- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 33,627
- Points
- 0
[h=1]https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogger-roy-ngerng-takes-down-post-after-pm-lee-letter-084001258.html
Singapore blogger in CPF defamation post saga: I have sacrificed myself to raise awareness[/h]<cite class="byline vcard">
By Jeanette Tan
By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – <abbr title="2014-05-20T08:40:00Z">Tue, May 20, 2014</abbr></cite>
<!-- START article --> [h=3]Top Stories »[/h]
More »
<!-- yog-5u -->
<meta content="2014-05-20T08:40:00Z" itemprop="datePublished"> <meta content="Yahoo Newsroom" itemprop="provider"> <meta content="Singapore blogger in CPF defamation post saga: I have sacrificed myself to raise awareness" itemprop="headline"> <meta content="Jeanette Tan" itemprop="author"> <meta content=""I have sacrificed myself to raise awareness of the government's use of our retirement funds and have been politically prosecuted for it." Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng said this in an email he sent to the media on Monday, adding that he thinks he is doing the right thing, and will "continue advocating"." itemprop="description"> <meta content="https://s.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2014-05-21/16f467d0-e092-11e3-a752-03f1d83f9b78_royparly.jpg" itemprop="image"> <!-- google_ad_section_start -->[UPDATE on Monday, 26 May at 1:58pm: Adding latest from Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng and lawyer M Ravi]
The Singapore blogger at the centre of the ongoing defamation case against PM Lee says he has "sacrificed" himself to raise awareness of the government's use of CPF funds and that he has been "politically persecuted" for it.
In an email to media on Monday, Roy Ngerng also said he has agreed to delete another four blogposts and a fresh video he uploaded last Friday, according to letters exchanged between laywers of the two parties.
=> Is it not obvious the FAP Traitor PeeM is trying to silence him?
His response comes after PM Lee's lawyer, Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, said Ngerng's apology posted last Friday "was not and never meant to be genuine" and demanded further posts to be taken down.
"It is now clear from (Mr Ngerng's) latest posts that his apology... was not and never meant to be genuine, and that it has always been your client's lawful and legitimate demand to raise his public profile, garner support and sympathy, and renew his attack against our client," Singh of Drew & Napier was quoted as saying by Channel NewsAsia.
The posts expected to be taken down by Monday include Ngerng's latest two blogposts published after the original letter of demand, another two dating back to July 2012 and May 2013, as well as a video blog, "Roy Ngerng's Message: Defamation Suit From Singapore Prime Minister", posted on YouTube last Friday, the same day he "unreservedly apologised" for his original blog post which accused Lee of misappropriating CPF funds.
Lee might claim damages over the four blogposts if Ngerng fails to delete them, said Singh.
Ngerng is also expected to agree in writing that he will not publish anything to "further aggravate the injury and distress", and make the offer of damages for his original blogpost, he added.
On Friday, Ngerng apologised for his blog post but also appealed for PM Lee -- which was subsequently rejected -- not to seek damages and legal costs.
Ngerng's lawyer M Ravi says his client will give his response and make an offer for damages by Wednesday.
Ngerng had earlier explained that he earned a “modest living” and sought PM Lee’s “kind understanding" in ensuring he "remained afloat and continues in his work”. It was also added that Ngerng would welcome the opportunity to have “open dialogue” on CPF issues with PM Lee.
Ngerng said he had penned the article which accused Singapore's Prime Minister of misappopriating CPF funds in an attempt to call for greater transparency on how the CPF is invested by the government through its two sovereign wealth firms.
He took down the article and links to it on his Facebook pages on Tuesday in compliance with the prime minister's demand.
Ngerng “admits and acknowledges that this allegation is false and completely without foundation," said Ravi.
The offending article and the links posted on the associated Facebook pages, had already been removed on Monday.
The original lawyer’s letter served by Singh on behalf of PM Lee said the allegations by Ngerng in his May 15 blog post were "false and baseless”.
"The article means and is understood to mean that Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore and the chairman of GIC, is guilty of criminal misappropriation of the monies paid by Singaporeans to the CPF (Central Provident Fund)," Singh wrote in the letter.
GIC is a sovereign wealth fund that manages more than $100 billion of the city-state's foreign reserves. CPF is the state pension fund.
Singh said the post constituted a serious libel against Lee, "disparages him, and impugns his character, credit and integrity".
Healthcare programme co-ordinator Ngerng, 33, regularly posts commentaries critical of the long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in his blog The Heart Truths. Recent posts have called for greater transparency on how CPF funds are invested by the government through GIC and state investment firm Temasek Holdings.
Earlier in the week, Ngern had also announced a surprise bid for a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) position on Wednesday morning.
Taking to his Facebook page, Ngerng posted a picture of himself holding his proposal outside Parliament House, saying, "Looking forward to representing the voices of Singaporeans in Parliament. If I get selected!"
The proposal, he said, was submitted by fellow blogger and activist Han Hui Hui, who previously took on Singapore's Council for Private Education over issues relating to private schools she attended.
Speaking to Yahoo Singapore on Wednesday morning, he shared that the NMP bid is not a spur-of-the-moment move triggered by the letter of demand sent by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong over the weekend, but that it was in fact more than three weeks in the making.
"Hui Hui suggested (the idea) to me," he said, responding that he did not mind going into Parliament to advocate issues that he has spent time writing about at length on his blog, “The Heart Truths”. "I was in reservist over the past two weeks and only got wind of the (potential) law suit when I came out."
Ngerng said that the issues he plans to focus on, should he be nominated as an MP, are healthcare, education and retirement, things he refers to as "basic necessities" of Singaporeans.
"An NMP position is an opportunity I will value," he said. "Regardless of how the case proceeds, I would still like to have the opportunity to speak up on behalf of Singaporeans for their rights."
Singapore blogger in CPF defamation post saga: I have sacrificed myself to raise awareness[/h]<cite class="byline vcard">
By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – <abbr title="2014-05-20T08:40:00Z">Tue, May 20, 2014</abbr></cite>
- Share231
- <iframe title="Twitter For Websites: Tweet Button" class="twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1401117921469_774" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.html#_=1401117931568&count=horizontal&counturl=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.news.yahoo.com%2Fblogger-roy-ngerng-takes-down-post-after-pm-lee-letter-084001258.html&id=twitter_tweet_button_2&lang=en&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.news.yahoo.com%2Fblogger-roy-ngerng-takes-down-post-after-pm-lee-letter-084001258.html&text=Singapore%20blogger%20in%20CPF%20defamation%20post%20saga%3A%20I%20have%20sacrificed%20myself%20to%20raise%20awareness%20-%20Yahoo%20News%20Singapore&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.news.yahoo.com%2Fblogger-roy-ngerng-takes-down-post-after-pm-lee-letter-084001258.html&via=yahoosg" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no" style="width: 110px; height: 20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>
- Share
- <iframe name="I0_1401117931846" width="100%" tabIndex="0" title="+1" id="I0_1401117931846" src="https://apis.google.com/u/0/_/+1/fastbutton?usegapi=1&annotation=bubble&size=medium&hl=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.news.yahoo.com&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.news.yahoo.com%2Fblogger-roy-ngerng-takes-down-post-after-pm-lee-letter-084001258.html&gsrc=3p&ic=1&jsh=m%3B%2F_%2Fscs%2Fapps-static%2F_%2Fjs%2Fk%3Doz.gapi.en.FtehYG75y6Y.O%2Fm%3D__features__%2Fam%3DAQ%2Frt%3Dj%2Fd%3D1%2Fz%3Dzcms%2Frs%3DAItRSTPFFgeA7RdSw91rKA5xagxeFsQVmA#_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe%2C_renderstart%2Concircled%2Cdrefresh%2Cerefresh&id=I0_1401117931846&parent=https%3A%2F%2Fsg.news.yahoo.com&pfname=&rpctoken=33146997" frameBorder="0" marginWidth="0" marginHeight="0" scrolling="no" vspace="0" hspace="0" style="margin: 0px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 90px; height: 20px; visibility: visible; position: static;" data-gapiattached="true"></iframe>
Yahoo Newsroom - Blogger Roy Ngerng stands outside Singapore's Parliament building with his NMP proposal in hand. (Photo courtesy of Roy Ngerng)
<!-- START article --> [h=3]Top Stories »[/h]
[h=4]Singapore food masters fight to keep food heritage alive in new Street Food course[/h]
At just 14, master chef Sin Leong started working in the kitchen, washing dishes to hide from the Japanese during the WWII occupation in Singapore. 63 years on and he’s still in the heat of the kitchen. “Why did I not change careers? Because I like to cook, and I like to experiment with cooking,” said the still sprightly 87-year-old in Mandarin. Together with fellow master chef Hooi Kok Wai, Sin belongs to the older generation of cooks, whose culinary skills and cumulative know-how are in …
[h=4]New Singapore political party, Singaporeans First, formed[/h]
Ex-presidential candidate Tan Jee Say will be announcing the registration of a new Singapore political party on Sunday. …
[h=4]SAF regular found dead at Nee Soon Camp[/h]
A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular of Military Expert 2 (ME2) rank is believed to have died at Nee Soon Camp on Friday morning. …
- [h=4]Thursday #sgroundup: Volunteer corps, more cash for IPPT among changes recommended for NS[/h]
Here are today’s top trending stories in case you missed them. …
- [h=4]Volunteer corps, more cash for IPPT among changes recommended for NS[/h]
The establishment of a military volunteer corps, relaxing of IPPT windows and increase in cash incentives for IPPT are among a slew of 30 recommendations unveiled by the Committee to Strengthen National Service on Thursday. …
More »
<!-- yog-5u -->
<meta content="2014-05-20T08:40:00Z" itemprop="datePublished"> <meta content="Yahoo Newsroom" itemprop="provider"> <meta content="Singapore blogger in CPF defamation post saga: I have sacrificed myself to raise awareness" itemprop="headline"> <meta content="Jeanette Tan" itemprop="author"> <meta content=""I have sacrificed myself to raise awareness of the government's use of our retirement funds and have been politically prosecuted for it." Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng said this in an email he sent to the media on Monday, adding that he thinks he is doing the right thing, and will "continue advocating"." itemprop="description"> <meta content="https://s.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2014-05-21/16f467d0-e092-11e3-a752-03f1d83f9b78_royparly.jpg" itemprop="image"> <!-- google_ad_section_start -->[UPDATE on Monday, 26 May at 1:58pm: Adding latest from Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng and lawyer M Ravi]
The Singapore blogger at the centre of the ongoing defamation case against PM Lee says he has "sacrificed" himself to raise awareness of the government's use of CPF funds and that he has been "politically persecuted" for it.
In an email to media on Monday, Roy Ngerng also said he has agreed to delete another four blogposts and a fresh video he uploaded last Friday, according to letters exchanged between laywers of the two parties.
=> Is it not obvious the FAP Traitor PeeM is trying to silence him?
His response comes after PM Lee's lawyer, Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, said Ngerng's apology posted last Friday "was not and never meant to be genuine" and demanded further posts to be taken down.
"It is now clear from (Mr Ngerng's) latest posts that his apology... was not and never meant to be genuine, and that it has always been your client's lawful and legitimate demand to raise his public profile, garner support and sympathy, and renew his attack against our client," Singh of Drew & Napier was quoted as saying by Channel NewsAsia.
The posts expected to be taken down by Monday include Ngerng's latest two blogposts published after the original letter of demand, another two dating back to July 2012 and May 2013, as well as a video blog, "Roy Ngerng's Message: Defamation Suit From Singapore Prime Minister", posted on YouTube last Friday, the same day he "unreservedly apologised" for his original blog post which accused Lee of misappropriating CPF funds.
Lee might claim damages over the four blogposts if Ngerng fails to delete them, said Singh.
Ngerng is also expected to agree in writing that he will not publish anything to "further aggravate the injury and distress", and make the offer of damages for his original blogpost, he added.
On Friday, Ngerng apologised for his blog post but also appealed for PM Lee -- which was subsequently rejected -- not to seek damages and legal costs.
Ngerng's lawyer M Ravi says his client will give his response and make an offer for damages by Wednesday.
Ngerng had earlier explained that he earned a “modest living” and sought PM Lee’s “kind understanding" in ensuring he "remained afloat and continues in his work”. It was also added that Ngerng would welcome the opportunity to have “open dialogue” on CPF issues with PM Lee.
Ngerng said he had penned the article which accused Singapore's Prime Minister of misappopriating CPF funds in an attempt to call for greater transparency on how the CPF is invested by the government through its two sovereign wealth firms.
He took down the article and links to it on his Facebook pages on Tuesday in compliance with the prime minister's demand.
Ngerng “admits and acknowledges that this allegation is false and completely without foundation," said Ravi.
The offending article and the links posted on the associated Facebook pages, had already been removed on Monday.
The original lawyer’s letter served by Singh on behalf of PM Lee said the allegations by Ngerng in his May 15 blog post were "false and baseless”.
"The article means and is understood to mean that Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore and the chairman of GIC, is guilty of criminal misappropriation of the monies paid by Singaporeans to the CPF (Central Provident Fund)," Singh wrote in the letter.
GIC is a sovereign wealth fund that manages more than $100 billion of the city-state's foreign reserves. CPF is the state pension fund.
Singh said the post constituted a serious libel against Lee, "disparages him, and impugns his character, credit and integrity".
Healthcare programme co-ordinator Ngerng, 33, regularly posts commentaries critical of the long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in his blog The Heart Truths. Recent posts have called for greater transparency on how CPF funds are invested by the government through GIC and state investment firm Temasek Holdings.
Earlier in the week, Ngern had also announced a surprise bid for a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) position on Wednesday morning.
Taking to his Facebook page, Ngerng posted a picture of himself holding his proposal outside Parliament House, saying, "Looking forward to representing the voices of Singaporeans in Parliament. If I get selected!"
The proposal, he said, was submitted by fellow blogger and activist Han Hui Hui, who previously took on Singapore's Council for Private Education over issues relating to private schools she attended.
Speaking to Yahoo Singapore on Wednesday morning, he shared that the NMP bid is not a spur-of-the-moment move triggered by the letter of demand sent by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong over the weekend, but that it was in fact more than three weeks in the making.
"Hui Hui suggested (the idea) to me," he said, responding that he did not mind going into Parliament to advocate issues that he has spent time writing about at length on his blog, “The Heart Truths”. "I was in reservist over the past two weeks and only got wind of the (potential) law suit when I came out."
Ngerng said that the issues he plans to focus on, should he be nominated as an MP, are healthcare, education and retirement, things he refers to as "basic necessities" of Singaporeans.
"An NMP position is an opportunity I will value," he said. "Regardless of how the case proceeds, I would still like to have the opportunity to speak up on behalf of Singaporeans for their rights."
