TOC issued Pofma order over false claims about death penalty

Online publication The Online Citizen (TOC) has been issued a correction order for publishing statements that the state has used the fake news law to suppress dissenting views on the death penalty.

- Ng Wei Kai

TOC had in a Nov 22 article, which was also shared on social media, falsely alleged that the Government has suppressed dissenting views on the death penalty using Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) correction directives, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement on Dec 16.

The original article written by TOC editor Terry Xu was titled "Singapore's death penalty: A deterrent, a statement or simply blind faith?"

It stated that advocacy groups like the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) - which campaigns for the end of the death penalty in Singapore - are legally required under Pofma to label their statements as falsehoods by publishing correction notices directed by the minister, regardless of context or intent.

"This effectively forces groups like TJC to concede their views are 'incorrect' by government standards, suppressing alternative perspectives and reinforcing the state's position," the article claimed.

TJC has in recent months been issued multiple correction directives for statements on the death penalty.

In its statement, MHA said the state issues such directives only if a false statement of fact has been communicated and if it is in the public interest to do so.