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A correction order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) has been issued to US comedian Sammy Obeid after a row over his cancelled Singapore show.
“Mr Obeid’s account of protracted back-and-forth interactions with the government is inaccurate,” the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said on Monday.
“In his posts, he claims that the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) requested edits, told him to ‘completely remove’ portions of his script, and said it ‘didn’t like’ other sections.”
MDDI said that none of these things happened and that IMDA never discussed Obeid’s script or its content with him or his representatives.
The ministry added that the IMDA “never requested edits”, nor did it suggest removing any material.
“The cancellation had nothing to do with content,” MDDI said.
The ministry also said it was aware of claims based on the recording of a private conversation.
It said that IMDA was not part of that discussion.
“It never had any discussions – directly or indirectly – with Mr Obeid or his representatives about his script and certainly never asked for any edits or removals,” the ministry said.
Under the POFMA correction direction, Obeid will be required to carry correction notices alongside his Facebook, Instagram, and X posts published on August 27.
He will not be required to remove his posts.
“These notices will provide readers with a link to the government’s clarification so they can read both versions and draw their own conclusions,” MDDI said.












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Sammy Obeid (@sammyobeid)



MDDI also provided a timeline of events:

July 8: Mr Obeid’s assistant contacted IMDA about application timelines and was informed on July 9 that applications must be submitted 40 working days in advance via a local representative.


August 15: A formal Arts Entertainment Licence application was submitted by his local representative (“the applicant”) just 10 working days before the planned August 31 show.


August 19: IMDA informed the applicant that the application was too late to process.


August 20: The applicant appealed for reconsideration.


August 25: IMDA reiterated that the application could not be processed as it had been submitted 30 working days late.

MDDI said that Obeid’s false claims risked causing a “serious misunderstanding”, and “erode public trust in IMDA’s licensing role”.
They also risked inflaming public sentiment on an already sensitive issue, MDDI said.
“We know many Singaporeans care deeply about Gaza. We want to reassure everyone that this case was not about silencing anyone’s voice. Singaporeans will always have channels to express their views reasonably and constructively on Gaza and other important issues,” it added.
This story was first published by CNA


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The order requires Sammy Obeid to carry correction notices alongside his social media posts


The order requires Sammy Obeid to carry correction notices alongside his social media posts.


In dispute over censorship, Singapore issues POFMA order to US comedian Sammy Obeid

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The order requires Sammy Obeid to carry correction notices alongside his social media posts

The order requires Sammy Obeid to carry correction notices alongside his social media posts