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Source: Yahoo Singapore..
..A Facebook page in support of the People’s Action Party (PAP) government has been set up to counter untruths and rumours circulated by anti-government sites.
The initiative, called “Fabrications about the PAP”, was not created by members of the ruling party but ordinary citizens with moderate views.
The two-week-old page has already garnered more than 590 “likes” thus far with its objective “to re-present the misrepresentation of information in the real light with facts”.
Among the members of the core group behind this page is Jason Chua, who claims to have no political affiliations. Chua says the page is in response to sites such as Temasek Review and The Online Citizen, which present “slanted” articles, reported The Straits Times.
“We wanted our own platform in the Internet as we feel it’s difficult for moderates like us to put our views on other platforms,” said Chua, who used to work as a software engineer but is now jobless.
“When we go to other platforms we get deleted if they don't like our comments, or get attacked personally.”
His main aim, added the 41-year-old is “to play a part in helping the government explain and reason, ahead of the 2016 General Election”.
Among some of the topics discussed at the page include the “Stop at two” policy which former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew recently said had nothing to do with the current low fertility rate.
Chua stressed that he is not paid to run the site, adding, “I’m not a PAP or Young PAP man. It's for the country. This is national service. We hope other moderates step forward.”
Together with four other people – who wanted to remain anonymous – they approached other Facebook users whose comments on ministers’ pages were aligned with their views.
While they managed to mobilise around 40 people, others in the group were cautious about going public as some sites were already targeting their page.
The page, Chua pointed out, is also heavily moderated, with negative comments swiftly removed. “What I want is, three, four years down the road, I have a clean page where people can read the truth and lies and decide what is the real picture,” he explained.
He said that the information used to counter rumours is obtained from press articles and other publicly available information. The same group was also behind another Facebook page titled, “Let’s Discuss Singapore Politics”, which was set up about two weeks ago.
While these pages are managed by citizens, PAP activists have also been known to correct allegations and misperceptions online – but anonymously and while trying to come across as non-partisan.
Zaqy Mohamad, Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang group representation constituency who is also part of the PAP’s new media sub-committee, welcomed the Facebook page but expressed some caution.
While the party could back such initiatives, he noted that it might “end up giving them the kiss of death”.
“But if there are certain good or credible sites, one point of engagement is to give them certain data or reference points,” he said.
Meanwhile assistant law professor Eugene Tan said the page’s success would depend on how objective it is. “These sort of efforts are good for leaving it to Singaporeans to decide for themselves where the truth lies,” he said.
On the other hand, a Facebook page called “Discussion on Fabrications about the PAP” has been set up in a move to counter some of the discussions on the pro-establishment page.
It claimed that the move was to create a space for “robust intellectual discourse and respectful discussion”, adding that the pro-government page erases “dissenting opinions” which include both civil and responsible comments although it sets itself up to be objective. The page thus far has close to 130 “likes”.
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He also said it would be fun if you can join the fun and lick his balls too...
