The Info-Communications Media Development Authority has banned access to political blog Singapore Herald in Singapore.
Access to the website was banned as it failed to remove a series of articles which purportedly “contain serious and egregious misrepresentations of Singapore’s position in the ongoing situation with the Malaysian government over Singapore’s territorial waters.
The articles, related to the ongoing Malaysia-Singapore maritime dispute, were said to “constitute prohibited material under the Internet Code of Practice issued by the IMDA as they are objectionable on the grounds of public interest.”
IMDA demanded that the articles be removed by 4pm yesterday (14 Nov), or else a ban will be effected.
In response, Singapore Herald said that “a court order is required for content take-down” and that “any arbitrary order by the dictatorship will not be complied with”.
Singapore Herald was started as a successor to the now-defunct States Times Review, which was also banned in Singapore following allegations that it defamed the Singapore government.
This is the IMDA’s letter to Singapore Herald, reproduced in full:
