The Ministry of Law has issued corrections regarding false statements of fact made in a Facebook post published by Mr Lee Hsien Yang on July 23, 2023.
This is incorrect. The identity of the tenants played no role in the decision-making process for the renovation works carried out on the properties.
The works were done in keeping with Singapore Land Authority’s practice and were necessary for the properties’ upkeep. The major costs involved were attributed to external consultants’ work, and only a small portion was allocated for the usual works performed before the start of a tenancy to ensure the property’s habitability.
Secondly, Mr Lee made a statement that trees at the aforementioned properties were felled because Ministers Shanmugam and Balakrishnan leased the properties. However, similar to the earlier statement, this is untrue.
All decisions on trees with a girth size of more than one meter were made following inspections by independent arborists, and safety issues were identified. Approval was sought from the National Parks Board (NParks) where required for any felled trees.
Mr Lee’s statements that the felled trees were due to the ministers’ lease need to be corrected.
Thirdly, Mr Lee declared that SPH Media Trust (SMT) fraudulently inflated its circulation numbers. However, this is a falsehood. The overstatement of circulation numbers happened when the media business was under SPH Limited – a listed company.
This was before SMT was incorporated. When SMT took over SPH Limited’s media business, it discovered, reported, and investigated the circulation issue. Therefore, the statements made by Mr Lee are untrue.
Second Minister for Law, Edwin Tong, has instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act Office to issue a correction direction to Mr Lee Hsien Yang with respect to his Facebook post. It is crucial to stay informed about the factual errors being corrected and the importance of speaking the truth.
In conclusion, Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s Facebook post contains several false statements of fact that need correction. It is important to understand the government’s role in the renovation and maintenance of properties and the decision-making process behind the same.
The NParks’ role and regulations related to the trees are also essential to this story. Finally, SPH Media Trust’s creation and the repercussions of its predecessor’s actions have little relevance to the topic at hand.
