Singapore Blocks Access to MalaysiaNow After Refusal to Comply with Pofma Orders

SINGAPORE, Nov 17: Singaporean authorities have ordered internet service providers to block access to Malaysian news portal MalaysiaNow after the outlet failed to comply with a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma).

The move follows MalaysiaNow’s Nov 9 article concerning the treatment of executed drug courier Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, which Singapore authorities identified as containing multiple falsehoods.

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Digital Development and Information said MalaysiaNow refused to display correction notices alongside its article, despite repeated reminders.

“These are not actions that would be taken by any responsible media outlet with journalistic integrity,” the statement said. The ministries explained that the correction notices were intended to allow readers in Singapore to compare the original article with the official corrections.

Following the outlet’s non-compliance, the Minister for Digital Development and Information instructed the Infocomm Media Development Authority to block access to the site in Singapore.

In addition, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong directed the Pofma Office to issue targeted correction notices to social media platforms Meta, LinkedIn, and X, where the article had been shared.

Earlier, the Pofma Office had identified five broad falsehoods in MalaysiaNow’s article, including claims that Pannir Selvam Pranthaman’s execution disregarded the rule of law. Singapore authorities clarified the legal process from conviction to the clemency application.

MalaysiaNow, meanwhile, rejected the correction order in a Facebook statement. Editor Abdar Rahman Koya said, “It is baffling, even amusing, to think that the Singapore government could expect the media in Malaysia to follow them. We do not take instructions from our own government; what makes them think we would take instructions from them?”

The access blocking order represents one of Singapore’s stricter enforcement actions under POFMA against foreign media platforms.