What if I tell you that “fake news” is a ruse to cover up the incompetency of the government?
Unable to handle the declining of votes and increased unpopularity, the Singapore dictatorship is doing what it does best: censorship. The world’s most expensive politicians never once believe in complaints and criticisms: their decisions is always the best course for the country they say.
The past 2 days of the Select Committee’s public hearings are simply a farce. I nearly choked laughing when I read that fake news undermined Singapore’s democracy. Hold on, who is the one imposing the GRC system, Cooling Off day and the notorious Malay-only Presidential election? Who is the actual one undermining Singapore’s democracy?
K Shanmugam is just a sorry joke of a law minister behaving lawlessly and talking like a legal gangster.
Fake news is however the perfect excuse to solving his government’s incompetency. Take for example the Transport Ministry, the problems of train breakdowns and delays have been taking headlines since 2010. A whopping 8 years has passed and there is still no solution in sight. Did fake news caused the trains to break down?
Then we have the infamous Oxley Road korean drama played out in Parliament, Lee Hsien Loong abused his powers to stop the demolition of his father’s estate and more importantly to over-write Lee Kuan Yew’s last will in the name of “people’s interests”. That is corruption from whichever angle one look at it. Did fake news defied Lee Kuan Yew’s will?
How about more recent events? Did fake news raise taxes, GST, 30% water prices and a S$13.30 airport charges?
Or all-time social problems: did fake news cause income inequality? Are Singaporean elderly unable to retire or withdraw their CPF because of fake news?
Did fake news create the divisive political landscape in Singapore today? Or did the ruling party’s unruly behaviour cause the divisions by spreading actual fake news about WP MP Sylvia Lim?
Did fake news disqualify the two potential Presidential candidates and give Halimah Yacob a walkover win? Did fake news turn her from Indian into a Malay?
Did fake news create so much unhappiness and bitterness in the public?
Please don’t give fake news so much credit. To beat fake news, Singaporeans need an open platform where they conduct meaningful discussion unaffected by government-paid trolls. States Times Review has created that conducive environment, allowing people to express their opinions unrestricted.
Contrary to what K Shanmugam spouts, Singapore commentators are very civil and a lot more composed and reasonable. Many regular commentators at STR Facebook page bring forth their opinion very well, and their comments merited hundreds of likes alone, worthy to be a feature article by itself.
If there is to be an echo chamber, the only one we are looking at is the Select Committee and their handpicked candidates for the fake public hearing.
STR Editor
Alex Tan