SINGAPORE: A newly set-up website describing itself as an “independent news site based in Australia” has emerged, shortly after news broke that the authorities here have ordered the shutdown of The Real Singapore (TRS) portal.
Checks showed that the new website, with the name Straits Times Review, was registered on Apr 18 and operates from domain name registrar Tucows Domains.
TODAY understands the site’s editor is blogger and systems engineer Alex Tan, a former editor of TRS who founded the website. He had previously revealed in a 2013 interview that he started the site with a couple he had never met, but whom he believed lived in Australia.
Mr Tan’s Facebook page lists him as the editor of Straits Times Review, and he began actively sharing the site’s posts from Monday. He also called for contributors to submit opinion articles and news for the site.
“I will remain as the only editor and decide what goes and doesn’t ... I have to be frank that not all articles will be published as I want this to be a permanent initiative and as an alternative to the mainstream media,” he said in a Facebook post.
Mr Tan’s Facebook page lists his location now as Sydney, Australia.
When TODAY contacted the site’s admin, it declined to respond to any questions.
A spokesman from the Media Development Authority said yesterday that it “is looking into the matter”.
The MDA on Sunday ordered TRS’ two editors - Singaporean Yang Kaiheng, 26, and his Australian girlfriend Ai Takagi, 22 - to cease operations on the website with immediate effect.
Lawyer Choo Zheng Xi, who is representing both Yang and Takagi, told TODAY: “I can confirm that my clients have nothing to do with the website (Straits Times Review).”
Separately, the couple have also been charged with seven counts of sedition and one of failing to produce documents related to TRS to a police officer.
Internet experts TODAY spoke to say it is a challenge to stop alternative sites from cropping up.
Tech blogger Alfred Siew cited the example of torrent site The Pirate Bay, which has so far managed to evade getting shut down despite being hounded by the authorities all around the world.
“The Internet is such an open space, it’s difficult to police. It’s not difficult to set up a website,” Mr Siew said on Monday (May 4).
Professor Ang Peng Hwa from Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, said once someone is outside of Singapore, “you don’t have jurisdiction (over them)”, so nothing much can be done.
But he noted that shutting down a site still has a sizeable effect as the site tends to suffer a drop in followers even if it sets up alternative avenues. The alternative sites will have to expend some effort in publicising its new location and build up its fan base again.
Prof Ang said shutting down a site is essentially about “taking a stand on what is considered objectionable content from Singapore’s perspective”.
“It’s signposting. It’s not 100 per cent effective, but you put up a sign indicating where you stand on this particular issue.”
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/former-trs-editor-sets-up/1827352.html?cid=fbsg
Checks showed that the new website, with the name Straits Times Review, was registered on Apr 18 and operates from domain name registrar Tucows Domains.
TODAY understands the site’s editor is blogger and systems engineer Alex Tan, a former editor of TRS who founded the website. He had previously revealed in a 2013 interview that he started the site with a couple he had never met, but whom he believed lived in Australia.
Mr Tan’s Facebook page lists him as the editor of Straits Times Review, and he began actively sharing the site’s posts from Monday. He also called for contributors to submit opinion articles and news for the site.
“I will remain as the only editor and decide what goes and doesn’t ... I have to be frank that not all articles will be published as I want this to be a permanent initiative and as an alternative to the mainstream media,” he said in a Facebook post.
Mr Tan’s Facebook page lists his location now as Sydney, Australia.
When TODAY contacted the site’s admin, it declined to respond to any questions.
A spokesman from the Media Development Authority said yesterday that it “is looking into the matter”.
The MDA on Sunday ordered TRS’ two editors - Singaporean Yang Kaiheng, 26, and his Australian girlfriend Ai Takagi, 22 - to cease operations on the website with immediate effect.
Lawyer Choo Zheng Xi, who is representing both Yang and Takagi, told TODAY: “I can confirm that my clients have nothing to do with the website (Straits Times Review).”
Separately, the couple have also been charged with seven counts of sedition and one of failing to produce documents related to TRS to a police officer.
Internet experts TODAY spoke to say it is a challenge to stop alternative sites from cropping up.
Tech blogger Alfred Siew cited the example of torrent site The Pirate Bay, which has so far managed to evade getting shut down despite being hounded by the authorities all around the world.
“The Internet is such an open space, it’s difficult to police. It’s not difficult to set up a website,” Mr Siew said on Monday (May 4).
Professor Ang Peng Hwa from Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, said once someone is outside of Singapore, “you don’t have jurisdiction (over them)”, so nothing much can be done.
But he noted that shutting down a site still has a sizeable effect as the site tends to suffer a drop in followers even if it sets up alternative avenues. The alternative sites will have to expend some effort in publicising its new location and build up its fan base again.
Prof Ang said shutting down a site is essentially about “taking a stand on what is considered objectionable content from Singapore’s perspective”.
“It’s signposting. It’s not 100 per cent effective, but you put up a sign indicating where you stand on this particular issue.”
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/former-trs-editor-sets-up/1827352.html?cid=fbsg
