SINGAPORE: Freedom of expression does not extend to publishing false and defamatory allegations without basis, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said on Friday (Jul 17), rejecting suggestions that their successful defamation suit against Bloomberg was about press freedom.
In a statement posted on Facebook in response to media queries following the court’s judgment on Tuesday, both ministers noted that this principle was “reaffirmed by the Court in this case”.
Singapore supports “robust journalism and vigorous public debate”, but freedom of expression carries responsibilities, they reiterated.Â
“Some commentators, particularly in the Western media, say that defamation suits have a ‘chilling effect’. But Singapore’s experience does not bear this out,” they added.
The statement came after Bloomberg and The New York Times (NYT) published articles on the High Court’s ruling on Jul 14 in the defamation case.
The NYT article described the case as a “significant test of the country’s libel laws and their implications for press freedom”.
The ministers also took issue with Bloomberg’s response after the ruling – which was carried in its article – in which the news organisation said it respected the court’s decision while maintaining that its reporting was accurate. Bloomberg also said its story was solid, its reporters had acted with integrity and its editorial standards had been met.
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