Authorities consider action against Sammy Obeid after dispute over show cancellation

Authorities in Singapore are considering possible action under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) against Lebanese-Palestinian American comedian Sammy Obeid. This follows a public dispute over the cancellation of his shows, with contrasting accounts emerging about the role of censorship and licensing procedures.

Law and Home Affairs Minister Edwin Tong stated on 31 August that the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) had made no edits to Obeid’s performance script, nor had it requested any changes.

“There was not a single edit requested by IMDA on the script,” Tong said during a media event at Siglap South Community Centre. “In fact, there were no communications with Mr Obeid on the script, and his own agent has confirmed this.”

Tong asserted that the only reason for the rejection of Obeid’s application to perform at Victoria Theatre was its tardiness. IMDA requires applications to be submitted 40 working days in advance; Obeid’s team applied on 15 August for a 31 August show—approximately 30 days late.

Obeid has rejected the suggestion that his claims were fabricated. In a video posted on Instagram and Facebook on 31 August, the comedian shared an audio clip of an unidentified male individual instructing him to remove content related to “Palestine and Israel,” referencing a 3pm deadline for edits.

In text slides accompanying the post, Obeid reiterated that he was not attempting to antagonise the Singapore government, stating: “This post is just to respond to the allegations that I lied... That would be Singa-poor judgement.”

He further argued that his content had faced censorship pressures, stating: “Just don't pretend like it's not about censorship... and that you would have been totally chill with me talking about Gaza and taking cracks at your government's complicity in front of 1,100 Singaporeans.”

The comedian’s post stopped short of naming the individual in the recording and did not disclose the date it was taken. He noted, however, that the voice was not his own.

The IMDA issued a detailed timeline of events on 31 August, confirming that initial contact was made on 8 July by Obeid’s assistant to inquire about licensing procedures. A formal application was then submitted by a local agent at 11:57pm on 15 August—ten working days before the planned performance date.

IMDA said the application was rejected on 19 August due to its lateness, and an appeal made on 20 August was subsequently turned down on 25 August.

In its statement, IMDA also said that the local agent informed them she was unaware of Obeid’s public claims and had repeatedly reminded him that the application was late. IMDA further stated that the agent provided records showing no script edits were requested.

Despite the standard licensing process for stand-up comedy requiring only a synopsis and a rehearsal video—since such shows are classified as unscripted—Obeid claimed he was told to submit a script for approval.

He said he provided a heavily censored 10-page document that referenced Palestine and Israel minimally but was told to remove all such mentions entirely, including segments involving audience interaction.

IMDA has not clarified why a script was submitted, nor has it commented on the contents of the submitted material. It remains unclear who the unnamed local agent was, as neither party has disclosed this detail.

Obeid also noted that he was told by other performers that late applications had been approved in some cases, suggesting that his late submission alone may not fully explain the rejection.

“Even if the issue was just that my submission was ‘late’, then why was I asked to make revisions before it was ultimately rejected?” he wrote.

On 27 August, Obeid posted that multiple rounds of edits were requested before the rejection. While he did not name IMDA, the implication was that the authority had demanded changes. IMDA publicly denied this the following day.

Obeid had scheduled two shows on 31 August at the 614-seat Victoria Theatre, and more than 1,000 tickets had reportedly been sold. His Singapore stop was part of a broader Asia tour including stops in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.

Following the cancellation, ticket holders in Singapore were offered exchanges for tickets to other performances on the tour.