SSISS: Closing the chapter on the warships?

Bringing you in tune with what’s happening around you today.

Jonathan Lim| February 13, 04:22 AM

Sound Smarter in Sixty Seconds (SSISS) is a new column by Mothership where we brief you on the important headlines of the day. We will also contribute our views on the issues at hand.

 

Foreign Minister K Shanmugam weighs in on warship-naming issue

Minister Shanmugam spoke to the Singapore media that he welcomed comments made by Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa that there was no ill will or malice intended in the naming of the warships.

Shanmugam gave an elaboration of the incident between Singapore and Indonesia during 'Konfrantasi' - how Singapore released 45 captured men back to Indonesia during that period excluding the two executed marines. Shanmugam noted that under the Geneva Convention, the two executed marines were wearing plainclothes and their actions were illegal and there was no "debating on how to characterise it."

This is Minister Shanmugam's third statement on this issue, following last week's press release and his FB post. While there is no major uproar among Singaporeans online about this issue, it is interesting why our Government would continually address this issue. It is one of sovereignty. Singapore is small, but it cannot be seen to back down when bigger countries press their weight and lean in on our space. The reality is that Indonesia can name their ships however they want - and get away with it; but it does not mean Singapore should not do or say anything about it.

 

Singapore PM Lee "unfriends" Yudhoyono? Indonesian media duped by satirical website

Several Indonesian media outlets carried an article from satirical website New Nation headlined: "PM Lee unfriends Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Facebook, untags him from photos".

The article went viral yesterday, with the media gaffes committed by several reputable Indonesian media outlets. A few websites later realised their mistake and ran corrections.

 

This is not the first time a news website was duped by New Nation. SPH-owned online portal STOMP presented a fake news article of a woman who fainted to promote political unity as real news last Jan. Veteran journalists are not immune to such mistakes. The Star's Seah Chiang Nee used a quote from a fake person in New Nation for his commentary. It is interesting to note that the ST article did not appear in the papers today. Read how the Indonesian media outlets compete to see who can get trolled worse by S’pore satirical website.

 

Top photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore. Photo of Minister Shanmugam and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa on 4 Feb.

Find Mothership.SG on Facebook and Twitter.