Recently, TOC sat down and interviewed Dr Paul Ananth Tambyah, chairperson of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) to get his opinion on the proposed “Protection against Online Falsehoods and Manipulation” (POMFA) bill, its impact on freedom of speech, whistle-blowing and the need for the bill in the first place. In one of his points, Dr Paul said that the proposed …

S&P Global Ratings said on Tue (9 Apr) that more defaults may be happening in Singapore following the Hyflux debacle. “We believe more defaults could occur in Singapore as earnings may be slowing down and investors becoming more selective,” said S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Bertrand Jabouley. “Due to very low rates and yields in the past five years, Singapore …

Dr Tan Cheng Bock announced in a Facebook post that the party symbol for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has been approved, two weeks after the PSP was registered with the Registry of Society. The symbol is of a palm tree which signifies “growth, purpose, strength and life”, said Dr Tan. The logo, in the party colours of red and …

The introduction of the controversial Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill in the Singapore Parliament on 1 Apr has sparked numerous debates and discussions regarding what many media practitioners and civil rights groups have deemed to be an overreaching legislation. Despite such criticisms and concerns, however, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has defended the Government’s rationale behind the proposed …

The Court of Appeal has upheld the sentence imposed on a man who killed the mother of his former boss in a robbery gone wrong more than 5 years ago. 51-year-old P Mageswaran was found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, with the intention of causing the death, of 62-year-old Madam Kanne Lactmy. He was handed a jail …

For the second time this week, Singapore has seized another shipment of pangolin scales. The National Parks Board, said in a statement that 12.7 tons of pangolin scales in 474 bags were found in a 40-foot container travelling from Nigeria to Vietnam. The container was declared to contain ‘Cassia Seeds’. Instead of cassia seeds, the authorities found about S$51.6 million …

On Sunday (7 April), a man claimed that he was fined S$200 for smoking in the designated smoking area in Orchard Road, merely because he had one foot outside of the box. The smoker by the name Apiz Mikaelson took to his Facebook to highlight this incident as he did not know that he would be fined as he still …

Singapore has once again been ranked as the world’s top maritime capital in the Leading Maritime Capitals of the World 2019 (LMC) report released by consultancy form Menon Economics. The Report, which was unveiled on 10 April, shows Singapore leading the charge for the fourth consecutive year followed by Hamburg, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, London, and Shanghai. The LMC report looked …

A train disruption occurred on Wednesday (10 Apr) evening along the East West Line (EWL). A passenger tweeted that it was caused by a track fault but another passenger commented on TATA SMRT Facebook that it was due to a Platform Screen Door (PSD) fault at Jurong East; no official announcement was given by the SMRT. Passengers’ tweets started since …

Singapore’s new anti-“fake news” legislation, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill, “entrenches and legalizes censorship in all forms”, warns local civil society group Function 8. In its statement on Facebook on Wed (10 Apr), Function 8 stressed that the proposed Act, once enacted and enforced, “will adversely affect every person (Singaporean or foreigner), and every social or business …