Singapore’s opposition calls fake-news bill a ‘Damocles sword’ hanging over the public

The bill is almost certain to pass thanks to the parliamentary supermajority of the long-ruling People’s Action Party

But critics, among them Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh, say there is a conflict of interest in the government deciding what constitutes fake news

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Singapore’s flag flies over Parliament House. The island nation’s proposed tough new measures to combat “fake news” have sparked concerns of new curbs on free speech. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:02pm, 7 May 2019Updated: 4:06am, 8 May 2019

Singapore’s tiny parliamentary opposition on Tuesday said it would oppose the government’s proposed law to combat fake news, citing concerns that it could become a “Damocles sword” used by the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) against its critics.

The parliamentary speech by Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh followed a two-hour address to the legislature by the Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam, beating back robust opposition of the proposed bill by academics and global technology giants.

Shanmugam’s speech kick-started a rare marathon debate in the 101-seat legislature, in which the PAP has a supermajority. The proposed Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation (Pofma) bill is likely to pass without amendment on Wednesday.

But Pritam said his party – which has six elected MPs and three others who are appointed – would oppose the proposed bill en masse.

Singapore Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh. Photo: Facebook

“All the Workers’ Party MPs will speak against it. Our objections centre primarily around a fundamental matter,” Pritam said in the speech. “First, we do not agree that the executive should be the initial decision maker on matters surrounding false statements of fact.”