LAW and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng have initiated defamation proceedings against US financial news agency Bloomberg and its journalist Low De Wei, The Online Citizen reported today.
The lawsuit concerns a December 2024 article on good class bungalow (GCB) transactions in Singapore, which the ministers allege contains libellous statements about their property dealings.
A case conference for the lawsuit is scheduled in the Supreme Court on March 3, 2025.
The legal action follows a Bloomberg article published on 12 December 2024, titled “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy.”
The article examined Good Class Bungalow (GCB) transactions in Singapore and referenced property deals involving the two ministers. Bloomberg’s reporting suggested that nearly half of GCB transactions in 2024 lacked public records, raising transparency concerns.
In identical Facebook posts on 16 December 2024, the ministers described Bloomberg’s article as libellous and announced plans to issue letters of demand (LOD) to the publication and others that had republished the claims.
According to the hearing list, Shanmugam and Tan are being represented by a legal team from Davinder Singh Chambers, including Davinder Singh, David Fong, and Bryan Wong. Bloomberg and Low are being defended by lawyers from RCL Chambers Law.
Ministers’ Claims Against Bloomberg
Based on the Letter of Demand (LOD) received by The Online Citizen—which would likely align with similar demands sent to other media outlets—the ministers argue that Bloomberg’s article falsely suggests that Singapore lacks proper disclosure requirements for GCB transactions.
The ministers contend that all property transactions are recorded on the Singapore Land Authority (SLA)’s Integrated Land Information Service (INLIS) database, whether or not a caveat is lodged.
They further claim that the government is aware of the identities of property buyers, even when trusts are used.
A key focus of the lawsuit is Bloomberg’s reporting on Shanmugam’s sale of a GCB in Queen Astrid Park for S$88 million in August 2023, which was transferred to UBS Trustees through a trust.
The ministers claim that Bloomberg’s article falsely suggests that such transactions obscure ownership details and raise doubts about whether lawmakers involved in them uphold transparency.
The ministers argue that these claims are false and defamatory, portraying them as engaging in secretive dealings and misusing legal mechanisms for privacy.
The LOD describes these allegations as “false, scurrilous, and malicious,” asserting that they harm the ministers’ reputations and integrity.
Other Media Outlets Targeted
Beyond Bloomberg, other media outlets were also issued correction orders under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) for republishing parts of the article.
The Edge Singapore, The Independent Singapore, and TOC were all directed to issue corrections.
The Edge Singapore complied by removing its article and publishing a public apology to the ministers. However, TOC’s chief editor, Terry Xu, refused to comply.
Xu, who is based in Taiwan, publicly stated that he has yet to receive a writ of summons. Under Taiwanese law, the ministers would need court approval in Taiwan to formally serve him.
Following the POFMA correction direction, Bloomberg added a correction notice to its article but maintained its position, stating: “Bloomberg respectfully disagrees with it and reserves its right to appeal and challenge the Correction Direction. We stand by our reporting.”
The Straits Times reported today the case against the business news publication will be heard in its Supreme Court on March 3. – February 26, 2025
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