GE2020: Doctored audio clips of Chan Chun Sing circulated with 'ill-intent'

"Truncated audio clips of one of my conversations, taken out of context, are being circulated with ill-intent", Chan Chun Sing said in a Facebook post today (July 8).

Chan is the anchor minister for People's Action Party's (PAP) Tanjong Pagar GRC team. 

One of the three truncated clips was edited to make it seem as though he had said a crisis would save the incumbent in the elections. It cited the US 9/11 incident and the late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's death as examples of crises that had led to PAP's success in past elections.

Another clip implied the dispute between Singapore and Malaysia over airspace had "spiralled", while the third painted the idea that Chan thought the political uncertainty in Malaysia would serve as an advantage to their own election.

Chan refuted all of them, and provided the context for each clip, pointing out that the timing of the release of the clips was "surely not coincidental".

Firstly, he explained that he had warned people to not be complacent in believing that a crisis would help the incumbent secure votes during elections. He noted that while it may be true based on past cases, he said: "We must never take it for granted.

"In fact, we must work hard to serve our people, take care of them and not depend on a crisis to secure the votes."

Secondly, with regards to the alleged "spiralled" airspace dispute, Chan said the conversation actually took place in early 2019 in the wake of Malaysia imposing a restricted flying zone just north of Seletar Airport.

At that time, Chan had tried to explain that there were "grave implications" to the safety of flights in and out of the area, and to lifelines when the approaches to Singapore's airports and seaports were restricted.

As for the last edited clip, Chan said he had been talking about the "deeper forces behind the various issues and that it was not personality-dependent, even though many thought it was so."

He emphasised again that Singapore should be prepared to deal with "bilateral issues beyond specific personalities."

Chan hopes that Singaporeans will understand the clips were taken out of context, and therefore not misunderstand the meaning behind his words.

"The points in the conversation are poignant reminders of our vulnerabilities as a small country," he wrote. "As I said in one of the clips, winning an election has nothing to do with the nine-day campaigning. It has to do with the hard work over the previous many years."

rainercheung@asiaone.com