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A free press is the platter to our bread-and-butter issues

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by Nabilah Husna

Tomorrow is UN’s World Press Freedom Day. I want to believe that that announcement would cause a sting of self-awareness among most media consumers in Singapore. But I fear that might be a bit too hopeful.

Maybe because ‘press freedom’ doesn’t hit quite the right note in a chorus of other important social issues that are, rightly so, being raised daily and consistently: the right to live free from violence; labour rights; the right to safe and affordable housing; the right to economic security, among others.

In many ways, we have been taught to strain social justice through a sieve and produce what we can all collectively decide are “bread-and-butter” issues — things that affect most of the population on a day-to-day basis.

It’s a good time as any to reiterate how all human rights issues tether on whether people, particularly journalists, can shed light on them, and the ease of access members of society have to accurate information and diverse perspectives.

Human rights and press freedom

Jolene Tan, powerhouse human rights advocate (left) and me, on a good hair day (right).

Without press freedom, very little can be achieved to advance social justice in general. The causes we fight for and the ability for our press to amplify their messages are intertwined.

In Singapore, the proposed Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) is the latest manifestation of an ever-growing curtailment of an already withered press scene. The Bill allows for Ministers to issue take-down orders for information that it deems false — too broadly defined as a statement of fact that is “false or misleading, whether wholly or in part, and whether on its own or in the context in which it appears”).

There have been streams of outrage from international rights groups, NMPs, academics, media practitioners and other civil society and arts groups.

In addressing the pushback, the government stated that the Bill will “not affect most Singaporeans”. But this is flimsy at best: many other laws — like sedition and defamation laws — don’t affect most Singaporeans, either, though their narrow reach doesn’t mean they are free from broad, rippling societal effects. Lack of press freedom may leave a sour taste in the mouths of those working in the field of journalism, but its bitter consequences touch every single one of us.

Our ability to gather perspectives, think critically, be politically educated, debate, mobilise ourselves, practice informed democracy and form knowledge relies on the kind of information we are given. The tools with which we can form opinions, the ideas we espouse and the values we uphold depend on what we hold dearly as truth — and what we are assured is false.

Zooming out on POFMA

POFMA arrives on the back of an already stifled social and political environment, where freedom of information is not in place, where we have tough sedition and defamation laws and an Administration of Justice (Protection) Act most recently used against activist Jolovan Wham. Historically we’ve seen too many examples of how these laws can limit free speech.

We form opinions based on what we don’t know as much as what we know. In laying the foundation of our society’s values, in distinguishing truth from malicious fiction, we need access to information. Our media remains one of the greatest sources of this.

How can we, for instance, know about the prevalence of workplace discrimination against Muslim women who wear the tudung when there are no substantive data or reports about it in our local media? The law on racial and religious insult, which we have been particularly trigger-happy with, is often used as a scapegoat whenever any attempt at discourse on race and religion is made. But openly talking about racial discrimination, representation or prejudice is not the same as inciting hate speech. How do we openly challenge racial inequality when we’ve seen how concerns raised pertaining to race are systematically silenced and finger-wagged at?

How do we start to unpack the human rights violations faced by domestic workers, when one research paper is dismissed as “fake news” because it doesn’t hold up against a state-organised study? When the Media Development Authority prohibits “promotion” of homosexuality on TV and radio, thereby inevitably rendering invisible LGBTQ people at best, demonising them at worst, how do we use evidence-based data to counter statements from Ministers who claim that LGBTQ people face no discrimination?

Can we adequately sound the alarm on social injustices, when we have to measure lived experiences of people, in all its fragmented inconsistencies, against the interests, goals and narratives of the state?

Some NGOs, including gender equality group AWARE, rely on alliances from within parliament to raise critical questions and request for data from the government. This is an important and occasionally fruitful tactic, but leaning on one or two brave voices in our government seems like a less than sustainable solution to change-making. A free press would allow journalists to delve into investigation without fear of reprisal for straying away from state-approved angles.

Nothing to fear

But don’t need to worry, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung in, I imagine, the tone of a taxi uncle assuring you he can get from Hougang to Raffles in under 10 minutes, “(POFMA) does not target opinions, criticisms, satire or parody.”

Not everyone is all that concerned about POFMA and the powers it will grant Ministers to determine what is a “false statement of fact”. Support for the legislation pepper some parts of social media: the comments section of Minister K Shanmugam’s Facebook posts relating to the Bill will show you many commending the move. The common sentiment is that only those who spread “fake news” will be afraid of the new law.

It’s a strange set-up, where many citizens are not just willing to support broad, punitive laws, but have naturalised a deferment to people in power to decide for them what is fact.

This is not an unhappy accident, of course, just the result of decades of engineering — a Newspaper and Printing Presses Act and a Broadcasting Act that controls ownership, funding and distribution of media; independent media platforms and journalists struggling against state regulations that seem adamant on silencing alternative voices.

Tomorrow is World Press Freedom Day.

I’m reminded of when I was a bright-eyed student of communications and media ten years ago, and among classmates who said, “I want to be a journalist. I want to change our media system from within.” But if any of them ended up in traditional media, it’s more likely that they have had to build a home out of tangled red tape.

My wish for the state of our press is an activist’s wet dream. We need to establish an unyielding, diverse press institute for journalism to thrive without fear, OB markers and self-censorship.

We need our ability to decide between ‘fact’ and ‘fake’ to be honed through normalising research, media literacy and critical thinking. Media and technology are integral to democracy. Yes, malicious fake news is a problem. But a more sustainable solution to counter it is a more focused and sharp ‘fake news’ Bill, rather than a broad sweeping one that could be easily abused. At the same time, deeper public education could help to address misconceptions, improve knowledge on how our political institutions operate, and promote transparency and accountability. This can happen in many ways — including starting conversations on democracy from a young age in school, or conducting (unbiased) media literacy campaigns, or encouraging, rather than shutting down, independent efforts at political education.

To advance the fight for human rights, we need to free our press, and go back to the basics: by recognising a free press as an institution meant to hold our bread-and-butter issues up — lest we end up on the floor picking up the crumbs we are left with.

What to do about POFMA?

  • Read the Bill. The Bill is being tabled for a second reading on 6 May.
  • Write an email to your Member of Parliament to make your concerns known.
  • Share the FAQs that New Naratif put together about the Bill with your friends and family.

This was first published on Nadilah’s Medium website and reproduced with permission.

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Part of Marine Parade experiences flooding after water pipe damage

Flooding occurred in Marine Parade on Friday morning (4 October) after a water pipe was damaged during lift retrofitting works near Block 67 Marine Drive. MP Dr Tan See Leng confirmed repairs are ongoing, with no disruption to water supply. Road access was restored later in the day.

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SINGAPORE: On Friday (4 October), parts of Marine Parade, including Marine Drive and Still Road South, experienced flooding following the damage of a water pipe.

The incident occurred at approximately 11.40 am during lift retrofitting works at the pedestrian overhead bridge near Block 67 Marine Drive.

Videos shared on social media show floodwaters extending onto surrounding roads.

Dr Tan See Leng, Manpower Minister and also a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC, in a Facebook post confirmed that a damaged pipe led to water flowing onto Still Road South and nearby HDB blocks.

Dr Tan said the damaged water pipe has been isolated, and repairs are currently underway, with no disruption to water supply for local residents.

Staff at the Marine Parade Community Centre are in the process of restoring counter services, having previously faced difficulties accessing the area due to flooding.

Dr Tan noted that contractors from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are collaborating with the Marine Parade Town Council to clean the affected region, aiming to complete the cleanup by Friday evening.

In an update posted at 4.53 pm, Dr Tan announced that road access along Still Road South had resumed, expressing gratitude to PUB, the Marine Parade Town Council, and the dedicated workers for their swift action in clearing the area just in time for peak hour traffic.

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WMP raises over S$1,600 in a day to help struggling family clear outstanding water bill

Workers Make Possible (WMP) raised over S$1,600 in a single day to assist a struggling family living in a rental flat. The family’s water supply was reduced due to an outstanding S$900 bill. The mother has been severely ill for months, unable to work, leaving her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, as the sole breadwinner.

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SINGAPORE: A struggling family living in a rental flat had their water supply reduced on 1 October, as revealed in an Instagram post by the workers’ rights advocacy group, Workers Make Possible (WMP).

In an effort to ease the family’s burden, a fundraiser was launched. By the evening of 1 October, S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was transferred to the family to fully clear their outstanding water bill and address other urgent expenses.

The family, which had been accumulating water bill arrears for several months, was informed by SP Group that their water supply would only be fully restored if they paid S$450 upfront—half of their total outstanding bill of S$900.

According to WMP, the mother of the family has been severely ill for months, leading to her inability to work.

As a result, her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, is the sole breadwinner for the family, which includes young children.

With the rising cost of living in Singapore, the family has struggled to manage household expenses, leading to unpaid bills, WMP shared in the post.

After contacting SP Group, the mother was told the water supply would resume if half of the arrears were paid. However, she could not afford the required S$450.

This situation occurs amid rising water prices in Singapore.

The government raised the price of water by 20 cents per cubic metre this year, with an additional increase of 30 cents planned for next year.

WMP argued that despite government subsidies, many low-income families continue to struggle to cover their basic utility bills.

“Subsidies offered by the government don’t come anywhere close to alleviating the struggles of poor families in paying these bills. PUB earned about $286 million in 2021,” WMP challenged.

To support the family, Workers Make Possible organised a fundraiser via PayNow. In a 5:30 pm update on 1 October, WMP announced that S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was sent to the family to clear their water bill, while the remaining S$420 will be used to assist a young warehouse worker struggling with illness and rent payments, WMP clarified.

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