Opinion
POFMA Office should fact-check with Google before making ignorant claims about medical conditions
Shouldn’t the POFMA Office have Googled Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s well-documented medical conditions before making ignorant claims about not knowing the nature of his condition?
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Singapore media outlets have reported that the authorities are awaiting Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s assessment of how long he will be away from Singapore.
This is so they can consider the next steps in their investigations against the Reform Party chief. In a joint statement on 10 July, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office mentioned that they are unaware of the specific nature of Mr Jeyaretnam’s medical situation, despite his public disclosure.
Mr Jeyaretnam is said to be currently under investigation by the POFMA Office for possible offences under the fake news law, and by the police under the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act 2016, which governs contempt of court.
In their joint statement, they said that they had been communicating with Mr Jeyaretnam since April and had invited him to assist with the investigations. They added that he has so far remained out of Singapore and has not attended any interviews.
“We do not know the specific nature of the medical situation and are unable to comment on it,” SPF and the POFMA Office jointly said on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post on 6 July, Mr Jeyaretnam stated that he is suffering from a health condition that prevents him from flying long haul back to Singapore. He cited serious illnesses, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), bilateral pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia, and has made himself available via email to assist with the investigations.
Mr Jeyaretnam has also said: “At no point did I receive any communication obliging me to attend or ordering me to attend. As reported, these are invitations only at this stage and as not reported, I assisted to the best of my ability given the physical limitations.”
Given this context, it is perplexing that the POFMA Office, an agency tasked with addressing online falsehoods, claims ignorance of Mr Jeyaretnam’s medical situation, which he publicly shared on social media. This raises an important question: Why didn’t they just Google it?
A simple online search would reveal that the conditions Mr Jeyaretnam described are indeed serious and can severely restrict long-haul travel.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that travelling often involves sitting for extended periods, increasing the risk of developing DVT, a type of blood clot that forms in a large vein. Part of this clot can break off and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. The CDC lists several risk factors for these conditions, including previous blood clots, certain medical treatments, and prolonged immobility.
Given this readily available information, it is disappointing that the POFMA Office did not take the initiative to verify Mr Jeyaretnam’s medical situation before making their statement.
In an era where information is literally at our fingertips, ignorance is not an excuse. The POFMA Office’s failure to acknowledge Mr Jeyaretnam’s well-documented medical conditions is not only a lapse in due diligence but also undermines their credibility in the eyes of the public. It would benefit them to adopt a more diligent approach in their investigations, starting with a simple online search to corroborate claims.
The POFMA Office can help themselves and the public by ensuring that they verify facts with the resources available to them. This would not only enhance their effectiveness in addressing falsehoods but also build trust with the public. After all, fighting misinformation starts with being well-informed.
The SPF and POFMA Office also appear to have not elaborated on why Mr Jeyaretnam can only assist in investigations in a face-to-face interview instead of providing information via email or teleconference, as he had offered.
If the POFMA Office says that it knew about the condition and circumstances of Mr Jeyaretnam, then what was the purpose of sending the press release to the Singapore media?
Is it to character assassinate Mr Jeyaretnam so that people will not believe his statements, such as those about the ministers renting properties on Ridout Road? Or is it to compel him to return to Singapore so that he could be charged while being restricted in the country?
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No Spam
Can’t think rationally in a group think,just blindly lash out,RASPUTIN sitting in the corner wickedly smiling.
Sad story…the regime under LKY persecuted his daddy the hon.Mr JBJ…for speaking the hard truths too..
Mr JBJ was financially & professionally demolished by LKY &co.
Now the present regime is going for KJ…
This PAP is so afraid of facing the hard truths… what are they afraid of?? Many things i presume..secrets they cant allow to see the light of day..
Mark or label NTUC is one thing. The actions taken is totally another. Bcz who apply the actions and how it apply is often subject to discretion. Is there a cast iron SOP to follow?
Like so many corruption cases one has already seen in action the process and it’s outcome. PAP corruption is dealt with, or not even dealt with just a wrist slap, or even SWEET HEART DEAL. Compare with those PAP dislike.
Notable examplesSTARING Glaringly can even BLIND us if one STARE BACK at it too long.
The conclusion is there.
Shld ask British high court to investigate ascertain who right who wrong
Sure or not? Like that, how to come back for GE? Oso, wait get elected then have to have bye-election …. then how?
Google can’t even be trusted … Whole day pop up their “use precise location” if not anyhow put your location according to their political wishlist. No?!?
POFMA got telepathic waves or Not?
Shanmugam Should Implement Such Waves to Connect, so that KJ can automatically come: Like A Zombie!!!!
I Am Pofmaed!!!!
Hahaha.
Shanmugam & His Brotherhood Got No Idea,
What We’ve Got Installed for This Region.
I would love to see it happen, which is already happening in Malaysia.
Hahaha.
ISA,and bankrupting the honourable opponents no longer have the leverage due to international condemnations.Now they are using the new found POFMA to silence them, failing which then get rid of them no matter how.The regime will only stop if the international communities start to make noise.Let’s see how many more GRCs Pappy will loose in the coming GE.
Creating laws to make criminals of those exercising their Rights to Free Speech.A coward’s way of dealing with an adversary and creating unnecessary work for the law enforcement agencies at taxpayers’ cost. This is again much to do about nothing that the ruling party indulges in at Ministrial cost at over million dollars, excluding State Minister and Parliamentary secretary’s remuneration. This entire cost should be billed to the PAP political party as it is the beneficiary of the entire action. There is no win for the State or us, the citizens. The ruling party has a fiduciary duty to ensure… Read more »
The only Political Opponent whose snooker skills PAP find formidable is Low TK. I can’t comment on the others, with due humble respect. Low TK can poker the PAP so well. His cards hold close and tight near his chest. Even the PAP controlled BUT citizens paid and owned so called National Newspaper Mouth piece of PAP tried as a proxy, as a 3rd force of PAP to nail Low TK, failed times and again. Mark it. He’s returning – the Hougang Force is with us. Which is why the rudderless PAP, resorts to robbing SG Reserves as a GE… Read more »
Perhaps the scholars and their one down were waiting for further directions from their up line. You can never fault them as this seems to be the protocol IMO.
The up line at their convenience will say the one downs do things independently just like the case of the Chief Valuer where land cost is concerned and determined by his office.😁😁
C’mon, … don’t be so presumptuous in that the POFMA office had omitted to fact-checked and was remiss of the above before “instructing” the state~controlled media to go to print !!! This is what “dirty tricks, underhanded and fixing the opposition” looks like and it was all intentional and intended, … to create maximum impact, exposure and damage !!! This regime is as scheming, as conniving and as vindictive, … as all of their fellow predecessors before them, and this “staying in power and silencing all opposition, at all costs” … will simply continue as they pass this “way of… Read more »
Highly paid and self declared talents DO NOT know?
They PRETEND to BE IGNORANT Mr Jeya.
Their bagful of tricks IS TO BAIT you, you can aslo pretend to play along. Will you. Can you.