K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng seek redress over libellous statements regarding property transactions
Defamation cases brought by Singapore’s Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng against Terry Xu, chief editor of The Online Citizen (TOC), have moved forward, with pre-trial conferences scheduled for April 1, 2025.
These pre-trial hearings serve to address administrative issues, evaluate the case’s progress, and explore the possibility of a settlement. The sessions typically occur within six to eight weeks of the writ being filed.
The two ministers filed their defamation claims against Mr Xu, also known as Terry Xu, on January 6, 2025. Court records indicate that the ministers are being represented by the distinguished team of lawyers from Davinder Singh Chambers, including Mr Davinder Singh and Mr David Fong. In contrast, Mr Xu is proceeding without legal representation.
The defamation lawsuits follow statements published in a Bloomberg article on December 12, 2024, concerning property transactions involving Mr Shanmugam and Dr Tan. The article, titled “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy,” detailed good class bungalow (GCB) transactions in Singapore from January to early December 2024. Written by Bloomberg real estate reporter Mr Low De Wei, the article was flagged by the ministers as libellous.
Both ministers publicly denounced the article in identical Facebook posts on December 16, 2024, and stated that they would be taking legal action after receiving advice. They also indicated they would pursue further claims against other individuals or outlets publishing similar defamatory statements about their property dealings.
In response to the article, the Ministry of Law issued correction directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act on December 23, 2024. The Ministry asserted that the Bloomberg article undermined the transparency of Singapore’s property transactions and falsely implied that the country lacked a robust legal framework for property disclosures.
Bloomberg subsequently published a correction notice but maintained its stance, asserting that it disagreed with the correction directive and reserved the right to appeal.
In addition to the case against TOC’s Terry Xu, the ministers have also filed defamation lawsuits against Bloomberg and its journalist, Mr Low De Wei, with the legal proceedings involving other media outlets, including The Edge Singapore, The Independent Singapore, and TOC.
