LAWYERS for Liberty (LfL) has filed a suit against the Singaporean home minister for issuing it with a correction order with regard to a statement by the human rights group on “unlawful” execution methods in the republic.

The group is seeking a court order that K. Shanmugam cannot take action against Malaysian organisations by using Singapore’s Protection From Online Falsehood and Manipulation Act 2019 (Pofma).

LfL adviser N. Surendran said the anti-fake news law is oppressive, and was passed amid great controversy.

The originating summons, filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, names Shanmugam as the sole defendant.

The group, through its registered company, LFL Sdn Bhd, is the first plaintiff. Surendran and LfL director Melissa Sasidaran are the second and third plaintiffs, respectively.

“The correction order issued against us is an attempt by Singapore to encroach upon, to stifle, or to crack down on freedom of speech in Malaysia,” Surendran told reporters after filing the suit.

“It is an attempt to reach out their tentacles and impose their own oppressive fake news act on Malaysians issuing statements in Malaysia.

“Remember, our government has repealed our fake news law, but they (Singapore) are now trying to impose their fake news law on us, and that is why we’ve filed this suit.”

The Singaporean government wants LfL to remove from its website a statement on executions in the country and replace it with a correction.

The LfL statement said Singaporean prison officers are instructed to kick the back of an inmate’s neck with great force to break it if the rope snaps during a hanging, and that the government approves of such “unlawful methods”.

Surendran confirmed that Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority has instructed service providers to block the LfL website.

LfL was represented by lawyers Ambiga Sreenevasan and Gurdial Singh Nijar.

Gurdial slammed the move to use Pofma against Malaysians.

“It means that you’re applying your laws to the citizens of this country, preventing them from exercising their fundamental rights granted under our constitution.

“Using the back door, the Singaporean government is seeking to enforce what our government has repudiated.”

He said generally, sovereign states and their ministers have immunity from legal actions launched in another country.

“They have sovereign rights, but when it affects the fundamental human rights of the citizens of this country, the court has to consider whether there is a public policy that overrides their claims of sovereignty.

“This is one of the issues that will be canvassed… what they are seeking to do is actually a violation of international law.” – January 24, 2020.