DEFENCES
Bloomberg and Mr. Low argued that the words were hardly slanderous in separate but essentially identical defenses that were filed before the judge.  ,
Bloomberg has” no curiosity nor reason to, and did not in fact impugn the popularity of ministers of the Singapore government” according to Bloomberg in its defense. As a news program focused on information relating to finance, areas, and economy.  ,
It stated that its post had two main points:
- To highlight that purchases of Good Class Bungalows ( GCBs ), which are not caveated, offer some privacy advantages and typically involve more expensive transactions,
- To draw attention to the fact that GCB users who do not want their identities to be made public can use trust funds to purchase their GCBs
A home disclaimer is a legal file that is submitted to the Singapore Land Authority in order to grant a buyer’s request to buy a home. This stops others from making the purchase.  ,
Even if one is of the opinion that the law may change, it is not disparaging to say that a property owner can use the relative protection that a non-caveated deal offers, nor is it disparaging to say that a buyer wants to keep his property transactions private so that no one can see how wealthy and socially wealthy they are.  ,
One of the four instances in which Dr. Tan was mentioned was one where no wrong was suspected, according to Bloomberg.  ,
It is not disparaging to claim that a customer has legitimately benefited from the relative privacy afforded by a non-caveated deal, even if more transparency in property transactions may be desired. It did not say that a consumer wanted to keep the homeowner’s wealth or status secret as the law permitted, nor did it say that it was defamatory.  ,
Additionally, Bloomberg objected to a portion of the offensive language in Dr. Tan’s statement of declare, saying that this was a” careful and inadequate reproduction of the content” and that it had to be read in its entirety for environment.  ,
The store furthermore stated what its content was intended to say, including that:
- The average prices paid by powerful GCB buyers using non-caveated dealings have typically been higher than those in worded transactions. When compared to a non-caveated purchase, these buyers enjoy greater relative protection from the public when purchasing their wealth and real estate.
- Because they do not appear in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s ( URA ) database, non-caveated transactions of GCBs offer a relative greater level of privacy than caveated transactions. Non-caveated deals may be made public through other methods, such as press releases.  ,
- The use of non-caveated deals and the use of partnerships by those purchasing GCBs contribute to public perceptions of non-transparency, which are frequently false.
- If all personal property deals for GCBs were subject to the public’s mandated disclosure requirements for the identities of the eventual GCB buyers, the public’s perceptions of a lack of transparency had been addressed. These guidelines may complement Singapore’s reputation as a transparent and open market.
Bloomberg refuted accusations made of Dr. Tan, who they claimed was a “man of methods” in general.  ,
Due to his political career, he had been the CEO of a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, with the article claiming that he was now a secretary.  ,
” Any suggestion that ( Dr. Tan ) purchased his property in a non-transparent way to conceal his transaction and avert scrutiny about the possibility of money laundering would not be plausible.”
EXERCISING RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM
Bloomberg will rely on the defense to demonstrate that it was acting responsibly when it reported on a matter of common interest and was acting in accordance with its legal obligation to provide important information to the public even if the post was found to become disparaging.  ,
In terms of Mr. Low, Bloomberg outlined how the writer had used responsible journalism in the article’s writing.  ,
Mr. Low had made sure that the mention of Dr. Tan’s bungalow purchase was factually appropriate, brief, and presented in a negative manner.  ,
A non-caveated package was likewise carefully selected because it was more difficult to track but accessible through other press releases and directed searches of local real estate equity records.  ,
He also emailed Dr. Tan’s hit director on October 25, 2024, and Dec. 4, 2024, asking for his opinion of the content.  ,
Afterwards, the press secretary informed Mr. Low that Dr. Tan would not be making comments.  ,
In addition to Dr. Tan, Mr. Low also reached out to the Singapore Land Authority, URA, and other real estate experts, and he relied on information from reliable data to write the article.  ,
The High Court will hold event workshops on March 11 for Dr. Tan and Mr. Shanmugam’s fits.  ,