Sunday 30 June 2013

Tampines MP files police report over false online article

By Andrea Ong, The Straits Times, 29 Jun 2013

TAMPINES GRC MP Irene Ng has filed a police report over an online article on the haze that was falsely attributed to her.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Ms Ng said the article, "PAP MP Irene Ng: We should not play the blame game over the haze problem", on the website The Real Singapore (TRS), is "pure fiction".

She said she has asked the site to remove the article and apologise for publishing it and for the damage it caused her.

"I did not write this article and have nothing to do with it," she said.

"Sad that the website allows the publication of such malicious forgeries in the name of an elected MP to deceive and mislead its readers."

Ms Ng said she filed the police report due to the "seriousness of the matter", adding: "It is one thing for a website or its writers to be critical of the Government; it is another to impersonate an MP and deceive its readers."

She said that while she supports people's right to express their views, the TRS case was about "forgery and impersonation with a malicious intent to deceive".

She added: "Such irresponsible and unethical websites need to be exposed. Hence, I have decided to take this stand. I take no pleasure from this."

It is not known who TRS' owners are, although sources say they are a couple living in Australia.

In 2012, the site was asked to remove a defamatory post about Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen. It has also been accused by other netizens of plagiarism.

Under the Penal Code, someone who cheats by personation can be jailed for up to five years, fined, or both. Someone who commits forgery can be jailed up to four years, fined, or both.


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