ST:- Blogger erases comment after minister sends lawyer's letter

ST:- Blogger erases comment after minister sends lawyer's letter

By Tessa Wong

CABINET Minister K. Shanmugam yesterday sent a lawyer's letter to well-known blogger Alex Au, asking him to remove from his website allegedly defamatory comments about the minister.

Mr Au did so by last night, saying he took the Foreign Affairs and Law Minister at his word.

In possibly the first legal action here by a politician against online media contributors, Mr Shanmugam's letter to Mr Au yesterday was headlined Defamatory Statements Published On yawningbread.wordpress.com .

The website is his blog address and the comments in question were made by Mr Au last Thursday when he criticised the mainstream media's treatment of opposition MP Yaw Shin Leong and his alleged extramarital affair.

Mr Au said that there had been 'relative silence when it came to allegations swirling around K. Shanmugam and Foo Mee Har at various points in the recent past'.

'That there were rumours is widely known, though as in the Yaw Shin Leong case, no one can point to any proof.'

Mr Yaw is the Workers' Party MP for Hougang while Ms Foo is an MP for West Coast GRC. It is not known if Ms Foo will also commence legal proceedings.

Yesterday, Mr Shanmugam's lawyers from Allen and Gledhill, Senior Counsel Ang Cheng Hock and Mr Tay Yong Seng, said that the comment by Mr Au referred to online allegations made primarily by an anonymous netizen called Scroobal.

'The allegations (by Scroobal) are false and scurrilous,' they wrote in their letter.

They said that Mr Shanmugam had instructed them to try and trace Scroobal in order to sue him.

'But the Internet being what it is, Scroobal has been untraceable so far,' they said in their letter.

'Likewise, others who have repeated the allegations made by Scroobal have so far been untraceable.'

The lawyers also stated in their letter that they have been instructed to commence legal proceedings against 'anyone who makes such allegations against our client'.

Mr Ang later told The Straits Times: 'There are some people who have posted with what appears to be their names. We will be proceeding against them.'

A search on the Internet found at least two posts made on the Sammyboy forum by Scroobal about Mr Shanmugam's personal life.

The first, posted around late 2010, is no longer on Sammyboy.

But it has since been reposted on other websites. The second posting was on Sunday and can still be accessed.

Mr Shanmugam, formerly a senior counsel with Allen and Gledhill, married a clinical psychologist in 2008. It is his second marriage.

Beyond removing his comment, his lawyers also asked Mr Au to publish their letter in full on his website.

Last night, Mr Au did so and posted the letter with the comment: 'I take Shanmugam's word on this matter. I have withdrawn that comment as requested.'

At the end of the letter, he said: 'Needless to say, no comments to this post will be necessary.'

twong@sph.com.sg

[globalcookie]

There they go again, using the law against people.

In democratic countries, it is for them to prove their innocence. In Singapore, they take legal suit. How do they earn respect this way?

[HeiYuEr]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

There they go again, using the law against people.

In democratic countries, it is for them to prove their innocence. In Singapore, they take legal suit. How do they earn respect this way?

that what they best at it isnt it?

they know most local guys here are born with small balls....so abit nia,all humji liao,lol

[Guppies Onli]

It's juz not enough money to play with them. See how the old man sue ppl, you need plenty of $$$ to play with them.

Originally Posted by HeiYuEr

that what they best at it isnt it?

they know most local guys here are born with small balls....so abit nia,all humji liao,lol

[HeiYuEr]

Originally Posted by Guppies Onli

It's juz not enough money to play with them. See how the old man sue ppl, you need plenty of $$$ to play with them.

for one that u think u will never be able to win....nothing much for any room to fore play at all in the first place

[Guppies Onli]

Fore play???

Originally Posted by HeiYuEr

for one that u think u will never be able to win....nothing much for any room to fore play at all in the first place

in a country where courtroom are full of
how to win and also if the it is full of flipping

This the play yard of the 权贵。

[Kohaku]

Originally Posted by HeiYuEr

that what they best at it isnt it?

they know most local guys here are born with small balls....so abit nia,all humji liao,lol

As stated by Guppies Onli, it not locals guys got no balls, it the hussle, time and not to say the money to engage lawyers to fight this case?

My friend ever got a lawyer to fight his case about his eviction from a rented room by the owner in 2 days, when his contract says give 1 month notice. It took him 6 months and $15000, just writing letters to the owners to ask for reasonable extension. In the end my friend won and get to pay only half price as the owner paid the other half as it was about going to court to settle. The owner relent because she rent the flat at a higher price than what she rent to my friend and she does not want to lose this new tenant. My friend, on the other hand, got to stay for another few months, during this process, looking for new unit to rent.

If anyone have the money, who wont want to fight the case and come out a winner. The winner may even become famous overnight for winning the case as it will be widely covered by the media.

[globalcookie]

Looking at how the judgements were handed out to anyone opposing the ruling party, who would fight a case?

Look at JBJ's many cases. In almost all his suits, he lost! But if these cases were heard in some International Courts or in the States, would JBJ lost? NO! Look at Tang Liang Hong's case, look at CSJ, and many others.

So who would even want to fight a case against them? Even if you have a case, you would lose.

Any legal suits involving them and their machinery, we better just drop it and move on.

If we even look at our judiciary system, in the past, after Court of Appeals, the case can even brought up to Privy Council. In the past, the Queens Council can be engaged to fight cases in Singapre. But what happened after JBJ successfully 'won' a case but was fined $20k?

[Huaikong]

wow long time no c this tactic liao......