SINGAPORE – A Singapore opposition party has corrected online posts critical of the government following an order by the labor ministry under a new “fake news” law that rights groups said was being used to chill dissent.
Seeking to stir support ahead of a parliamentary election expected within months, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) posted articles in recent months on its website and Facebook, arguing that an increasing number of white-collar workers were losing their jobs.
The Ministry of Manpower ordered the SDP to place a correction notice on these posts because it said jobs for professionals, managers, executives, and technicians had been steadily rising since 2015.
The government said the city-state is vulnerable to misleading and inaccurate news because of social sensitivities arising from its mixed ethnic and religious population, and widespread internet access.(Reuters)
