In a recent court ruling, Ariffin Iskandar Sha Ali Akbar, the creator and operator of the alternative news source Wake Up, Singapore (WUSG), alongside Ma Su Nandar Htwe, were fined for their involvement in disseminating a defamatory story.
Ariffin, a 27-year-old Singaporean, has been ordered to pay a fine of S$8,000, while Ma Su Nandar Htwe, a 28-year-old Myanmar national and Singapore permanent resident, has incurred a S$10,000 fine. Both admitted to a single charge of criminal defamation each.
The controversy began in March 2022 when Ma Su Nandar Htwe approached WUSG through Instagram, claiming she had a miscarriage at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) under negligent circumstances. She alleged that despite severe bleeding and being COVID-19 positive, the attending doctor deemed an ultrasound unnecessary, concluding the unborn child had likely perished. She later claimed to have lost consciousness and upon waking, was informed her baby had been disposed of.
Acting on this, WUSG published her account without awaiting a comment from KKH, which consequently found no record of such an incident and discrepancies in her story following an internal investigation.
Upon further inquiry by KKH, which escalated to a police report, and subsequent removal of the article by WUSG, Ma Su Nandar Htwe confessed to fabricating the entire ordeal out of boredom and a craving for drama. An earlier miscarriage managed by KKH was also mentioned but later revealed to be another fabrication.
Ariffin extended a private apology to KKH and issued a public retraction on the WUSG platform. The publication was also directed to issue a correction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), a directive Ariffin complied with.
During the court proceedings, Ariffin’s early admission of guilt and cooperation were highlighted by his lawyer as signs of repentance. In contrast, Ma Su Nandar Htwe’s attorney presented her actions as stemming from perinatal depression and a previous traumatizing account. Moreover, the fact that she was indeed pregnant and suffering from health concerns during her visit to KKH on February 28, 2022, was established as truth. Her child was born healthy in July 2022.
The judge condemned their actions, emphasizing the frivolous nature of their motivations and the unnecessary diversion of resources during a critical period. Failure to pay the fines would result in imprisonment for both.
The maximum penalty for criminal defamation could have led to a two-year jail sentence, with and/or a fine, highlighting the gravity of such offenses.
