If you've always felt the European football transfer market is unruly and overwhelmed by excess cash with players traded like cattle, here's the Singapore equivalent -- except there isn't much cash to go around.

A bunch of people formerly from The Online Citizen (TOC) website has moved on to another outfit called The Independent Singapore (TISG).

Ravi Philemon, Howard Lee and Kumaran Pillai are the people who have joined TISG as lead editor, opinions editor and publisher, respectively.

All are alumni of TOC.

Both Philemon and Pillai were chief editors of TOC, while Lee was Commentaries Editor when the site split from The Opinion Collaborative (TOCL) last year.

The involvement of these three editors in TISG was formalised as they called for a press conference on May 27, announcing the defection move.

Things get hairy

Wait, what is The Opinion Collaborative (TOCL) again?

And here's where things get a bit hard to understand.

TOC the website came under the financial oversight and fund-raising efforts of this other company called The Opinion Collaborative (TOCL).

But this TOCL company broke off from TOC on Sept. 30 last year. Why? Beats me.

Regardless, TOCL is still obligated under Media Development Authority rules to declare funds that goes to TOC, despite the split.

Now think about it this way: TOC, has effectively, become the ex-girlfriend of TOCL.

TOCL then shopped around for another girlfriend. And found TISG.

This then frees up TOCL as it can now possibly collaborate with overseas organisations -- as long as funds do not go to TISG -- especially when TOCL is no longer affiliated with TOC.

The partnership between TOCL and TISG, announced yesterday (May 27) in the absence of TOC, would be reviewed in six months.

During this time, TISG says its events organisation arm intends to diversify through TOCL, a company which claims it specialises in organising forums featuring civil society activists and politicians.

“There’s a great deal of synergy in what we want to achieve,” said Lee.

Lee is also director at TOCL.

The end.

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