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Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
‘Where were the local fact-checkers?' — WP leaders call out FB page that spread falsehood during GE
SINGAPORE: Earlier this week, Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh took issue with a particular Facebook post from a page linked to another that had been fact-checked in the lead-up to the May 3 polls. Mr Singh wrote on May 18 (Sunday) that he had done a double-take upon seeing a post that day from the SG Matters Facebook page that dealt with national interest and foreign policy. The WP chief explained how Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, and S Rajaratnam, widely considered to be among the 'brightest foreign policy minds in Singapore,' did not have the same opinion concerning Israel. He ended his post by writing, 'For some positions are worth standing up for, while an overly ritualistic resort to pragmatism may operate to dilute the resilience, commitment and unity of those who stand up for what is (morally) right.' Mr Singh noted that the post from SG Matters did not contain falsehoods, a previous one from its sister site, Singapore Matters, did. He wrote that it had been the only local site 'singled out by the international media for peddling falsehoods' during the last GE and asked, 'Where were the local fact-checkers?' See also Asia cracks down on virus 'fake news' This was in reference to AFP fact-checking Singapore Matters for mischaracterising statements from WP candidate Alia Mattar. 'At no point does she say the conflict is 'more important' than local Singapore issues. AFP could find no other evidence of such a statement from Siti Alia,' AFP wrote on May 5. Singapore Matters has long held unapologetically pro-government views. The question is whether it, as well as other social media pages, are being legitimised when high-profile or influential individuals share posts from these pages . On Wednesday (May 21), Jackson Au, who had also been part of the WP slate at Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC), called out the Singapore Matters Facebook page, which had issued 'A Note of Clarification and Accountability' the day before, 15 days after the AFP published its fact check. Mr Au wrote, 'I want to focus on a related issue: the (so far) conspicuous lack of scrutiny from our so-called mainstream media and regulators.' He summarised Singapore Matters' note as 'sorry, not sorry,' adding, 'This response stands in stark contrast to the swift and decisive correction orders we've seen meted out to other online platforms or opposition politicians for their transgressions.' He also pointed out that the falsehoods about Ms Mattar's remarks had been posted right before Cooling-Off Day, which means that the candidate had no chance to respond or defend herself. Mr Au added, 'In my view, this instance of disinformation may have fallen afoul of the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Bill, or ELIONA, first passed in October 2024. If indeed it is, then it should be a major news story in its own right, and warrant further investigation by our media and electoral authorities.' He expressed disappointment that in spite of the AFP fact-check and the post having been flagged by Facebook's parent company Meta, 'not a single voice from the mainstream media or any government regulators has publicly addressed this digitally manipulated content, nor used this episode to raise awareness about the dangers of targeted disinformation under ELIONA. No one has sought to speak truth to power and call this out for what it is: fake news,' added Mr Au. /TISG Read also: Ho Ching shares post defending Chan Chun Sing
Independent Singapore
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Sylvia Lim catches up with husband Quah Kim Song after new WP candidate introductions
SINGAPORE: After four days straight of introducing new candidates for The Workers' Party (WP) for the May 3 polls, WP chair Sylvia Lim took a break and had lunch with her husband, former national footballer Quah Kim Song, at Kovan Market & Food Centre. 'Candidate intro press conferences done. Catching up with my designated driver over kway chap. #Kovan209,' she wrote in an Instagram post. Ms Lim, 60, was still in her WP colors, wearing a light blue blouse over black pants, while Mr Quah, 72, was dressed somewhat more casually. Both were wearing big smiles, however. IG screengrab/ Sylvia Lim The couple have been together for over a decade and tied the knot on Jan 4 at the Church of St Mary of the Angels, surrounded by around 40 family members. They went for a short honeymoon in Taiwan last month after the Budget debates wrapped up . From Apr 17 to 20, the WP introduced 14 first-timer candidates in four press conferences: Abdul Muhaimin, Alexis Dang, Alia Mattar, Andre Low, Eileen Chong, Harpreet Singh, Jackson Au, Jasper Kuan, Jimmy Tan, Kenneth Tiong, Michael Thng, Ong Lue Ping, Paris V, and Sufyan Mikhail Putra. The online response to the candidates has been positive, with many Singaporeans saying they are impressed with their credentials. Among the standouts are Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh, former diplomat Eileen Chong, ex-Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) legal counsel Alia Mattar, former Institute of Mental Health (IMH) director Ong Lue Ping, and Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government graduate Michael Thng. The new candidates have also walked the ground with seasoned WP Members of Parliament (MPs) and members, who have also posted about their personal experiences with the newbies. He Ting Ru (Sengkang Group Representation Constituency [GRC]) wrote about Mr Tiong in a social media post over the weekend, saying she was 'proud' to see him as part of the WP Aljunied team. 'Over the years, Kenneth and I have worked together on a number of projects. A thoughtful, energetic member of our party, Kenneth is a young father who has had a career in finance and technology. He joins the Aljunied slate with big ideas for the direction of Singapore's economy, but just as importantly, he listens hard and cares deeply about the community he serves in,' she noted. On the first day the candidates were introduced, she had this to say about Mr Muhaimin, 'I first got to know Min well while he was volunteering with us during the GE2020 campaign, and he impressed us with his maturity, technical knowledge, and reliability. He has been involved in various ground activities through the years, and has been the team lead for #Compassvale division since 2023.' Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) wrote about Mr Au, saying that he had hoped to post a photo of them together, but could not find one. 'Not surprising though, as he has always been one who diligently works in the background, preferring to be the one taking the photo than be in the photo, for example!' Mr Chua also called Mr Au 'a key pillar of The WP Media Team. Especially during the period when I was the acting Media Head, it was Jackson who #Step(ped)Up and did much of the heavy lifting, given his expertise in strategic communications. Excited for you my friend!' As for Ms Sylvia Lim, a number of Instagram users commented on the picture she put up of herself with her 'driver,' whom they recalled as their idol many years ago. 'Damn cool u two!' wrote one, while another noted, 'You have a cool driver! Wishing you all the best in the GE!' /TISG Read also: Pritam Singh calls Sylvia Lim's husband, Quah Kim Song, 'a Singapore legend'
