Blogger files defence for defamation suit by PM, Local tech companies to get help from enterprises

Mothership Memo: Commenting on the important news for you daily.

Martino Tan| June 18, 12:06 PM

Mothership Memo is Mothership’s daily brief on the important headlines of the day. We will also contribute our views on the issues at hand.

 

Blogger files defence for defamation suit by PM

Blogger Roy Ngerng’s lawyer M Ravi filed his defence in court stating that Ngerng never intended to accuse PM Lee Hsien Loong of criminal misappropriation of CPF funds.

In his defence papers filed on 17 June, Ravi argued that there was no case of defamation and no grounds for the aggravated damages PM Lee is seeking. This is because Ngerng had already acceded to the demands made by PM Lee, before the legal suit was commenced.

PM Lee has 14 days to reply to the defence submitted, with the issue now receiving much attention from the international media. Well respected international news weekly The Economist noted how the saga "says much about the ways the place has changed in recent years; and the ways it has not". It also observed how "many Singaporeans who think Mr Ngerng is wrong have some sympathy for him and feel the prime minister is bullying him".

Ngerng was recently interviewed by Australia's public broadcaster ABC News. In the four minute interview, ABC journalist Mark Colvin said that the lawsuit is "an old tactic in Singapore to silence dissent" and said that Ngerng's sacking was "politically motivated"  as "the minister for health himself made it his business to announce the sacking of a low level patient co-ordinator". 

 

Local tech companies to get help from enterprises

The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) announced the S$15 million iPACT (Partnership for Capability Transformation) programme which incentivises large enterprises to work with local technology companies in the information communication and technology sectors. Currently, Motorola, Microsoft, StarHub, and Razer has agreed to participate in iPACT and will each help two to three local companies for up to two years. The programme will help these local companies get access to the market, gain expertise from their larger partner companies and have the opportunity to tap on their networks.

This initiative will allow for a useful transfer of knowledge and insight between the companies. With four enterprises onboard helping two to three local companies, it would seem that this programme would cost IDA slightly over S$1 million for each local company helped. Local companies who would want expert help should be excited at this opportunity.

 

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