"Rommel Tan" and Calvin Cheng remove posts on oppostion rmarks

[Confuseous]

http://publicopinion.sg/443/spreading-lies-during-election-period-should-police-rommel

Some netizens have done some background checks on "Rommel Tan" and has come up with some interesting findings.

As it turned out, "Rommel Tan" appears to be a fake handle, and the profile photo used seems to also be an impersonation - it actually belongs to a "Nicholas Lim" who apparently works in South Korea.

The profile photo used by "Rommel Tan" is an exact replica or duplicate of "Nicholas Lim" photo on a Korean website.

See this here: http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/07/28/rommel-tan-claims-singfirst-and-nsp-badmouth-each-other/

Since the expose by the netizens, "Rommel Tan" appears to have deleted or removed or made his Facebook page unavilable. He seems to have gone underground, hiding apparently from the scrutiny.

Mr Calvin Cheng has also removed his posting.

What does one make of all this?

It is a crime, really, to impersonate someone, even if it is done online, and especially when doing so for ill intentions, as indeed "Rommel Tan" has done.

Certainly, the opposition politicians (and even the PAP) could take legal action against "Rommel Tan" for ascribing remarks to them which seem to be false, or completely made up. And "Nicholas Lim" - who appears to be areal person who is being impersonated - could also take legal action if he wanted.

What "Rommel Tan" has done could come under Singapore's defamation laws, section 419 of the Penal Code.

Website, The Online Citizen, sought clarification from the two opposition parties involved and found that the members had never made the remarks ascribed to them by "Rommel Tan".

 

[makapaaa]

Spreading lies during election period - should police look into "Rommel Tan"? +1 vote

A Facebook post by a person who calls himself "Rommel Tan" has been circulating online the past few days. Briefly, this "Rommel Tan" claims ot have encountered three political parties recently when the parties were on their walkabouts. Since the report by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) was released several days ago, the political parties have been a flurry of commotion.

Social media, being what it is, will be an important part of this election, and so we should not be surprised that there will be all kinds of things said about the political parties, as supporters of all shades take sides and do whatever they can to persuade fence-sitters to their side.

However, there is a difference between expressing support for a political prty of choice, and blatantly conjuring and spreading lies.

"Rommel Tan" claimes, on his Facebook page, that he had first encountered two opposition parties which badmouthed each other to him. But when the PAP team came along, after the first two parties, "Rommel Tan" claims that it behaved in a much more gentlemanly way than the two opposition parties.

He ocncluded: "My son was delighted by the [PAP] MP and even ask for a photo together. He told me, papa the last person seem nice. I don't like the 2 old man earlier."

The post was circulated by a pro-PAP Facebook page which is well-known for spreading lies and making defamatory postings.

It was also notably shared by one Calvin Cheng, a former Nominated MP and currently a member of the Media Literacy Council. It is strange why someone like Mr Cheng would share such postings.

One of the opposition memebrs named in the post by "Rommel Tan" has since refuted the claims.

Some netizens have done some background checks on "Rommel Tan" and has come up with some interesting findings.

As it turned out, "Rommel Tan" appears to be a fake handle, and the profile photo used seems to also be an impersonation - it actually belongs to a "Nicholas Lim" who apparently works in South Korea.

The profile photo used by "Rommel Tan" is an exact replica or duplicate of "Nicholas Lim" photo on a Korean website.

See this here: http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/07/28/rommel-tan-claims-singfirst-and-nsp-badmouth-each-other/

Since the expose by the netizens, "Rommel Tan" appears to have deleted or removed or made his Facebook page unavilable. He seems to have gone underground, hiding apparently from the scrutiny.

Mr Cheng has also removed his posting.

What does one make of all this?

It is a crime, really, to impersonate someone, even if it is done online, and especially when doing so for ill intentions, as indeed "Rommel Tan" has done.

Certainly, the opposition politicians (and even the PAP) could take legal action against "Rommel Tan" for ascribing remarks to them which seem to be false, or completely made up. And "Nicholas Lim" - who appears to be areal person who is being impersonated - could also take legal action if he wanted.

What "Rommel Tan" has done could come under Singapore's defamation laws, section 419 of the Penal Code.

Website, The Online Citizen, sought clarification from the two opposition parties involved and found that the members had never made the remarks ascribed to them by "Rommel Tan".

See this here: http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/201...-slanders-opposition-parties-and-praised-pap/

But should the police also look into this, to deter others from behaving in the same way as "Rommel Tan" who clearly sought to intentionally deceive others?

According to the law, a perpetrator like "Rommel Tan" may be charged for cheating by personation under section 416 of the Penal Code, where cheating is defined by section 415 of the Penal Code as an activity which:

“fraudulently or dishonestly induces the person so deceived to deliver any property to any person, or to consent that any person shall retain any property, or intentionally induces the person so deceived to do or omit to do anything which he would not do or omit to do if he were not so deceived, and which act or omission causes or is likely to cause damage or harm to any person in body, mind, reputation or property” [Emphasis added.]
​

An election is a serious matter and Singaporeans should not be misled or influenced by blatant llies spread by the likes of "Rommel Tan" which are then helped to propagate by those like the pro-PAP facebook page or others like Mr Cheng whose actions might carry credibility with some people.

While certainly the police cannot possibly look into each and every instance of such ill-intended behaviour, it bears consideration that it might at the very least issue a deterrent statement on such behaviour.

Whatever it is, Singaporeans should be wary of these sort of postings, especially from those with dubious online social media accounts.

 

[laksaboy]

It was also notably shared by one Calvin Cheng, a former Nominated MP and currently a member of the Media Literacy Council.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

If the pinoy complain thaiphusam incident can be sedition.....then this incident how to count?

 

[virus]

These 2 are either moles from SDP or ball less FAP

 

[jw5]

It is not strange at all since Mr Cheng is not very bright.

It was also notably shared by one Calvin Cheng, a former Nominated MP and currently a member of the Media Literacy Council. It is strange why someone like Mr Cheng would share such postings.

 

[mojito]

It is not strange at all since Mr Cheng is not very bright.

Cannot be. He Campbeach grad. You are simply jealous!

 

[Confuseous]

Calvin Cheng likes to stick his ass in everything and anything.

 

[jw5]

It is only worthwhile to be jealous of Oxfort grads like Tan Jee Say and Mark Andrew Yeo.

Cannot be. He Campbeach grad. You are simply jealous!

 

[Ferrari]

PAP's dogs are obviously being commanded by the top to stir up shit on the opposition front.

 

[laksaboy]

Calvin Cheng likes to stick his ass in everything and anything.

Calvin Cheng is like a little chihuahua who thinks that by barking loudly at random people, he is a formidable guard dog for his master.