INGAPORE: As of 6.30 pm on 3 September, Lebanese-Palestinian American comedian Sammy Obeid has yet to publish correction notices required under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), following a Correction Direction issued to him over alleged falsehoods.
On 1 September 2025, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) issued the directive, requiring Obeid to append correction notices to his 27 August posts on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).
The ministry said these posts contained false statements about the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of his stand-up shows in Singapore.
However, checks on his accounts showed that Obeid has not appended the notices to the posts dated 27 August.
TOC has written to the POFMA Office seeking clarification on the deadline given to Obeid to comply with the directive, as well as the potential actions that may be taken since he has not done so as of 3 September.
As of the close of the working day, no response had been received, but updates will be provided once the office replies.
In past instances, individuals or organisations that received a Correction Direction were typically required to publish the notice by around 9 am to 12 pm the following day.
In a later post, Obeid addressed fans who had purchased tickets for the cancelled show, saying he had emailed them options for refunds or transfers.
He assured supporters that requests would be processed within one to two weeks.
“Please bear with us as it’s over 1,100 orders and emails to respond to. We will make sure all full refund requests are processed,” he wrote.
For those opting for ticket transfers or a private virtual show, he added that arrangements were being made.
The POFMA Office clarified that Obeid is not required to delete his original posts but must clearly append correction notices linking to the official Government explanation on the Factually website.
This, it said, allows readers to see both accounts and “draw their own conclusions.”
Under Section 15 of POFMA, failure to comply with a Correction Direction without reasonable excuse is an offence.
Individuals who do not comply may face fines of up to S$20,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.
Authorities may also direct internet service providers to block access to non-compliant content in Singapore through an access blocking order.
The Correction Direction followed remarks by Law Minister Edwin Tong on 31 August, when he described
Obeid’s version of events as “completely fictional”.
He said authorities were considering invoking POFMA, stressing that such claims could mislead the public and mischaracterise the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) role.
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo authorised the Correction Direction.
In its statement, the ministry said Obeid’s posts misrepresented IMDA’s involvement and wrongly implied that the agency had requested script edits due to content.
According to the Government’s clarification, IMDA had no discussions—directly or through representatives—with Obeid about his script.
It stated that no edits were requested, nor were any objections raised regarding the show’s content.
“Mr Obeid’s account of protracted back-and-forth interactions with the Government is inaccurate,” the ministry said.
“IMDA never discussed Mr Obeid’s script or its content with him or his representatives. IMDA never requested edits, nor did it suggest removing any material.”
Obeid had alleged in his posts that IMDA asked him to “completely remove” certain segments from his script and had objected to others. The Government has rejected these claims as false.
In a separate video, Obeid shared a recording in which an unidentified individual is heard telling him to remove “anything that has to do with Palestine and Israel.” The comedian presented this as evidence of censorship.
Past case of access blocking
In June 2023, Singapore authorities blocked access to online news publication Asia Sentinel after it failed to comply with POFMA requirements to publish a correction notice.
The controversy stemmed from an article titled “Singapore Kills A Chicken To Scare The Monkeys”, which criticised Singapore’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and compared it with experiences involving human rights lawyer M Ravi and Lee Hsien Yang, brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the article contained false statements and issued a Correction Direction.
However, Asia Sentinel did not publish the correction notice in the required position on its website and the article page.
The Ministry of Communications and Information subsequently ordered an access block, which it said could only be revoked if Asia Sentinel complied with the directive.
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