Jeyaretnam ordered to issue correction notices following false claims regarding SLA’s rental management of state properties
Kenneth Jeyaretnam, leader of the Reform Party, has been issued a sixth correction order under Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) after posting false claims regarding the rental management of state properties at 26 and 31 Ridout Road. Jeyaretnam’s article, published on February 16, falsely suggested that the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) had mismanaged rental prices for properties occupied by Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan, implying they were charged below-market rates.
The claim was circulated on Jeyaretnam’s website, The Ricebowl Singapore, and on social media platforms. Along with Jeyaretnam, alternative news sites Gutzy Asia and The Online Citizen Asia were also ordered to publish corrections for similar false statements on their platforms. The correction notices must clarify that the posts contained false statements and provide a link to the government’s fact-checking website, Factually.
The government refuted Jeyaretnam’s claims, stating that the rentals were in line with market rates, supported by a review conducted by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean. Furthermore, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau found no evidence of preferential treatment in the rental arrangements. The SLA had renewed the tenancies in 2021 and 2022 after professional valuations ensured the rentals were consistent with prevailing market conditions
