SDP issued POFMA order for making false statements about case of 3 women charged with organising march to Istana
The three women allegedly organised the Feb 2 procession to the Istana in support of the Palestinian cause.
From left: Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, Annamalai Kokila Parvathi and Mossamad Sobikun Nahar walking together in a group at the State Courts on Jun 27, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has been ordered to put up a correction notice on its social media posts, after it published false statements about the case of three women charged with organising a procession along the perimeter of the Istana without a permit.
The three women - Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar – allegedly organised the march on Feb 2 in support of the Palestinian cause.
They were charged on Jun 27 with public order offences.
In a media release on Saturday (Jun 29), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) noted that the three women were charged with an offence under Section 15(1) of the Public Order Act 2009 for organising a procession in a prohibited area.
The Istana, the official office of the president, is a prohibited area.
“The SDP’s posts falsely suggested that the three women were instead charged for organising support for the Palestinian people,” MHA added.
“Any person who organises a public assembly or a procession in a designated prohibited area would have committed an offence, regardless of the cause or issue he or she is advocating for. Prohibited areas are security sensitive areas, and also include the Parliament House and the Supreme Court.”
The ministry also shot down comments by the SDP which suggested that the government, in particular Law and Home Affairs Minister, prosecuted the three women because they had expressed views that the government did not agree with.
“The decision to charge the three women was not in response to the views they had expressed, nor depended on whether these views concorded or did not concord with the government’s views. The charges concern the organising of the unauthorised procession, in and of itself,” said MHA.
It added that the decision to charge the women was not made by Mr Shanmugam but by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, after its review of the police’s investigation.
“The minister does not make decisions relating to criminal prosecutions,” it stressed.
“The government takes a serious view of the deliberate communication of falsehoods.”
POFMA ORDER
The SDP has been issued a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which requires the party to publish a correction notice alongside the Facebook and Instagram posts in question, providing access to the correct facts.
It posted the notices as of early Sunday morning.
However, the party said in a separate statement that it rejects the POFMA claims.
SDP will also be required to create a new TikTok post containing a correction notice.
A targeted correction direction was also issued to TikTok, the internet intermediary whose service was used to communicate a falsehood that affects public interest.
“TikTok will also be required to communicate a correction notice to all end-users in Singapore that had accessed the TikTok post,” MHA noted.
CNA understands TikTok has complied with the correction direction by inserting a notice on the post, including a link to the Singapore government’s clarification, while inbox notifications have also been sent to users that have seen the content.
The ministry acknowledged that some Singaporeans feel strongly about the Israel-Hamas conflict on both sides, but that the “very large majority” of these views have been expressed in lawful ways – online, at dialogue sessions or through donation drives.
“The government did not take any action against them, whether or not the views concorded with the government’s position on the conflict,” MHA said.
“On the other hand, unauthorised public processions could result in public order, and safety and security concerns, and will not be allowed regardless of the cause, or which side the support is for,” it added.
“We would like to urge members of the public not to engage in activities that will damage the peace, public order and social harmony which Singaporeans have worked hard to achieve, and enjoy today.”
