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Straits Times wants to edit out parts of Chee’s letter to Chan

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10 years ago

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On Friday, 16 January 2015, the Straits Times published a letter from the Minister of Social and Family Development (MSF), Chan Chun Sing.

The letter, titled “Chee sacrifices S’pore to win points overseas: Chan Chun Sing”, was a response to an earlier letter by Dr Chee Soon Juan, secretary general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), on 18 December in the same newspaper.

In his letter, Dr Chee had written about the issue of income inequality in Singapore, among other things.

Dr Chee had also written two articles for the Wall Street Journal and the Huffington Post, which Mr Chan had also taken issue with.

Mr Chan had, on Friday, written two letters – one to the Straits Times and the other to the Huffington Post.

Both letters had attacked Dr Chee’s character, particularly the letter to the Huffington Post in which Mr Chan described the former as “a political failure”.

Dr Chee in turn responded to this letter from Mr Chan and said that it was troubling that the PAP has continued its “habit of engaging in the politics of name-calling and personal destruction.”

“It is disappointing that the younger generation of ministers like Mr Chan has not set a new direction for the conduct of politics in Singapore instead on relying on that of a bygone era,” he said. (Read here.)

Dr Chee has also written a reply to Mr Chan’s Friday letter to the Straits Times. In that letter, Mr Chan had accused Dr Chee of “[playing] to the foreign gallery in writing in its media.”

Mr Chan also said Dr Chee “sacrifices S’pore to win points overseas”, according to the Straits Times.

In response, Dr Chee sent a letter to the Straits Times on Friday.

In his letter, Dr Chee had cited how former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had himself “rather uncharitably likened Singaporeans to indolent animals where ‘spurs had to be stuck into the hide’ to make us work harder” in a “Western magazine”.

In an interview with the National Geographic in 2009, Mr Lee was asked if he thought “people just get lazy or what”.

Mr Lee replied, comparing Singaporeans with migrants:

“No, I think the spurs are not stuck on your hinds. They are part of the herd, why-go-faster? But when you’re lagging behind, you must go faster to catch up with the herd. I’m quite sure that there are children of the migrants who strive arduously. When they grow up in the same schools as the Singaporeans, the same playing fields, same environment and they begin to adopt Singaporean habits in the ways of living and thinking. So I’m quite sure they’d become like us. Well, because we’re shrinking in our population, our fertility ratio is about 1.29.”

Dr Chee said it was not him who is undermining Singapore, as Mr Chan had alleged.

“It is not I but the PAP who are persuading young Singaporeans not to pursue a university education while giving foreign students generous financial grants to study at our universities,” Dr Chee said.

“It is not I but the Government who has allowed in millions of foreigners to work in Singapore at the expense of Singaporeans’ jobs and wages.”

However, according to a note posted on its Facebook page on Saturday, the SDP said the Straits Times has declined to publish the letter unless it was allowed to make edits to it.

“The Straits Times has refused to publish Dr Chee Soon Juan’s letter to Mr Chan Chun Sing,” the SDP said. “It wanted to edit out the essence of Dr Chee’s reply. When Dr Chee said that he would like the letter to be published in full, the Straits Times refused.”

Here is Dr Chee’s letter in response to Mr Chan’s accusations, in full. The parts in brackets are the parts which the SDP says the Straits Times wants to edit out before publication.

It is not I who is sacrificing Singapore

In his letter ‘Chee sacrifices S’pore to win points overseas: Chan Chun Sing’ (ST, January 16, 2015), Minister Chan suggests that I am anti-Singapore because I publish op-eds in the international media.

I did not write these pieces to criticise Singapore, I wrote them to criticise PAP policies. The PAP and Singapore are two different things. We must not equate one with the other.

The reason I have written in these news sites is because Singaporean newspapers are reluctant to publish my pieces. Just in the last three month, the Straits Times has rejected all three of my op-eds which I submitted.

[If Mr Chan insists that I am undermining Singapore, then he should note that it is not I but Mr Lee Kuan Yew who, in an interview with National Geographic, a Western magazine, rather uncharitably likened Singaporeans to indolent animals where “spurs had to be stuck into the hide” to make us work harder.

It is not I but the PAP who are persuading young Singaporeans not to pursue a university education while giving foreign students generous financial grants to study at our universities.

It is not I but the Government who has allowed in millions of foreigners to work in Singapore at the expense of Singaporeans’ jobs and wages.]

Mr Chan should not be directing his anger at me.

He says that I betrayed Mr Chiam See Tong. Former High Court Justice Warren Khoo who presided over the trial between Mr Chiam and the SDP said that he could find no malicious behaviour on the part of the SDP since the Central Executive Committee did attempt to seek reconciliation with Mr Chiam.

To be sure, Mr Chiam has contributed significantly to Singapore and the SDP honours him. We will do this by inviting him to our 35th anniversary dinner to be held later this year.

The differences between the SDP and him are miniscule compared to the problems Singaporeans are facing. It is important that we come together and work for the good of our nation.

There are genuine differences in how the SDP and PAP want to take Singapore forward. On this we can have an honest, even robust, debate. But let us not continue to demonise each other just because we hold different views.

Singaporeans want us to have a contest of ideas, not call each other names.

Chee Soon Juan

Secretary-General

Singapore Democratic Party

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TJC issued 3rd POFMA order under Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods

The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) was issued its third POFMA correction order on 5 October 2024 under the direction of Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods about death penalty processes. TJC has rejected the government’s claims, describing POFMA as a tool to suppress dissent.

Published

6 days ago

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6 October 2024

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The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), an advocacy group opposed to the death penalty, was issued its third Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction on 5 October 2024.

The correction was ordered by Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, following TJC’s publication of what the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) alleges to be false information regarding Singapore’s death row procedures and the prosecution of drug trafficking cases.

These statements were made on TJC’s website and across its social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).

In addition to TJC, civil activist Kokila Annamalai was also issued a correction direction by the minister over posts she made on Facebook and X between 4 and 5 October 2024.

According to MHA, these posts echoed similar views on the death penalty and the legal procedures for drug-related offences, and contained statements that the ministry claims are false concerning the treatment of death row prisoners and the state’s legal responsibilities in drug trafficking cases.

MHA stated that the posts suggested the government schedules and stays executions arbitrarily, without due regard to legal processes, and that the state does not bear the burden of proving drug trafficking charges.

However, these alleged falsehoods are contested by MHA, which maintains that the government strictly follows legal procedures, scheduling executions only after all legal avenues have been exhausted, and that the state always carries the burden of proof in such cases.

In its official release, MHA emphasised, “The prosecution always bears the legal burden of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and this applies to all criminal offences, including drug trafficking.”

It also pointed to an article on the government fact-checking site Factually to provide further clarification on the issues raised.

As a result of these allegations, both TJC and Annamalai are now required to post correction notices. TJC must display these corrections on its website and social media platforms, while Annamalai is required to carry similar notices on her Facebook and X posts.

TikTok has also been issued a targeted correction direction, requiring the platform to communicate the correction to all Singapore-based users who viewed the related TJC post.

In a statement following the issuance of the correction direction, TJC strongly rejected the government’s claims. The group criticised the POFMA law, calling it a “political weapon used to crush dissent,” and argued that the order was more about the exercise of state power than the pursuit of truth. “We have put up the Correction Directions not because we accept any of what the government asserts, but because of the grossly unjust terms of the POFMA law,” TJC stated.

TJC further argued that the government’s control over Singapore’s media landscape enables it to push pro-death penalty views without opposition. The group also stated that it would not engage in prolonged legal battles over the POFMA correction orders, opting to focus on its abolitionist work instead.

This marks the third time TJC has been subject to a POFMA correction direction in recent months.

The group was previously issued two orders in August 2024 for making similar statements concerning death row prisoners.

In its latest statement, MHA noted that despite being corrected previously, TJC had repeated what the ministry views as falsehoods.

MHA also criticised TJC for presenting the perspective of a convicted drug trafficker without acknowledging the harm caused to victims of drug abuse.

Annamalai, a prominent civil rights activist, is also known for her involvement in various social justice campaigns. She was charged in June 2024 for her participation in a pro-Palestinian procession near the Istana. Her posts, now subject to correction, contained information similar to those presented by TJC regarding death penalty procedures and drug-related cases.

POFMA, which was introduced in 2019, allows the government to issue correction directions when it deems falsehoods are being spread online.

Critics of the law argue that it can be used to suppress dissent, while the government asserts that it is a necessary tool for combating misinformation. The law has been frequently invoked against opposition politicians and activists.

As of October 2024, Minister K Shanmugam has issued 17 POFMA directions, more than any other minister. Shanmugam, who was instrumental in introducing POFMA, is followed by National Development Minister Desmond Lee, who has issued 10 POFMA directions.

Major media outlets, including The Straits Times, Channel News Asia, and Mothership, have covered the POFMA directions. However, as of the time of writing, none have included TJC’s response rejecting the government’s allegations.

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Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

Published

1 week ago

on

4 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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