Thread by @kixes

A bill to tackle “foreign interference” (however the PAP government wants to define it) is definitely coming to #Singapore soon.

https://twitter.com/TODAYonline/status/1176719361693736961

Hi @kennethcjw, just sent you an email! Given the urgency and seriousness of the accusations made against me in your article, I’m publishing the email too.

@kennethcjw This part of @TODAYonline’s report spreads inaccurate and false information that dangerously rachets up the smearing of activists like myself as threats to the nation.

In the following tweets I’ll address these comments quickly (fuller response forthcoming).

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline Firstly, the allegations about our meeting with @chedetofficial first came from PAP MP Seah Kian Peng, who accused us of asking Dr M to intervene in Singapore’s domestic politics. Back then, we already pointed out that his allegations were false.

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial We sent letters of complaint to Charles Chong, chair of the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, and also @leehsienloong, as Secretary-General of @PAPSingapore, to highlight that committee/party members were spreading baseless accusations.

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore You can read the letter of complaint that we sent: wethecitizens.substack.com/p/a-special-is… We never received a response from Chong. @leehsienloong referred the matter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, even though the Minister for Home Affairs was one of the subjects of our complaint.

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore Recently, the cancellation of the “Dissent and Resistance” programme (to which I’d been invited as a guest facilitator) at @yalenus sparked hysterical memes on social media accusing myself and others of wanting to make Singapore become like #HongKongProtests.

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore @yalenus Posts like this spread on @facebook. A speech that I gave *in Nov 2016* (when I had red/pink hair) was edited out of context and used to claim that I want #Singapore to be like #HongKongProtests *in 2019*.

You can watch my speech in its entirety here: facebook.com/theonlinecitiz…

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore @yalenus @facebook I also summarised the thrust of my arguments in a more prose-friendly style here: medium.com/@kixes/a-long-…

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore @yalenus @facebook I’ve also been publicly clear that I *don’t want* #Singapore to be like #HongKong as it is today. What’s happening in HK is a political crisis; if we can avoid reaching such a desperate situation where people feel like there’s no other option, OF COURSE WE WOULD WANT TO AVOID IT

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore @yalenus @facebook It’s especially disheartening to see @TODAYonline attribute distorted comments as “recent” statements I’ve made, which makes me wonder if they (or the Minister) are treating online troll pages as a source (just because it’s called FActually Singapore doesn’t mean it’s fact guys)

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore @yalenus @facebook These sorts of smear campaigns insinuating that my colleagues and I are agents of foreign influence seeking to undermine or destabilise #Singapore are playing with fire, although of course it’s people like us (and not our accusers) who will probably get burned.

@kennethcjw @TODAYonline @chedetofficial @leehsienloong @PAPSingapore @yalenus @facebook Following my email to @kennethcjw, the @TODAYonline story has been edited.

It’s a matter of real concern if mainstream media outlets, with power and reach, end up amplify inaccurate information.

😒

Because I couldn’t believe “What was missing from Mr Shanmugam’s comments was the context in which you made those points”, as if context isn’t key, was thought to be an acceptable response.