The Media Development Authority (MDA) has informed The Opinion Collaborative (TOC Ltd), the social enterprise behind socio-political site The Online Citizen, to register under the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification of the Broadcasting Act.

In other words, TOC will have to declare to MDA that it will not receive any foreign funding for the site's operations, should TOC choose to register.

However, TOC had already declared to the Prime Minister's Office in 2011 that it will only receive funding from Singaporeans when it was gazetted by the PMO as a political association. One requirement was for all its donations to be declared.

Here is the media release from MDA:

"The Media Development Authority (MDA) has, on 30 Sept 2014, notified The Opinion Collaborative Ltd (TOC Ltd), the corporate entity behind The Online Citizen (TOC), to register under the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification, which was enacted under Section 9 of the Broadcasting Act.

MDA has assessed that the TOC website engages in the propagation, promotion or discussion of political issues relating to Singapore. As a corporate entity, TOC Ltd is susceptible to foreign influence through the receipt of foreign funding. MDA will therefore require that TOC Ltd undertake not to receive foreign funding for its provision, management and/or operation as part of the registration. MDA’s registration requirement seeks to uphold the principle that politics must remain a matter for Singapore and Singaporeans alone.

As with other registered sites such as The Independent and Mothership.sg, the registration does not entail changes to the content standards and will not affect what TOC may publish on its website."

TOC said that it has received the request and will be discussing the details with MDA.

Since July 2013, MDA has asked three websites to register under the class licensing act. The Independent and Mothership.sg complied, while Breakfast Network declined and had to shut down its site.

Top photo from TOC Facebook page.

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