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S’porean rejects Prof Tommy Koh’s suggestion to penalise unvaccinated persons, calls for HSA to include death numbers linked to COVID-19 vaccine

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3 years ago

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Suggestion to penalise those who have not been vaccinated for the coronavirus by depriving their access to supermarkets is “highly objectionable”, given that the vaccine has only been granted emergency status at this stage, said co-founder of ChorusArt Iris Koh.

Ms Koh was referring to former diplomat Prof Tommy Koh’s Facebook post on Sunday (25 July).

In his post, Prof Koh lauded ST’s commentary piece entitled “Nuanced approach better than blanked curbs in dealing with rising COVID-19 infections in S’pore” by senior health correspondent Salma Khalik, calling it a “well-reasoned” article.

Inspired by the commentary, Prof Koh proceeded to make his own comments on the rising COVID-19 infections in Singapore, and suggested several approaches that the Government can adopt to tackle it.

One of Singapore’s largest active clusters at present is the KTV cluster, which has grown to a total of 237 cases as of Sunday. Over 400 nightlife establishments that have pivoted into F&B outlets have been suspended for two weeks due to the spike in the cluster cases.

Hence, Prof Koh highlighted in his post that some of the KTV operators who have violated the law should be punished.

“I am not sure whether it is right to punish all KTV lounges. Collective punishment is not a good thing,” he wrote.

Prof Koh also noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) should respond to the “serious accusations” made by political intelligence analyst Andy Wong, who claimed that KTV lounges are controlled by organised crime and are illegal brothels.

The Jurong Fishery Port cluster, which has overtaken the KTV cluster as the current largest active cluster in Singapore, has grown to 792 cases as of Sunday.

Despite the spikes in the cluster cases, Prof Koh urged the Government to keep the seaports and airports open for the “survival and prosperity” of the country.

“We should have good controls to prevent the entry of anyone who is infected with the virus. Was there a slip up at the Jurong Fishery Port which enabled one or more infected persons to enter that port. If this is the case, the problem should be fixed at that port,” he said.

On his third point, Prof Koh noted that those who have been vaccinated for the virus should be rewarded, while those who are unvaccinated without a valid reason should be penalized.

“I there[fore] propose that we bar entry by unvaccinated persons to our markets, supermarkets, hawker centres, restaurants, bars, concerts, weddings, sports events and places of religious worship. Fully vaccinated persons should be allowed entry to all such places,” he asserted.

Prof Koh went on to say that the Government should allow dine-in in groups of eight persons only for those who have been fully vaccinated to help the F&B sector.

“Our F&B sector have suffered enough and we should help them now before it is too late for some of them. To the best of my knowledge no one has caught the virus in any of our restaurants,” he remarked.

Iris Koh’s response to Prof Tommy Koh

However, one local business owner refuted Prof Koh’s assertion that unvaccinated persons should be penalized.

In a Facebook post on Monday (26 July), Ms Koh said that she felt disappointed that such a statement came from a former Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN).

Prof Koh was Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the UN from 1968 to 1971, and again from 1974 to 1984. He was also the Ambassador to the United States of America from 1984 to 1990.

“I have always respected and looked up to you sir. But today I feel very sad that if even someone who has been a champion for the United Nations can make such comments on your Facebook wall, then what hope can I have for others in Singapore to look out for basic human rights issues of citizens like me?” she wrote.

Ms Koh pointed out that penalizing those who refused to take the vaccine would violate the Nuremberg Code, which refers to the set of standards that physicians must conform to when carrying out experiments on human subjects.

One of the standards includes voluntary consent of the human subject, which is deemed “absolutely essential”. It stated that the person involved in the experiment should possess “legal capacity” to give consent.

Nuremberg Code also stated: “The duty and responsibility for ascertaining the quality of the consent rest upon each individual who initiates, directs or engages in the experiment. It is a personal duty and responsibility which may not be delegated to another with impunity.”

Hence, Ms Koh believes that unvaccinated persons should neither be penalized nor deprived of basic access to markets, given that the vaccine is still in the experimental phase and has only been granted emergency status by all the regulatory bodies.

“The narrative that the non-vaxxed are to be blamed for the current situation is a highly dangerous one,” she asserted.

“When you make such statements, given your status and position, it gives others the permission to treat us like we are selfish and irresponsible when all we are trying to do is to do what is best for the country and for ourselves, with the limited information we have of vaccine injury and death numbers in Singapore.”

Ms Koh also pointed out that the Health Sciences Authority’s (HSA) data only discloses the injury numbers relating to the vaccine, and discounts the number of death linked to the vaccine.

“Granting that all the injury numbers are not conclusively caused by the vaccine too, why not also include the death numbers?

“What are the criterias to say if an injury or death is caused by the vaccine? Should a third party be involved to verify the links since there is a clear conflict of interest in the administering party of the vaccine and the party saying whether it’s linked or not linked,” she questioned.

Ms Koh went on to say that the Government should engage a third party to verify the injury and death numbers linked to the vaccine before forcing people to be vaccinated.

“If we are indeed forced to take the vaccine by preventing our access to essential services and basically just the right to be able to live in Singapore by going to the supermarket/market, then perhaps the government ought to be totally transparent about vaccine injury numbers and deaths after taking the vaccine to the public and have a third party to verify the numbers reported. This is in the best interest of public health and safety,” she expressed.

Ms Koh further explained that she feels unsure of the vaccine safety after witnessing the sudden death of her friend’s family members who had just taken the vaccine.

She concluded her post saying, “I understand that you like many others must be worried and concerned about the current situation and I hope that you can reconsider the impact of your statements.

“I’m part of a group of people who are very concerned about vaccine issues and other ways to combat the virus and we hope that we can meet with you to have a constructive dialogue.”

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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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