Shanmugam and Tan See Leng to donate Bloomberg damages to charity

Singaporean ministers K Shanmugam and Tan See Leng announced Tuesday they will donate the damages awarded to them in a defamation suit against Bloomberg to charity. The High Court awarded each minister S$230,000 (US$178,000) after ruling that Bloomberg and journalist Low De Wei had maliciously defamed them in a July 2024 article concerning their property transactions.

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From the outset, this case has been about protecting my integrity and reputation, and the standing of the office I hold.

In separate Facebook posts, the ministers reiterated that the lawsuit was fundamentally about safeguarding their integrity, reputations, and the standing of their ministerial offices. Dr. Tan welcomed the court's judgment, which he said "affirmed that the allegations conveyed by the article were defamatory" and vindicated his position. He emphasized that while political office holders must be open to scrutiny, media reporting must be fair and accurate, especially when dealing with allegations that could severely damage an individual's reputation.

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while political office holders must remain open to scrutiny and legitimate criticism, media reporting should be "fair and accurate", particularly where it concerns allegations that can seriously damage an individual's reputation.

Mr. Shanmugam explained his decision to pursue legal action despite the public scrutiny involved. He argued that allowing "irresponsible outlets like Bloomberg" to publish "lies and falsehoods" about public officers without consequence would establish a detrimental new norm. "It will mean that anyone wanting to serve the public will have to face an additional obstacle – that well-funded organisations like Bloomberg will use lies to attack them, put them down and seek to destroy their reputations," he wrote.

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It will mean that anyone wanting to serve the public will have to face an additional obstacle – that well-funded organisations like Bloomberg will use lies to attack them, put them down and seek to destroy their reputations.

Shanmugam further elaborated on the High Court's key findings, stating the court determined Bloomberg's article contained falsehoods that impugned the ministers' integrity and character, and that the defendants acted with malice. He highlighted the judge's findings regarding Bloomberg's editorial process, suggesting internal discussions indicated the article was intended to target the ministers, particularly himself, with a broader narrative serving as a "cover."

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organisations like Bloomberg "should not be allowed to get away with such irresponsible conduct in Singapore".