The Kent Ridge Common, 16 Apr 2009, Kelvin Teo
SINGAPORE - The most ubiquitous case in which a government body has resorted to the threat of a defamation suit against a particular citizen was a showdown between Acid Flask, a Singaporean blogger by the name of Mr Chen Jiahao, and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
What transpired was Mr Chen claimed that A*STAR had offered lump sums to universities to admit its scholarship holders into their PhD programs. A*STAR felt that Mr Chen’s comments were defamatory because this implied that the former was corrupt in its dealings. After A*STAR resorted to legal action, Mr Chen put up an apology notice. The interesting part was that it was only two years after the incident that A*STAR revealed the basis for their legal action, and put up the evidence alleging Mr Chen’s defamatory writings on its website.
Upon knowing the truth of what transpired between A*STAR and Mr Chen, there was a mixture of responses from the public. Some felt that A*STAR was justified in seeking legal recourse. Others were totally against it. Thus, the pertinent question is - is it worthwhile for government bodies to resort to defamation suits?
Read More
