After The Online Citizen (TOC) published its exposé on the UOB–Yang Kee Logistics dispute, some netizens asked: why was TOC the only outlet to run Ken Koh’s side of the story?
Let’s be clear — Ken Koh did not approach TOC exclusively.
As early as mid-February 2024, Koh reached out to five mainstream media outlets:
- The Straits Times
- Mothership
- Bloomberg
- Lianhe Zaobao
- The Business Times
In those emails, he included UOB and relevant ministers in the loop, ensuring the outreach was transparent and on record.
Koh clearly stated he possessed internal emails, legal agreements, financial term sheets, and a statutory declaration detailing his allegations — and expressed his full willingness to present the evidence directly. He wrote:
“I possess audio recordings and supporting evidence of my allegations against UOB and its staff. I am fully prepared to testify and present my evidence during the inquiry.”
Despite this, none of the five media outlets published his account. Only Bloomberg engaged with him, conducting interviews and reviewing material — but ultimately, the story was not published.
TOC published the story on 27 March 2025 — more than a month after Koh’s initial outreach. That was more than enough time for any newsroom to investigate, verify, or even simply ask him questions.
When asked how he felt about the media’s silence, Ken Koh didn’t hold back:
“It’s clear to me that the mainstream media has no public interest at heart. They didn’t even bother to ask me questions.”
This silence raises serious questions — especially at a time when SPH Media Trust, which oversees publications such as The Straits Times, has been allocated S$900 million in public funding over five years and when platforms like Mothership receive government advertising dollars through sponsored content partnerships.
Has this funding subdued the media’s willingness to confront powerful financial institutions or scrutinise state-linked entities?
But there’s a deeper issue Singapore must confront: the culture of fear surrounding defamation lawsuits. For too long, legal threats have been used as a de facto shield for the powerful, not to protect reputations — but to avoid scrutiny.
When the fear of defamation silences media coverage and discourages whistleblowers from speaking out, accountability collapses.
At TOC, we refuse to be part of that silence. We vetted the facts, sought legal advice, and made the editorial call to publish.
Because journalism isn’t about playing it safe — it’s about standing up when others look away.
The post Ken Koh’s story: Why only TOC published it appeared first on The Online Citizen.
