AGC issues take-down notice to TOC for 'patently false' article

[makapaaa]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/agc-issues-take-down/2030704.html?cid=twtcna

Singapore
[h=1]AGC issues take-down notice to TOC for 'patently false' article[/h][h=2]The Attorney-General's Chambers says the author of an article on The Online Citizen made a "patently false statement" that monies raised from the issuance of Singapore Savings Bonds would be used to finance an underground city.[/h]

• POSTED: 05 Aug 2015 22:18

• PHOTOS

Screenshot of The Online Citizen website.

SINGAPORE: The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has issued a take-down notice to alternative news site The Online Citizen (TOC) for an article titled "Severe consequences for a PAP majority with its underground city for 10m population", published on Jul 31.

The AGC informed TOC that the author of the article made a "patently false statement", "namely that monies raised from the issuance of Singapore Savings Bonds will be used to finance the construction of an underground city for a population of 10 million," it said.

It noted that TOC did not check with the Ministry of National Development before publishing the article and requested that TOC either remove the article or include a specific paragraph laid out in the AGC notice.
The AGC had said that if TOC did not comply with the request by 6pm on Wednesday (Aug 5), it would take out an application under Section 15 of the Protection from Harassment Act to obtain a court order restraining further publication of the statement.

Executive editor of TOC Terry Xu confirmed that the publication received the notice from the AGC at 2pm on Wednesday (Aug 5). The following note was also appended at the top of the article on Wednesday afternoon:

"Since the publication of this article, The Online Citizen has received notice from the Attorney General’s Chambers that the central assertion made in this article is patently false: The monies raised from the issuance of the Singapore Saving Bonds will used to finance the construction of an underground city for a population of 10 million.

There is no plan to build an underground city or underground residential developments to accommodate a “10 million population”. Underground space has been developed to accommodate infrastructure such as MRT rail lines, utilities and storage spaces. This is intended in fact to prioritise and maximise surface land to create a good environment which meet the needs of our people and their families for work, live and play."
​

When asked why the TOC published the article which was written anonymously, Mr Xu said in a written reply: "We often publish letters to us which are anonymous. In fact, I believe local papers published letters anonymously till letters became more anti-establishment and letter writers are told to identify themselves."

TOC was recently issued a take-down notice for publishing a letter from teen blogger Amos Yee's lawyer Alfred Dodwell, which was deemed in contempt of court.


- CNA/ly

 

[winnipegjets]

Mudland has the Sedition Act which is used freely whenever the government doesn't like statements made by anyone. Sinkapore is better, it has Harassment Act and Sedition Act to use on critics.

Liu Tai Kher, a PAP crony, mentioned that sinkapore can hold a population of 10 million. Can the government say that for a certainty that a sinkapore will NEVER seek to achieve population of 10 million? No, it won't because that is in the plan.
Will the government state unequivocally that it will NOT build underground city? It will not.
Since inflow from the savings bonds goes into a investment pot, the government cannot say that those funds will not be used to develop underground city.

See the AGC is abusing its powers because the statements made is not false.