India Today TV erroneously reported Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong would be “replaced” by Tharman

SINGAPORE: India Today TV, an Indian English-language news television channel, erroneously reported that Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the “outgoing Prime Minister” and would be “replaced” by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Prime Minister Lee attended the G20 Summit held in New Delhi, India, from 8 to 10 September.

A search on India Today’s social media failed to locate the original clip; however, netizens managed to share a captured clip of the erroneous reporting on social media.

The live news coverage on Saturday (9 Sept) centred on PM Lee’s arrival at the G20 Summit venue.

Regrettably, during the live broadcast, one of the news outlet’s reporters incorrectly asserted that PM Lee was the “outgoing Prime Minister.”

The reporter continued by stating, “There is an Indian-origin Prime Minister, a Tamilian in fact, who takes over as the new Prime Minister, Tharman Shanmugaratnam who is the new Prime Minister.”

Another reporter elaborated that PM Lee had assumed office on 12 August 2004, and reiterated that he was among the invitees to the G20 Summit.

On the evening of Sunday (10 Sept) India Today TV addressed their mistake on their news website.

The news outlet openly acknowledged that both the assertions that PM Lee was an “outgoing Prime Minister” and would be “replaced” by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam were factually incorrect.

“Lee Hsien Loong is the current Prime Minister of Singapore. Tharman Shanmugaratnam is the President-elect of Singapore.”

“The error is regretted, ” the statement added.

It remains unclear why the news outlet took a day to realize and rectify this mistake.

On 1 September,  Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former senior minister of the People’s Action Party, has emerged victorious in the 2023 Presidential Election, securing a resounding mandate to become Singapore’s ninth president.

While still in office, PM Lee revealed during his 19th National Day Rally speech on 20 August that his succession plans were “back on track” after setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although he assured the nation of the renewed trajectory, he did not specify a clear timeline for this succession in his address.

Previously expressing his wish “to step down before his 70th birthday in February 2022,” the unexpected challenges of the pandemic disrupted Lee’s plans.

“I promised Singaporeans that I would see the nation through the crisis, together with both the current and the 4G leadership,” the 71-year-old Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP) declared.

He further elaborated, “Now that COVID is behind us, my succession plans are back on track.”