- Leaders must be upfront with the people on the challenges and options
- Leaders must continue to find new ways to communicate and connect with different generations
- Difference between falsehoods and errors?
- Strike a balance
Debunking falsehoods safeguards freedom of speech, say MPs
By Kelly Ng
Published10 January, 2018
Updated 10 January, 2018
SINGAPORE — Rather than restricting freedom of speech, combating falsehoods allows for more constructive social and political discourse, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Wednesday (Jan 10).
“I think most Singaporeans would agree that free, online debate, including the expression of critical comments, should not be predicated on deliberate falsehoods… In fact, keeping falsehoods out of our discourse enables freedom of speech to be meaningfully exercised,” he said.
The minister was responding to concerns raised in Parliament on whether government intervention in dealing with the spread of deliberate falsehoods online may have a chilling effect on public discourse.
While they supported the formation of a Select Committee to study and suggest options to tackle the global scourge, some Members of Parliament (MPs) such as Chua Chu Kang MP Zaqy Mohamad and Nee Soon MP Lee Bee Wah urged the Government to assure Singaporeans that this is not a move to “silence the critics”.
“The citizens must not lose that freedom to (criticise), feedback and put points of views across as long as they are based on truths and not deliberately pushing falsehoods,” said Mr Zaqy.
The Republic should refrain from a heavy-handed approach that may “rule out constructive, though at times disagreeable, voices”, said Nominated MP Kok Heng Leun.
“If there (is) to be a new legislation against online falsehoods, it needs to balance the interest of national security and preserving public order, with the interest of enabling individuals to have meaningful discussions on issues of concern, including Government policies, without fear of action being taken against them,” he said.
Others like Marine Parade MP Seah Kian Peng agreed countering falsehoods is a way of “safeguarding” freedom of speech.
“(The authorities) have a duty to ensure…that the marketplace of public discourse is not crowded out by falsehoods,” said Mr Seah.
In the “post-truth” era, even when facts are presented to debunk falsehoods, many people still opt to believe the latter, he said.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...speech-say-mps
Now the PAP government want to control content and censor what is said online all under the disguise of fake news .
Law Minister K Shanmugam: Censorship enables freedom of speech
January 11, 2018
In his Parliament speech yesterday (Jan 10), Law Minister K Shanmugam went full fork-tongued claiming that government censorship enables freedom of speech.
“I think most Singaporeans would agree that free, online debate, including the expression of critical comments, should not be predicated on deliberate falsehoods… In fact, keeping falsehoods out of our discourse enables freedom of speech to be meaningfully exercised.”
The Minister was responding to questions whether more government censorship will repress freedom of speech further than it already has. PAP MPs Lee Bee Wah and Zaqy Mohamad stepped up the hypocrisy a level higher, saying that the government is not trying to “silence the critics”:
“The citizens must not lose that freedom to (criticise), feedback and put points of views across as long as they are based on truths and not deliberately pushing falsehoods.”
Most PAP MPs like MP Seah Kian Peng however expressed full support of censorship, claiming that it “safeguards” freedom of speech because Singaporeans “can’t be bothered” with the government-published “truths”:
“Countering falsehoods is a way of safeguarding freedom of speech. We have a duty to ensure…that the marketplace of public discourse is not crowded out by falsehoods. In the post-truth era, even when facts are presented to debunk falsehoods, many people still opt to believe the latter.Just throwing all the ‘data’ we have into a pot and then leaving people to distinguish between good and bad information makes the assumption that people have both the time and capacity to do this…Most people can’t be bothered.”
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Chan Chun Sing lays out key leadership qualities needed for Singapore’s future
By Kevin Kwang
11 Jan 2018 07:38PM (Updated: 11 Jan 2018 11:01PM)
SINGAPORE: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing on Thursday (Jan 11) shared his thoughts about leadership traits needed to steer Singapore into the future.
Mr Chan, speaking at the first SR Nathan Hard Seats Lecture organised by the Oxford & Cambridge Society of Singapore, pointed to the examples of leaders before his time having to decide on instituting conscription, create the Central Provident Fund and public housing as not shirking responsibilities towards current and future generations.
He said these leaders, including founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, had the mettle to make difficult but necessary decisions when the need arose, and kept faith with the people. “If we want to remain successful, we need leadership teams that are just as committed, decisive in their actions and yet able to keep faith with our people,” he added.
The minister’s comments come on the heels of Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong’s Facebook post at the turn of the year expressing his hope that the current fourth generation of leaders will pick a leader among themselves so current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong can designate his potential successor.
The younger generation of leaders, which includes Mr Chan, subsequently responded on Jan 4 saying they are “keenly aware” that leadership succession is pressing issue given that Mr Lee has said he intends to step down after the next General Election. A leader will be chosen from among the group “in good time”, they said.
BUILDING TRUST
Leaders can only be effective if there’s a deep sense of trust between the Government and its people, Mr Chan said. He highlighted three ways for leaders to win and maintain this trust.
Firstly, leaders must be upfront with the people on the challenges and options, the minister said.
“Help Singaporeans understand what’s at stake and the trade-offs involved. Let them know how they’ll be affected directly, and spend more time on the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’ or ‘how’,” he elaborated.
He also suggested working the ground and sharing as much information “wherever possible” so people can become better informed and trust that decisions were made only after careful consideration.
Secondly, leaders must continue to find new ways to communicate and connect with different generations, Mr Chan said. With a more diverse population, with different expectations of the government and in a fast-paced, digital age that has “social media influencers”, he said there is “no shortage of ideas, views and, of course, criticism”.
“At times, inaccurate and misleading information can ‘go viral’, possibly clouding a person’s view on an issue. The challenge then is to find ways to manage this, and get citizens to understand the matter at heart,” he said.
Thirdly, leaders must be accountable and responsible, Mr Chan, who is also secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, said. This means making good on promises and, when there are problems, working to put things right immediately, he explained.
People would also give their trust when they see the Government has been “responsible, anticipates and are responsive in meeting their needs” and there is an overall improvement in their lives, Mr Chan said.
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Minister Chan Chun Sing: Singaporeans need to trust the government
January 11, 2018
Speaking at an event held by the elite society for Cambridge and Harvard graduates yesterday (Jan 10), Minister of State Chan Chun Sing went on a self-praising barrage singing how the ruling party government is a trusted regime and why Singaporeans need to continue to trust the government.
The former army general who has never won in a one-to-one election waxed lyrical about leadership and brought out Lee Kuan Yew’s name to reinforce his arguments:
“To earn the trust of the people, each generation of Singapore’s leaders needs to be upfront, accountable and find new ways to communicate with people. Gaining the trust and confidence of the people is key… The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew had called it his team’s “greatest asset”. Having this trust enables effective leaders who do not shirk away from making difficult but necessary decisions, such as introducing mandatory National Service when Singapore needed a credible defence force, or requiring land acquisitions so that land can be redeveloped and used more efficiently. To win this trust, leaders have to first be upfront with people, and help Singaporeans understand the issues at stake and the trade-offs involved in policy considerations – spending more time on the “why” rather than the “what” and “how”.”
The PAP Minister also emphasised the role of propaganda and the need for government to “communicate” their policies with the people:
“Second, in a fast-paced digital age where a diversity of views can be accessed at one’s fingertips, leaders must keep finding new ways to communicate with different generations. If we do this well, we will harness the collective power of our thinking and actions.”
Minister Chan Chun Sing then maxed out his hypocrisy about the need to be accountable and responsible – when the government has failed to deliver an answer on recent corruption cases on Keppel, OKP Holdings, SMRT and Ang Mo Kio GRC:
“Third, leaders must be accountable and responsible. That means making good on our promises. And when there are problems, we work hard to put things right immediately. Some policies may take longer to bring about results, and these must be made clear from the start so that Singaporeans know what to expect. Being consultative and nimble in meeting the needs of Singaporeans, while maintaining finite resources responsibly, are instrumental in ensuring that Singapore does not face a trust deficit, and run the risk of citizens disconnecting with or disenfranchised by the Government. We have seen this happen in other countries, and we can’t take for granted that it won’t happen in Singapore.”
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Each generation of leaders must earn S’poreans’ trust: Chan Chun Sing
By Kelly Ng
Published11 January, 2018
Updated 11 January, 2018
SINGAPORE — Ensuring a pipeline of committed leaders who can build deep trust among Singaporeans is one of the “immutable challenges” for Singapore, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing at the inaugural S R Nathan Hard Seats lecture on Thursday (Jan 11).
Noting that people and government must work together to keep the Republic successful, Mr Chan said that to win Singaporeans’ trust, leaders must be upfront about challenges and options. They must also find new ways to get their points across to different generations, and remain accountable and responsible.
“Each generation of leaders must… help Singaporeans understand what’s at stake and the trade-offs involved… (They must) work the ground and share as much information wherever possible,” said Mr Chan, who is among Singapore’s core fourth generation leadership. Trust is a “precious asset that needs to be earned and maintained” by every cohort of leaders, he reiterated.
Mr Chan, 48, is among the frontrunners — along with Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, 56, and Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung, 48 — seen as potential successors to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
With a major Cabinet reshuffle expected to take place early this year, the political succession has come under the spotlight in recent weeks.
On Dec 31 last year, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong put up a Facebook post describing the leadership renewal at the highest level as an “urgent challenge”. Subsequently, 16 fourth generation political officeholders, including Mr Chan, issued a joint statement saying they were “keenly aware that leadership succession is a pressing issue”, and they “will settle on a leader from amongst us in good time”.
Mr Goh then told reporters that the Facebook post was done “on purpose to elicit a response” from the fourth generation leaders, and he had achieved his purpose.
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Chan Chun Sing sets out 3 ways to win & maintain S’poreans’ trust
Among the front-runners for PM, he appears to have a higher public profile currently.
By Chan Cheow Pong | 10 hours
It was not too long ago when Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance Indranee Rajah — one of the 16 members of the 4G leadership identified in a joint statement — commented that the issue about who will be the next Prime Minister has been over-discussed.
Well, it seems like among the 16, one of them did not get Indranee’s memo as he continued to keep the spotlight on the topic, albeit indirectly, as he spoke up about leadership qualities required for each generation of leaders on Jan. 11.
Comfortable in his own skin
And this individual is no ordinary member of the future 4G leadership.
Widely seen as one of the two or three front-runners for the post of the next PM, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing, 48, has benefited from a series of public engagements.
They have given him the opportunity to articulate his views openly about the new generation of leaders and their relationship with the people.
Last October, he spoke at the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore briefing, where he addressed a wide range of issues, including leadership succession.
It is clear that he is growing comfortable in his own skin as he increasingly exudes confidence talking about big-picture stuff, such as challenges confronting Singapore and the onerous task of leadership.
3 ways to win and maintain trust
On Jan. 11, Chan, an economics graduate of Cambridge University, was invited to give he inaugural S R Nathan Hard Seats Lecture organised by the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore at the Pyramid Club, where he shared his views about the necessary leadership traits to steer Singapore into the future.
If you have read our interview with Chan last year, you would remember that he abides by a “Rule of 3” at work and when he gives his trademark off-the-cuff speeches.
The audience at the lecture were treated to his power-point talking style when he addressed the issue of effective leadership and trust between the government and its people.
According to Channel News Asia, Chan highlighted three ways for leaders to earn a deep sense of trust.
Yes, it’s that “T” word again. PM Lee Hsien Loong spoke about it, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, the other PM front-runner also spoke about it, so it’s Chan’s turn now.
Chan suggested working the ground and sharing as much information “wherever possible” so people can become better informed and trust that decisions were made only after careful consideration.
“Help Singaporeans understand what’s at stake and the trade-offs involved. Let them know how they’ll be affected directly, and spend more time on the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’ or ‘how’”
With a more diverse population, with different expectations of the government and in a fast-paced, digital age that has “social media influencers”, he said there is “no shortage of ideas, views and, of course, criticism”.
continue reading here :
Parliament: A Tale of Wrong Info and No Info
January 12, 2018
by Augustine Low
From wrong info to no info, it’s a sorry tale of what takes place within the hallowed halls of Singapore’s Parliament.
During the Jan 10 sitting, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan was giving an account to Parliament on how an MRT train ran into a stationary train at Joo Koon Station last November. He said the driver faced a dire situation where he had to switch from automatic mode to manual mode before he could apply the emergency brakes.
Workers’ Party NCMP Dennis Tan asked Khaw to clarify if the train’s emergency brakes could only work on manual mode. Khaw said: “I’m not perfectly sure, but I’ll check.” He later corrected himself – emergency brakes could indeed be applied even when the trains are in automatic mode.
Khaw surely did not set out to mislead but he was sloppy, giving wrong information on a simple matter of fact. Perhaps it was due to the sleepless nights he’s been having, weighed down by SMRT issues – as he recounted to Parliament recently.
While Khaw’s was a case of wrong info, the Parliament session two days earlier, on Jan 8, was a case of no info. The Workers’ Party had filed a number of questions on the issue of illegal bribes made by Keppel to secure projects in Brazil. In response to two questions, Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance Indranee Rajah simply said: I do not have that information.
The first instance was regarding a question on former Keppel CEO Choo Chiau Beng, who was Singapore’s Ambassador to Brazil from 2004 to 2016. The question: Was he removed from the post because he had knowledge of, or was involved, in the bribery? Indranee said she did not have the info.
She was then asked the name of the Keppel Offshore & Marine subsidiary in Singapore cited by US Department of Justice for paying bribes of US$17 million to an entity in Miami, Florida. Indranee again said she did not have the info.
How inexplicable! This is despite the fact that Parliamentary questions are generally filed in advance so answers could be adequately prepared.
continue reading here :
Quote:
Originally Posted by
winphenom
Better think and analyse carefully what you are going to speak and post here or you will be charged with spreading false news. The articles sure have to be proven authentic and fact, not made up.
That’s what the law states………Haha……cheers bros
Let me give you 1 very good example someone had said Singapore’s mrt reliability had improved . But everyone in Singapore knows that our mrt is very sick and always breakdown . So you tell me which is fake news ? Now they only announce mrt breakdowns that are more than 10 mins long.
We hope the Select Committee on fake news pays attention to NMP Kok Heng Leun’s speech
The NMP with the arts background went against the grain and raised some meaningful concerns.
By Sulaiman Daud | 20 hours
So now we know who’s going to be on the Select Committee to investigate the problem of fake news or what has been termed “deliberate online falsehoods”
The Committee of Selection announced the names of the 10 MPs who will take part on Jan. 11. We analysed what each member brought to the table, which you can read in the article below.
Foreign influence
Previously, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam emphasised that convening the Select Committee was important for preventing foreign influence in Singapore’s affairs. Said Shanmugam in Parliament:
“Countries across the world have been the subject of organised, deliberate disinformation campaigns, conducted both by state actors, many state actors targeted at destabilising other countries, and also non-state actors.
And they spread the falsehoods deliberately, both to interfere with the democratic processes within countries, and to also destabilise and undermine institutions within a specific country.”
To underscore the point, Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim cited a non-online example of foreign interference in our media.
He referenced the case of The Eastern Sun, which was exposed by the Government for receiving HK$8 million from a Communist intelligence agency in return for not opposing the People’s Republic of China on major issues.
The struggle for accuracy is real.
A note of concern
While supportive of the motion, NMP and theatre veteran Kok Heng Leun raised a number of concerns that are worth looking at more in-depth.
He began by saying that the Select Committee should not focus on errors made when one party has an honest belief in the facts, but instead on deliberate, malicious falsehoods.
He mentioned that in the UK, there was a call from Parliament for the public to define fake news, and one comment stuck with him.
“Where does biased but legitimate commentary shade into propaganda and lies?”
Kok mentioned that as the Government has advocated for a more active citizenry, with more Singaporeans speaking up through online platforms, it should take care not to silence dissenting voices.
“We do not want a heavy-handed approach that would rule out constructive, though at times disagreeable voices.”
Kok said that if new legislation is introduced, it needs to balance the interests of protecting national security and preserving public order, with the interests of:
•Enabling individuals to have meaningful discussions, including on government policies, without fear of having action taken against them.
•Enabling the media, both professional and citizen journalists, to report on such issues of concern.
He described a possible “responsible journalism” defence, where a media outlet could be free from liability if it made efforts to establish whether an incident did take place, such as contacting the authorities.
If it later turns out to be inaccurate, the media should therefore not be blamed. He also questioned if the media should be responsible if it merely reports what someone says without endorsing it.
continue reading here :
https://mothership.sg/2018/01/arts-n...advice-speech/
Finally someone in Singapore Parliament speak some sense . So how do you define what is fake news ? How can we truly believe what we read online ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
winphenom
Haha….well bro, the biggest muscles has the strongest mandate. Only the powerful and mighty with the biggest majority can wave the wand whichever way they want without need to justify action. Cheers bro
Though one may have the biggest muscles to mandate don’t forget who are the ones who voted you in . You are supposed to make your and improved your voters and citizens ’ lives better and not harder . Think about that .