SINGAPORE – Business publication The Edge Singapore has issued an apology to the city-state’s Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Dr Tan See Leng for republishing a Bloomberg article that was later deemed false.
The article, titled Singapore Mansion Deals Are Increasingly Shrouded in Secrecy, was shared on The Edge Singapore’s website on December 12.
The piece, which focused on Good Class Bungalow (GCB) transactions in Singapore, became the subject of a correction order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) on Monday, according to Channel News Asia.
The government identified several statements in the article as false, prompting Mr Shanmugam and Dr Tan to label the piece as libellous.
On December 16, four days after its initial publication by Bloomberg, the ministers announced their intention to issue Letters of Demand to Bloomberg and other platforms that reproduced the article, either in full or in part.
On Tuesday, The Edge Singapore acknowledged its role in spreading the allegations and issued a statement recognising that the reproduced article and an accompanying Facebook post could be interpreted as suggesting misconduct by the ministers.
“We recognise that the article and the post meant and were understood to mean that (Mr Shanmugam/Dr Tan) took advantage of there being no checks and balances or disclosure requirements in purchasing a property in a non-transparent manner and that (Mr Shanmugam/Dr Tan) wanted to hide (their) transaction(s) and avoid scrutiny, including about the possibility of money laundering.”
The Facebook post, which linked to the article, had read: “Bloomberg says more people buy homes with trusts, hiding owners’ identities.”
In its apology, The Edge Singapore admitted the allegations were “false and completely without foundation”.
It expressed regret for the “distress and embarrassment” caused to Shanmugam and Dr Tan.
“We have removed the article and the post and undertake not to make any allegations or publish any articles and/or posts containing any allegations to the same or similar effect.”
The full apology, issued as part of the rectification, reiterated The Edge Singapore’s acknowledgment of its error and its commitment to refrain from similar actions in the future. – December 24, 2024
