Goh Meng Seng handed POFMA order once again

SINGAPORE: People’s Power Party chief Goh Meng Seng has been handed a correction order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) once again, this time for Facebook posts about ex-Transport Minister S Iswaran.

Mr Goh made Facebook posts on Tuesday (26 Mar) claiming that Mr David Lum Kok Seng’s company was awarded a “huge contract” from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) when Mr Iswaran was at the helm of the Transport Ministry.

Asserting that this claim is false, the Government has clarified that LTA did not award any contract to any of Mr David Lum Kok Seng’s companies during the time Mr Iswaran served as Transport Minister.

Mr S Iswaran was appointed as Minister for Transport from 15 May 2021 and served in the role until 17 January 2024

The Government clarified that one of Mr David Lum Kok Seng’s companies, Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd, has two ongoing projects with the LTA – Addition and Alteration Works to Existing Tanah Merah Station and Existing Viaducts; and the construction of North-South Corridor (Tunnel) between Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 9.

The contracts for these projects, however, were awarded in October 2016 and December 2018 respectively – before Mr Iswaran was appointed as Minister for Transport.

LTA has not awarded any contract to Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd since 2019.

Newly-minted Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat has instructed the POFMA Office to issue a Correction Direction to Mr Goh, requiring him to insert a notice against the original post, with a link to the Government’s clarification.

Mr Goh has complied with the latest order. This is his fourth POFMA order, following a spate of three previous orders in 2021 for claims about the COVID-19 variants and vaccines.