Pofma order issued to SDP for claiming trio were prosecuted over support for Palestinians

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has been asked to put up a correction notice under the law against fake news, over its statement claiming that three women were prosecuted for organising support for the Palestinian people in the ongoing Gaza war.

The SDP was issued a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) on June 29 on the instruction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

On June 27 and June 28, the SDP had put up a statement on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok commenting on the charges brought against three women who were allegedly involved in organising a procession without a permit along the perimeter of the Istana, which is a prohibited area.

In its statement, the SDP said the three women - Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, 25, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, 29, and Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, 35 - were prosecuted for organising support for the Palestinian people and in doing so, expressed views the Government did not agree with.

Debunking this, MHA said in a statement on June 29 that the SDP's claims were untrue as the decision to charge the three women was not in response to the views they had expressed, or whether these views aligned with the Government's position.

Rather, MHA said the women's charges concern the organising of an unauthorised procession in the vicinity of the Istana, in and of itself.

The ministry added that SDP also falsely claimed that Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam had made the decision to charge the three women when it was the Attorney-General's Chambers that did so after reviewing the police's investigative findings.

MHA said the minister does not make decisions relating to criminal prosecutions.

The SDP will be required to carry correction notices with its Facebook and Instagram posts and create a new TikTok post with the correction notice.

TikTok will be required to communicate a correction notice to all end users in Singapore that had accessed the SDP's TikTok post carrying the falsehoods.

The three women were on June 27 charged with offences under the Public Order Act for purportedly organising the procession to show their support for the Palestinian cause, including soliciting attendance online.

Annamalai was charged with one count of abetment of organising a public procession in a prohibited area, while Mossammad and Amirah were each charged with one count of organising a public procession in a prohibited area.

MHA said any person who organises a public assembly or a procession in a designated prohibited area would have committed an offence, regardless of the cause or issue he or she is advocating.

Prohibited areas are security-sensitive areas, which include the Parliament House and the Supreme Court.

MHA said: "These laws exist to maintain the public peace and order which Singaporeans enjoy today.

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"We only need to look overseas at countries which allow public protests and demonstrations to understand the disruption to daily lives, not to mention damage to properties and hurt to bystanders and participants that can result."

The ministry added that the "very large majority" of views expressed by Singaporeans on the Israel-Hamas conflict have been done through lawful ways online, through forums and dialogues, and through donation drives.

MHA said: "The Government did not take any action against them, whether or not the views concorded with the Government's position on the conflict.   

"On the other hand, unauthorised public processions could result in public order, and safety and security concerns, and will not be allowed regardless of the cause, or which side the support is for."

The ministry urged the public not to engage in activities that will damage Singapore's peace, public order and social harmony.

"We should not deliberately break the law, even if to make a point. If we do so, eventually, we will become a lawless, unstable and disorderly society," added MHA.

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