by Augustine Low
For decades, The Straits Times and other titles of the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) have long been held as the arbiter of truth.
No one has been propagating this more assiduously than the country’s media watchdog, the People’s Action Party (PAP) government, itself a self-styled truth-teller who claims to always tell it like it is.
So what happens when the arbiter of truth is caught lying and fabricating, and the truth-teller is not saying anything about it?
The SPH Media scandal, which involves blatant fabrication of circulation numbers, tells us what some of us knew all along: we ought to be very, very wary of anyone who is fashioned as a truth-teller or arbiter of truth.
We were among the first countries to have an online falsehoods law targeted at cubing fake news on social media. The reasoning being that falsehoods abound in cyberspace – not mainstream media – and that social media companies put “profit over principle”.
Funny how words can come back to bite. Profit over principle – aimed as an indictment of social media, it now seems a particularly apt way to sum up the SPH Media fiasco.
Clearly, there are lies, damned lies and fabrications all around us, amidst some truths and half-truths.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in 2015 that only “profligate spending and irresponsible, unsustainable plans” would spur the government to raise the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
But with the decision to raise the GST from 2023, we have been told that the increase is to help the poor.
What is the truth?
For decades, we have been told that HDB flats are heavily subsidised and multi-billion dollar losses are incurred by the government. But when asked for the finer details, we are told it’s simply “not meaningful” to delve deeper.
The truth is ever so elusive.
Same thing with foreign talents and jobs: the fewer questions asked, the better. They say trust us when we tell you that foreigners do not take away jobs from Singaporeans. In fact, there are 3.5 million jobs for 2.5 million locals!
To believe or not to believe?
Every four or five years, they will spin the same story of how investors will flee and Singaporeans will suffer greatly if the PAP were to lose too many seats in the general election.
This is a good one. While they cannot prove it’s true, neither can anyone prove it’s a lie. For the time being, at least.
If there are two lessons we have learnt, it is that firstly, we must be especially wary of anyone who professes to be a truth-teller or arbiter of truth.
And secondly, we have to slay the enemy of truth — blind acceptance. If we think they always tell us nothing but the truth, then we have no one but ourselves to blame.
