Ministry of Communications and Information

Singapore blocks access to Asia Sentinel following its failure to comply with the placement requirement for the POFMA correction notice

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Singapore has blocked access to online news publication Asia Sentinel following its failure to comply with the country’s fake news law’s requirement regarding the placement of a correction notice.

The controversy began over an Asia Sentinel article titled “Singapore Kills A Chicken To Scare The Monkeys,” which criticized Singapore’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and drew comparisons between the article author’s experiences and those of human rights lawyer M Ravi and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s brother, Lee Hsien Yang.

The Ministry of Home Affairs claimed the article contained false statements, issuing a correction direction. However, the publication did not place the correction notice at the required position on its website and the article page.

The access-blocking order implemented by the Ministry of Communications and Information could be revoked if Asia Sentinel adheres to the directive.

Public sentiment survey indicates impending general election in Singapore

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In a recent development, a member of the public has come forward to shed light on a public survey conducted by Rysense, a survey company reportedly commissioned by the Ministry of Communication and Information (MCI).

The questions posed during the survey covered a range of topics, including the public’s perception of the government’s management of Singapore, the direction in which the country is headed under the present leadership, and familiarity with the President’s address on 10 April.

Respondents were also asked to provide their views on the three priorities outlined in the President’s speech, the importance of parliamentary debates, recent educational initiatives, government social transfers, and more.

The individual expressed dissatisfaction with the survey, as there was no option to provide personal opinions.

The timing and topics of the survey might suggest an ulterior motive, such as assessing public sentiment on whether it is advantageous to hold a general election for the ruling party.

Govt supports SPH’s plan to restructure media business, prepared to provide funding support: MCI

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The Government is supportive of Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) proposal to restructure itself and transfer its media business, SPH Media, to a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG), said the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) on Thursday (6 May). The Ministry added that the Government is prepared to provide funding support to the CLG to … Read more

Iswaran: Govt agrees in principle to livestream parliamentary debates, MCI to study implementation details

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Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran on Friday (4 Sept) said the government “agrees in principle” to live-stream parliamentary debates, adding that the Ministry will study the implementation details. “Our aim, as always, will be to achieve transparency, accountability, and accessibility, while preserving the integrity and dignity of parliamentary proceedings,” he said in Parliament … Read more

Former journalist in Singapore reveals her encounters with media censorship in Mediacorp

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A former journalist in Singapore shared her reporting experience on Twitter, revealing some of her encounters with media censorship that happened in Mediacorp, the national public broadcaster. “Only writing about things I’ve heard and experienced. First, at the old building in Caldecott, there was a censorship room. The door plate literally said ‘censorship’,” she wrote … Read more