Under The Angsana Tree: K Shanmugam to ‘Ah Lian’: POFMA is like a Torchlight

National Day Rally 2019

Update 18 Aug 2019: PM Lee "POFMA would catch you if you spread fake news about CPF withdrawal ages on social media"

At the National Day Rally 2019 yesterday (18 Aug), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took the opportunity to lash out at fake news circulating on social media, saying that government would be changing withdrawal policies of the Central Provident Funds or CPF withdrawal ages

In the script published on PMO’s website, PM Lee said, “Let me add one last point here, to be absolutely clear: we are not making any changes to CPF withdrawal policies or CPF withdrawal ages. You can still take out some money at age 55. And you can still start your CPF payouts from age 65.”

“All that remains exactly the same. So please ignore any rumours you may hear about this, or messages on WhatsApp, because they are fake news!”

On national TV yesterday, however, he added the following warning, “Please delete it and tell your friends. Don’t share it with more friends and confuse people because that would be fake news.” “POFMA would catch you!” he added.

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National Day Rally 2019

PM Lee Hsien Loong delivered his National Day Rally speech on 18 August 2019 at the Institute of Technical Education College Central. PM spoke in Malay and Chinese, followed by English:

As a major employer ourselves, the Government will take the lead for public officers. The Public Service will raise its Retirement and Re-employment Ages one year earlier, in 2021 instead of 2022. I encourage private sector companies which can do the same, also to do so.
All these changes – to the Retirement Age, the Re-employment Age, and the CPF rates – will support older workers to continue working longer and to be more financially independent.
Let me add one last point here, to be absolutely clear: we are not making any changes to CPF withdrawal policies or CPF withdrawal ages. You can still take out some money at age 55. And you can still start your CPF payouts from age 65. All that remains exactly the same. So please ignore any rumours you may hear about this, or messages on WhatsApp, because they are fake news!

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To let people know what is true and what is not true

YouTube screengrab/ Ah Lian VLOG #19: Premium Lian Meets Minister K Shanmugam

The day before the second reading of Singapore’s landmark, if somewhat contentious anti-fake news bill, K Shanmugan sat down with ‘Ah Lian’ to clarify some of the main points of POFMA, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill.

In an informal and humorous setting, the country’s Law and Home Affairs minister talked about the bill with actress Michelle Chong, who was in her ‘Ah Lian’ character.

The Minister explained that there are people, even in Singapore, who manufacture falsehoods to “Make people angry, they want to get people out on the streets. Riots have happened".

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Shanmugam's interviews with celebrities: Soft-sell reach greater, could have pitfalls, say experts

Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam during an interview with Ah Lian, a well-known local Internet personality and the alter ego of actress Michelle Chong. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE

Singapore's political leaders, and more broadly the Government, have turned to different channels to explain policies and convince the electorate of their merits.

The topic was a serious, even controversial, one - the recently passed fake news law. The approach, however, was light-hearted and unorthodox, with Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam appearing in online video interviews.

The reaction has been mixed. Some welcomed the effort to reach out and connect with new audiences and make policy more accessible. Critics, however, said they "cringed" at the unusual approach to explaining government policy.

related: The art of soft sell: Political leaders changing how they communicate with public

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Shanmugam sits down for interview on proposed fake news law - with Ah Lian

Ah Lian, actress Michelle Chong's alter ego, attempts to take a selfie with Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam before an interview on the proposed fake news law. A person off-camera reminds her that she has an interview to conduct first.PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM MICHELLE CHONG/FACEBOOK

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam has given another interview about the proposed fake news law to be read for a second time in Parliament on Monday (May 6).

The hard-hitting journalist interviewing him? None other than Ah Lian, a well-known local Internet personality and the alter ego of actress Michelle Chong.

"Today lim bu (Hokkien, referring to herself) is want to talk the serious thing. Eh! This thing ah is matter to all of you now watching," Ah Lian opens the video in her trademark vernacular style, gesturing vigorously.

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Shanmugam defends video with Michelle Chong’s Ah Lian in response to ST commentary

The video was apparently viewed by more than one million people

A video on social media featuring the unlikeliest of duos, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam and Michelle Chong’s Ah Lian persona, was making the rounds online.

On May 20, Shanmugam penned a post on Facebook to explain why he did it.

It was to essentially point out how such videos can sometimes be more effective than other media strategies to reach a wide audience.

And it was Shanmugam’s personal response to a Straits Times commentary, “The Art of the Soft Sell,”

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Law Minister criticises Straits Times article about his video with Michelle Chong

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has criticised a Straits Times (ST) article for making untrue assumptions about a recent video he did with local actress Michelle Chong, regarding the recently passed Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).

In her famous “Ah Lian” persona, Ms Chong interviewed the Minister about the anti-fake news law and the Minister made clarifications on what the law covers and how corrections may be issued. He confirmed that criticisms against the Government and that unknowingly “liking” or sharing possible fake news would not be covered by the law.

The video – which was created and published well before POFMA was passed – has accumulated over half a million views since it was published on Facebook on 5 May. It was also published in other video platforms like YouTube.

related:
In answer to ST commentary, Law and Home Affairs Minister defends
Nas Daily said he liked Law Minister’s video with Michelle Chong

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K Shanmugam Sc 18 hours ago

[ Michelle Chong Video ]

ST published an article, “The Art of Soft Sell” (19 May) on the video that I did with Michelle Chong.

The ST article assumes that the video was intended to convey detailed points about the new online falsehoods legislation. But the video was not intended for that purpose.

It was one part of a multi-faceted engagement and communications effort. This included numerous media briefings and interviews, Op Eds, ground engagements and numerous dialogues with different stakeholders, including academics, lawyers, other professionals, as well as grassroots leaders (a few thousand).

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Michelle Chong · 4 May at 18:00

Premium Lian interview Dua Liap Minister K Shanmugam Sc

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Freedom in the World 2019

Overview - Singapore’s parliamentary political system has been dominated by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the family of current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong since 1959. The electoral and legal framework that the PAP has constructed allows for some political pluralism, but it constrains the growth of credible opposition parties and limits freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN 2018:

In January, Parliament established a Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods. In March, after a local historian asserted in a submission to the committee that the PAP government had itself disseminated falsehoods by misrepresenting a past crackdown on alleged communist plots against the state, he was questioned for six hours in a public hearing led by the home affairs minister. The combative hearing and others like it raised concerns about freedom of expression and academic freedom.
In April, the president signed the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Act, which granted the home affairs minister and police enhanced authority in the context of a “serious incident” such as a terrorist attack or mass protest. Officials would be permitted to potentially use lethal force and halt media coverage and online communications surrounding the incident in question.
Two PAP-run town councils pressed lawsuits against three members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition Workers’ Party (WP) for alleged breaches of their fiduciary duties. The cases, which placed the defendants under significant financial pressure, began to be heard in October and were ongoing at year’s end.

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Brad Bowyer July 2 at 6:22 PM

Sadly we are now 133rd in the world freedom index and declining.... And we give that freedom up for what?

Time for us all to seriously think if we need a change from "rulership" to "leadership" to give the majority of us any future outside PAP servitude... or can we tahan this state of affairs a little while longer before it becomes unbearable?

But then what will be left of Singapore if we wait?