GE2020: First POFMA correction direction during GE issued to Peoples Voice

Peoples Voice chief Lim Tean, who is running in Jalan Besar GRC, seen leaving Bendemeer Primary School on Nomination Day (30 June). (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)
Peoples Voice chief Lim Tean, who is running in Jalan Besar GRC, seen leaving Bendemeer Primary School on Nomination Day (30 June). (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE — The first correction direction issued during the General Election by the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office went to the Facebook page of the Peoples Voice (PV) party on Thursday (2 July).

The Alternate Authority for the Minister for Education (MOE) has instructed POFMA Office to issue a correction direction regarding a PV Facebook video on Wednesday which contained a falsehood regarding government expenditure on foreign students.

In the video, PV secretary-general Lim Tean stated, “We spend a quarter of a billion dollars providing free education for foreigners every year.”

MOE said the statement is false and misleading. It added that while the ministry spends about $238 million on foreign students a year, as stated in a Parliamentary reply on 5 August 2019, the significant majority of these students are still required to pay fees higher than those of local students.

In addition, the foreign students may also have to fulfil a bond obligation after graduation.

The Facebook video was also posted on the YouTube channel “Tean Lim”. As of Thursday night, both videos had included a correction statement in the video description.

Lim was previously issued a correction direction for false statements on the same topic on 16 December 2019.

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