore.
As of the end of Monday, Mr Obeid had not put up correction notices alongside the social media posts in question.
TIMELINE
MDDI also provided a timeline of events:
Jul 8: Mr Obeid’s assistant contacted IMDA about application timelines and was informed on Jul 9 that applications must be submitted 40 working days in advance via a local representative.
Aug 15: A formal Arts Entertainment Licence application was submitted by his local representative (“the applicant”) — just 10 working days before the planned Aug 31 show.
Aug 19: IMDA informed the applicant that the application was too late to process.
Aug 20: The applicant appealed for reconsideration.
Aug 25: IMDA reiterated that the application could not be processed as it had been submitted 30 working days late.
MDDI said that the false claims by Mr Obeid risk causing “serious misunderstanding”, and they “erode public trust in IMDA’s licensing role”.
They also risk inflaming public sentiment on an already sensitive issue, said MDDI.
“We know many Singaporeans care deeply about Gaza. We want to reassure everyone that this case was not about silencing anyone’s voice. Singaporeans will always have channels to express their views reasonably and constructively on Gaza and other important issues,” it added.
