Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam warned Sinkies not to Wiki a Leaks

[Watchman]

Don't try a 'WikiLeaks' here: Shanmugam

Anyone caught leaking any official government
documents in Singapore will be 'dealt with firmly,'
warned Law and Home Affairs
Minister K Shanmugam.
-- PHOTO: AFP
Jan 10, 2011

HOME Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam has warned that anyone caught leaking any official government documents in Singapore, will be 'dealt with firmly.'

Singapore, among many other countries, was affected by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks when it released thousands of US cable transcripts.

In Parliament today, MP for Hong Kah GRC Zaqy Mohamad asked if Singapore plans to implement new measures to prevent classified information from falling into the wrong hands.

Mr Shanmugam replied that under the Official Secrets Act, Singapore has clear policies and measures to prevent security breaches which covers even the layman.

'We believe that everyone involved in a leak of information, whether in Government or outside, should be dealt with firmly. We do not intend to encourage cat and mouse games,' Mr Shanmugam said.

'Public interest in free flow of information cannot justify the abuse of confidential Government information,' he added.

 

[ruffles]

'dealt with firmly'?

but our finance minister was convicted under OSA!

 

[Forvendet]

Mr Shanmugam replied that under the Official Secrets Act, Singapore has clear policies and measures to prevent security breaches which covers even the layman.

What has a layman got to do with OSA? He can talk whatever he knows. Layman means not a government official who swears an oath to be bound under OSA. This Shanmugan is a worse law tyrant than LKY and ISD combined! :oIo:

 

[GoldenDragon]

'dealt with firmly'?

but our finance minister was convicted under OSA!

............... and yet he got off lightly. Lightly = firmly?

 

[GoldenDragon]

Lucky Shan didn't warn us against having affairs. He is ok to warn us about OSA, not the other Shan = Shanmugaratnam.

 

[Ramseth]

OSA = Offical Secret Affairs?

 

[BuiKia]

Care to share the leak?

............... and yet he got off lightly. Lightly = firmly?

 

[jumpmrt]

WHO IS SPH CALLING PERPETRATOR?

THEIR MASTERS ARE PERPETRATOR & leakers are serving the people.


http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110111-257471.html

Govt to take tough action on any 'WikiLeaks' perpetrator

By Kenny Chee

ANYONE involved in a WikiLeaks-like incident in Singapore should be dealt with firmly, said Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam in Parliament yesterday.

This is regardless of whether or not they are public servants.


Mr Shanmugam said the Government would investigate all cases of leaks of official secrets and classified information, and officers responsible would be prosecuted.

"Furthermore, the Official Secrets Act allows prosecution not only of public officers responsible, but also anyone else - whether or not a public servant - who receives the information or had any role in the leak," he said.

He added that the Government has been consistent in taking this approach and has, on occasion, charged private citizens for their involvement in leaking government data.

Mr Shanmugam was replying to questions on what Singapore would do in the wake of the unintended disclosure of the classified communications of United States diplomats by whistle- blowing website WikiLeaks in recent months.

He said that there would be less transparency and accountability if government officials stopped giving their true thoughts and reasons in writing for fear of leaks.

He also noted that the US introduced a new Bill to deal with leaks, and that detractors of the Bill have said that it should not be unlawful for the media and others to publish leaked information.


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But he disagreed with the detractors and said: "We do not intend to encourage cat-andmouse games. Public interest in free flow of information cannot justify the abuse of confidential government information."

Mr Shanmugam said that if non-public-servants with official information could not be prosecuted or prevented from publishing classified data, it would create an "unacceptable" situation where such people would have an incentive to get such data from government officers.

"And public servants would constantly be weighing the benefits to themselves of releasing the confidential information against the likelihood of getting caught and punished. Meanwhile, the broader public interest will suffer," he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo also replied to questions on WikiLeaks' impact on Singapore's bilateral relations with its Asean neighbours.

Last month, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman issued a protest note to Singapore on "unjustified" comments made by the country's senior officials on the Malaysian leadership.

This was on the back of leaked US cables reported by Australian media.

Mr Yeo said he called his Malaysian counterpart to explain Singapore's policy of not commenting on specific leaks.

"I did tell him that there were significant inaccuracies in some of the leaked reports in the media. We agreed on the importance of good bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation further," he said.

He added that Singapore has to be "more guarded in our communication with US diplomats" and that the WikiLeaks disclosures have been "disastrous for US diplomacy".