POFMA Office should fact-check with Google before making ignorant claims about medical conditions

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?