https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...ection-directions-against-the-online-citizen/
He is from West Coast GRC .
He had better look again at West Coast GRC's performance during the last GE.
The Minister for National Development, Desmond Lee, has issued two Correction Directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA) against The Online Citizen (TOC) and Gutzy Asia.
These latest orders, concerning their respective articles and videos related to the Ministry of National Development’s (MND) actions and housing grants, were issued just days after earlier POFMA orders targeted former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Yee Jenn Jong and Mr Leong Sze Hian. Notably, there has been an apparent lack of coverage from local state media regarding these recent developments.
Background: Earlier POFMA Orders Against Yee Jenn Jong and Leong Sze Hian
The first of these earlier POFMA orders was issued on 26 August 2024 against Mr Yee Jenn Jong, following his Facebook posts on 25 and 27 July 2024.
In his posts, Mr Yee questioned MND’s actions during the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) saga, suggesting that the ministry’s decisions to withhold grants, engage external auditors, and appoint an Independent Panel were politically motivated.
Mr Lee responded belatedly, a month after the posts were made, alleging that Mr Yee’s statements were “false and misleading” and that the ministry’s actions were driven by legitimate concerns over the governance of public funds. Mr Yee complied with the POFMA order and included a correction notice on his posts.
Shortly after, on 30 August 2024, another POFMA order from Mr Lee was directed at Mr Leong Sze Hian over a Facebook post he made on 21 August 2024, where he discussed the means-testing of housing grants for resale flats.
While Mr Leong acknowledged the existence of income ceilings in his post, he was accused of making misleading statements by MND, which clarified that the CPF Housing Grant (CPF HG) and the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) are subject to income means-testing. Mr Leong was required to add a correction notice to his post, directing readers to the government’s clarification.
Recent POFMA Orders Against TOC and Gutzy Asia
On 30 August 2024, Mr Lee issued new POFMA orders against TOC and Gutzy Asia for their respective articles and videos posted on 21 August 2024. Both platforms were accused of disseminating falsehoods related to the housing grants available to first-time homebuyers of resale flats, particularly in relation to Mr Leong’s comments. TOC was also said to have misreported on Mr Yee’s Facebook post from 25 July.
The platforms have since complied with the orders, adding correction notices to their content, which now link to the government’s clarifications.
However, the timing of these orders, coming just days after the POFMA actions against Yee and Leong, raises questions about the broader impact of such government interventions on public discourse and the rationale for placing POFMA powers in the hands of ministers rather than the courts.
Lack of Local Media Coverage and Potential Embarrassment for the State
Despite the significant nature of these POFMA orders, local state media has not provided apparent coverage of the latest actions against TOC and Gutzy Asia.
This lack of reporting is particularly notable given that the earlier POFMA orders against Yee Jenn Jong and Leong Sze Hian were covered by state media. The absence of coverage on the TOC POFMA suggests a possible embarrassment for the state and the minister, as it follows up with belated POFMA orders after the earlier ones were issued.
This situation raises concerns about the selective nature of reporting by state media and the potential chilling effect on both state and independent media.
The issuance of POFMA orders against reports like those on Yee Jenn Jong, which questioned government actions, could reasonably create a climate of fear among media outlets. Both state-affiliated and independent media might now hesitate to cover statements from opposition figures or government critics, fearing the possibility of a POFMA Correction Direction, regardless of how neutral and objective their reporting might be.
While the government may argue that POFMA correction directions merely require the addition of correction notices to targeted posts, the reality is that entities issued with sufficient POFMA directions can be declared as “declared online locations,” which would then be ordered to cease any form of commercial activities—a potential death sentence for most commercial media entities.
This atmosphere of caution threatens to stifle open debate and restrict the range of perspectives available to the public.
He is from West Coast GRC .
He had better look again at West Coast GRC's performance during the last GE.
The Minister for National Development, Desmond Lee, has issued two Correction Directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA) against The Online Citizen (TOC) and Gutzy Asia.
These latest orders, concerning their respective articles and videos related to the Ministry of National Development’s (MND) actions and housing grants, were issued just days after earlier POFMA orders targeted former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Yee Jenn Jong and Mr Leong Sze Hian. Notably, there has been an apparent lack of coverage from local state media regarding these recent developments.
Background: Earlier POFMA Orders Against Yee Jenn Jong and Leong Sze Hian
The first of these earlier POFMA orders was issued on 26 August 2024 against Mr Yee Jenn Jong, following his Facebook posts on 25 and 27 July 2024.
In his posts, Mr Yee questioned MND’s actions during the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) saga, suggesting that the ministry’s decisions to withhold grants, engage external auditors, and appoint an Independent Panel were politically motivated.
Mr Lee responded belatedly, a month after the posts were made, alleging that Mr Yee’s statements were “false and misleading” and that the ministry’s actions were driven by legitimate concerns over the governance of public funds. Mr Yee complied with the POFMA order and included a correction notice on his posts.
Shortly after, on 30 August 2024, another POFMA order from Mr Lee was directed at Mr Leong Sze Hian over a Facebook post he made on 21 August 2024, where he discussed the means-testing of housing grants for resale flats.
While Mr Leong acknowledged the existence of income ceilings in his post, he was accused of making misleading statements by MND, which clarified that the CPF Housing Grant (CPF HG) and the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) are subject to income means-testing. Mr Leong was required to add a correction notice to his post, directing readers to the government’s clarification.
Recent POFMA Orders Against TOC and Gutzy Asia
On 30 August 2024, Mr Lee issued new POFMA orders against TOC and Gutzy Asia for their respective articles and videos posted on 21 August 2024. Both platforms were accused of disseminating falsehoods related to the housing grants available to first-time homebuyers of resale flats, particularly in relation to Mr Leong’s comments. TOC was also said to have misreported on Mr Yee’s Facebook post from 25 July.
The platforms have since complied with the orders, adding correction notices to their content, which now link to the government’s clarifications.
However, the timing of these orders, coming just days after the POFMA actions against Yee and Leong, raises questions about the broader impact of such government interventions on public discourse and the rationale for placing POFMA powers in the hands of ministers rather than the courts.
Lack of Local Media Coverage and Potential Embarrassment for the State
Despite the significant nature of these POFMA orders, local state media has not provided apparent coverage of the latest actions against TOC and Gutzy Asia.
This lack of reporting is particularly notable given that the earlier POFMA orders against Yee Jenn Jong and Leong Sze Hian were covered by state media. The absence of coverage on the TOC POFMA suggests a possible embarrassment for the state and the minister, as it follows up with belated POFMA orders after the earlier ones were issued.
This situation raises concerns about the selective nature of reporting by state media and the potential chilling effect on both state and independent media.
The issuance of POFMA orders against reports like those on Yee Jenn Jong, which questioned government actions, could reasonably create a climate of fear among media outlets. Both state-affiliated and independent media might now hesitate to cover statements from opposition figures or government critics, fearing the possibility of a POFMA Correction Direction, regardless of how neutral and objective their reporting might be.
While the government may argue that POFMA correction directions merely require the addition of correction notices to targeted posts, the reality is that entities issued with sufficient POFMA directions can be declared as “declared online locations,” which would then be ordered to cease any form of commercial activities—a potential death sentence for most commercial media entities.
This atmosphere of caution threatens to stifle open debate and restrict the range of perspectives available to the public.
