Singapore
Conditional warning issued to Tiktoker for non-compliance with POFMA directions
The POFMA Office has issued a conditional warning to Tiktoker Ishhaq Jay Rajoo for non-compliance with Correction Directions for his alleged false statements.
A 58-year-old man, Ishhaq Jay Rajoo, has been issued a conditional warning for allegedly communicating false statements of fact and failing to comply with directions issued under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
Ishhaq is known for his regular commentary on social affairs through his TikTok account.
According to the POFMA Office, between July and August 2023, Ishhaq published four videos on TikTok that contained falsehoods related to voting secrecy, CPF policies, and HDB affordability.
The POFMA Office stated that the falsehoods regarding voting secrecy were based on hearsay without supporting evidence.
Additionally, it noted that Ishhaq did not consult publicly available information on the CPF Board and Ministry of Manpower websites before posting inaccuracies about CPF policies and HDB affordability.
Under POFMA, falsehoods are typically addressed through Correction Directions, which require recipients to place a notice next to the original post with a link to the Government’s clarification. This, according to the authorities, allows the public to compare the original post with the factual correction.
Ishhaq was issued Correction Directions but did not fully comply, according to the POFMA Office. It was said that he failed to put up the required Correction Notices by the stipulated deadline and changed his TikTok account handle, making the Correction Notices inaccessible to viewers.
After a review of the facts and circumstances, authorities issued a 24-month conditional warning to Ishhaq for offences under Sections 7 and 15 of POFMA.
If he reoffends during this period, he could face prosecution for the original crime. An offence under section 7 of POFMA carries a fine of up to $50,000, an imprisonment term of up to five years, or both. An offence under section 15 carries a fine of up to $20,000, an imprisonment term of up to one year, or both.
Speaking to Gutzy on the conditional warning, Jay said, “”A minister decides what should be pofma-ed about my questioning the policies of the government? The Singapore mainstream media plasters my name on their report and says I have been pofma-ed for spreading fake information without a trial or even an interview. So, I am ruled guilty even before hearing my reasoning. Is this democracy?”
The tiktoker was previously subjected to investigation by the Singapore police for alleged criminal defamation. This investigation was sparked from a video he produced about the presidential election, where he asked Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a controversial question over the appointment of the Attorney-General.
Notice to Our Readers: Moving Back to The Online Citizen
Construction worker dies in Changi worksite accident; Driver arrested
Consumers Association of Singapore fined S$20,000 for PDPA breaches following two data security incidents
Singapore’s Yip Pin Xiu secures historic three-peat at Paris Paralympics
Jamus Lim on Minister Chee Hong Tat’s remarks on fiscal policy: Calls for genuine debate over rhetoric
Philippine migrant group in SG hosts successful blood donation drive
China’s ex-convict jailed six years in Singapore for S$6.7M crypto scam
Chee Hong Tat’s call for fiscal prudence rings hollow amid contradictory government spending
UN food agency halts operations in Gaza after vehicle shot by Israeli forces
KL City Hall cancels National Day event following sinkhole incident
Swiss court convicts 2 executives for embezzling S$1.8 billion from 1MDB
Popma,Puffma,Pukimah,all imitators, initiators,all snakes,puffadders,black mambas,shiitingcobras,spittingcobras,roaming around your palatial compounds,scheming & eyeing for your next innocent victim to bite before that happens I hope you suffer a ignominious excruciating death like how pogma,cockma,pukimah,bitema people.
What netizen write or say can be POFMAed as long as what’s written or said is inaccurate in the eyes of the 4G. But has anyone wondered how valid this reason is, given that the supposedly “correct” information isn’t even available in the first place.
For example some ex chairman was rumoured by the Taiwan press to make $100 million annually and some poor chap quoted this and got POFMAed because the authority said this is false. But false against what’s correct?
At the rate things are happening, it’s going to be an exciting GE this year or next.
The more the pappies try to do this, the more attention will be shifted to the true grievances of the people, and the sheer iron-fisted attempts to silence them.
The pappies will soon have no choice but to keep the floodgates wide open to attract more “grateful” new citizens to vote for them. But eventually, those citizens and their kids will also start to feel the weight of the high costs of living and the hypocrisy of our so-called democracy.
And so it will repeat. Bring even more “grateful” new citizens in.
Abusing state police to harass and bully dissenting voices is blatantly wrong and absolutely immoral. Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling have been right all along about their brudder’s abuse of power after all!
Whatever pap had done to kill free speech, however they try to suppress the truth, whichever method they employ to usurp the rule of law, we will be silent no more. We will vote against the pap vehemently to change the current state of pap oppression against our own people.
Although not given a trial for him to defend himself, I suspect many do not have in their mind about a trial if they basing on believing the authorities.
Note that believing is absence of fair trial and believing need not relate to being true or false. It’s what it is. Believing is believing.
Great publicity for him. Those who never knew what he said can now hear it
This Multi Million Dollars Salaries PAP Administration bastards are Twiddling their fingers, dawdling, toying with their. Bungalows, Big Houses, Big Cars And NOT FOCUSING on SG and its people.
The PROBLEM is That PURE Simple AND STRAIGHT FORWARD.
Why SHOULD THEY CARE BCZ EXPECTATIONS of SHEEPS approval NEED NOT be SOUGHT.
Urgently CRITICAL Issues of the MOST IMPORTANT Kinds that AFFECTS the IMMEDIATE, SHORT TERM SURVIVAL futures of SG, VIZ 4, 1. Birth Rates, 2. Agedness, 3. Productivity, 4 Inflation – these ABOVE 4, FOUR are GROSSLY NEGLECTED by PAP in lieu of PLANNING to RAISE Own MEGA Salaries, BRIBING the Govt of Singapore Sevices to the People HIJACK to Make OWN CONQUERING ACHIEVEMENT of Continuing RELENTLESS POWER – – and NOTHING to Publicise HOW TO BUILD A SG CORE (a PROMISE as usual PAP BREAKS and Break and Break), like, ALSO REDUCE Super High Inflation, AMONG 10s of Other URGENT… Read more »
If the POFMA GANG got nothing better to do an go & PCC – lah!!!!
This is due to distrust between citizens and the government. The government does not think we can discern facts from fiction so it has created POFMA.
Maybe he should make an account on Donald Trump’s social media platform (I’m not sure if its available in Singapore yet) and post the videos there.
If Donald Trump becomes the 47th President of the USA, will the ruling government dare to send a POFMA request to Donald Trump’s company?
Now ask the hard questions also wrong?
Pofma pofma pofma to shut people up..
They say who dares win…but in sg who dared is muzzled.
We feel for you Mr Ishhaq.
Thank you ✌️
Brave man. If I said he is brave, do i need supporting documents? tsk tsk tsk
Just go Kim II Sung memorial / Yasukuni Shrine and pray lah .
So it seems it is becoming illegal to question the authorities.
It will be illegal to express your frustrations.
Be safe. Never show your emotions.
Singapore might as well be North Korea. Luckily, we don’t have a large land mass to build far-off labour concentration camps to “re-educate ungrateful citizens”.
Pofma 2.0 included matter of INTERPRETATION.
Pofma 3.0 included QUESTIONS
What’s next in 4.0?
Personal opinions? Thoughts?
So very predictable. PAP bullying it’s citizens again. This fella must have poked an open wound.
Looks like UNCONDITIONAL POFMA compliance notices apply to their Political Nuisances only.
Corrupt standards of enforcements galore.