The Online Citizen ( TOC ) has been given the order to add a correction to a piece of content that was published on its website on November 22 and made false claims about Singapore’s death penalty.  ,
ToC is also required to post similar correction notices on its Facebook, Instagram, and X posts on November 22 in accordance with the order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act ( POFMA ).
The article from” TOC” ( which was shared on its social media posts ) claims that POFMA Correction Directions suppresses dissenting views on the death penalty. This is false”, the Ministry of Home Affairs ( MHA ) said in a media release.
” The express merely issues POFMA directions when a false statement of fact has been made public and when doing so is in the open attention.”
Additionally, according to MHA, a POFMA modification direction does not require the recipient to follow the president’s position or to resign the position. Rather, it requires the president’s position to be carried alongside the original article, so that readers can read the article containing the untruths, together with the standard explanations, and travel to their own conclusion.
” The condition does not limit opposition, reduce alternate perspectives, stifle open discussion or force dissenting voices to comply, as alleged by TOC”, the ministry added.
In its post on Nov 22, TOC suggested that Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, in an interview with CNN, took conflicting posts on Singapore’s drug laws.
According to MHA, the post did not provide all of Mr. Shanmugam’s claims in its entirety, according to MHA on Monday.
” It is misleading ( and hence false ) for the author to omit relevant facts, and selectively quote the minister, to reach the position that the minister had taken contradictory positions about Singapore’s anti-drug policies”, the ministry added.
An article on the state fact-checking web Factually , explains more why the claims made by TOC are fake.
TOC may be required to have a correction observe alongside the magazines with a link to the president’s clarification , on the subject.