SINGAPORE – Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam has been issued a correction notice under the law against fake news over his social media posts about the rental of Ridout Road bungalows by two ministers.
His recent posts, which were made on Facebook and LinkedIn on July 27, suggested that Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had rented the black-and-white bungalows at 26 and 31 Ridout Road at below market rate.
The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said on Wednesday night that Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong had issued the instruction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) to Mr Jeyaretnam, who is required to put up correction notices on both posts.
The notices must state that the posts contain a “false statement of fact” and provide a link to the Government’s Factually article, which “lays out the facts and clarifications of the matter”.
This is the second Pofma correction order that Mr Jeyaretnam has been issued in recent weeks.
On July 16, Mr Jeyaretnam was told to put up a correction notice in relation to a July 2 article he published on his website, The Ricebowl Singapore. He had complied.
In its statement on Wednesday, MinLaw reiterated the findings of Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean in his review, which found that the rents paid by both ministers were at fair market value.
“There was no evidence that the ministers were given favourable rental rates due to their positions,” it added.
MinLaw added that the rent per unit floor area for 26 Ridout Road was the third highest when compared with nine other black-and-white bungalows in the Ridout Road estate that were tenanted out in 2018.
“The guide rents are determined by professional valuers. These are valuers from Singapore Land Authority’s (SLA) independent valuation team or valuers appointed by professional third-party managing agents,” MinLaw said.
To determine the guide rent, the valuers factor in location, use, floor area, the property’s physical condition and prevailing market conditions, with reference made to rentals of comparable properties, the ministry added.
In the case of 26 Ridout Road, the guide rent was determined by a professional valuer from SLA, who also took into account the adjacent land to the site.
The ministry added that the valuer learnt of the identity of the tenant only after the case was reported in the media.
Citing Mr Shanmugam’s interview with the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau and his explanation during a parliamentary sitting on July 3, MinLaw said that the minister did not want to lease the adjacent land due to the legal obligations attached to it.
However, SLA preferred to include it within the property boundary of 26 Ridout Road, so as to make it apparent that the maintenance, as well as legal obligations, were the responsibility of the tenant.
An agreement was then negotiated, in which the adjacent land would be included within the property boundary, and Mr Shanmugam would incur the cost of maintaining it.
