Alternative news site Wake Up, Singapore issued Pofma correction direction over COP statements

SINGAPORE - Alternative news site Wake Up, Singapore has been issued with a correction direction by the Pofma Office over falsehoods put out in relation to Committee of Privileges (COP) proceedings.

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Leader of the House has instructed the Pofma Office to do so. The current Leader of the House is Ms Indranee Rajah.

The correction is in relation to its Facebook and Instagram posts dated Feb 10 on the COP's probe into the conduct of former MP Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to lying in Parliament last year.

The posts said that the COP recommended that Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Faisal Manap be "referred for criminal proceedings", even though there was no finding by the committee that they had lied.

Mr Singh is Workers' Party's (WP) chief and Leader of the Opposition. He is also an MP for Aljunied GRC. Mr Faisal is also an MP for Aljunied GRC and is WP's vice-chair.

"In making this false statement, the posts suggested that the Committee had recommended referring Mr Singh and Mr Faisal to the Public Prosecutor without basis," a media release from The Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Leader of the House said on Saturday (Feb 12).

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The Pofma Office administers the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma).

Wake Up, Singapore will have to carry correction notices stating that the posts contain a false statement of fact, according to the media release.

"The posts published by Wake Up, Singapore misrepresent the Committee's findings and muddy the waters as to the proper role of the Committee."

Wake Up, Singapore said in a post on its website that it has received the correction and has complied with posting them on its Facebook and Instagram. 

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An article on the Gov.sg website added that the committee expressly found that Mr Singh, WP chairman Sylvia Lim and Mr Faisal had lied in their evidence before the committee.

"The Committee's recommendation that Mr Singh be referred to the Public Prosecutor was based on this finding which it made, that Mr Singh had lied on oath (which is a possible offence of perjury)," the article said.

"The Committee did not recommend referring Mr Faisal Manap to the Public Prosecutor for lying to the Committee. The Committee recommended referring Mr Faisal for repeatedly refusing to answer relevant questions put to him by the Committee," it added.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.