Government debunks fake news on Woodlands MRT closure
The Woodlands MRT station was not closed because of a suspected case of the Wuhan coronavirus as claimed by several Facebook posts, said the Government yesterday as it invoked Singapore's law against fake news for the second time in relation to the virus.
As misinformation swirled online about the virus, two posts circulating on Facebook told people to avoid the Woodlands MRT station, claiming a suspected case was discovered there.
The posts, put up by different accounts, also falsely claimed the station was closed for disinfection.
Debunking the fake news, the Transport Ministry said in a Facebook post yesterday: "We would like to clarify that this is not true. Woodlands MRT was not closed on 28 Jan 2020; it was fully operational."
The ministry also asked people not to speculate and spread unfounded rumours and to get the latest updates on the situation through government channels such as www.moh.gov.sg or the Gov.sg Whatsapp group at go.gov.sg/whatsapp.
The latest use of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) against misinformation involving the Wuhan coronavirus follows a warning on Monday by Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran, who is part of the multi-ministerial task force set up to tackle the virus.
He had said at a press conference that swift action would be taken against such falsehoods as they could cause panic among Singaporeans.
Yesterday, the authorities asked Facebook to carry a correction notice alongside the two posts on Woodlands MRT station, directing people to the facts at www.gov.sg/article/factually-clarifications-on-falsehoods-on-woodlands-mrt-closure. But Facebook took the posts down last night.
Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan had initiated the targeted correction direction under Pofma, the second time the law was used in relation to the Wuhan virus.
The Pofma Office urged people to report any suspected falsehoods to info@pofmaoffice.gov.sg.
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