The founder of a website that has been blocked by the Singapore government has claimed he is being forced to return here -- just to renew his passport.

This latest claim appeared as a post on the States Times Review Facebook page on April 4, 2019.

What is going on?

The Singaporean is Alex Tan, 31, who has been based in Australia the past few years.

He is responsible for starting the anti-establishment States Times Review website, which was blocked by the Singapore government on Nov. 9, 2018.

Shutting down website and Facebook page

The States Times Review Facebook post alleged that Tan has been compelled to return to Singapore in person to renew his passport.

Referring to this arrangement as part of a "deal", the post said Tan would be shutting down the States Times Review Facebook page and the Singapore Herald website on April 5, at 11.59pm.

The States Times Review website is currently inaccessible by users from Singapore.

The website, Singapore Herald, was started a day after the States Times Review website was blocked by the Singapore government in November 2018.

The Singapore Herald was also subsequently blocked.

Why is coming back to Singapore tricky?

Tan has been posting unflattering views on Singapore and the government for a few years now.

He previously maintained that he could do so within the confines of Australia and he was entitled to his speech.

But the gravity of the situation is perhaps sinking in.

The latest Facebook post said Tan is facing a litany of charges upon his return to Singapore -- and randomly dropped a figure of 200 years in prison as punishment -- all of which are unconfirmed.

What is the standard procedure for passport renewal for overseas Singaporeans?

Passport renewal for Singaporeans should be a breeze -- even for those overseas.

Overseas applications require about three to four weeks to process, provided all relevant documents are duly submitted.

The ICA will dispatch the passport to the Singapore overseas mission for collection.

Not the first time shutting down a web entity

This is not the first time Tan is shutting down a website.

Previously, he said the States Times Review website will be shut down after it was blocked by the Singapore government in November 2018.

The site appears to still be up.

The Singapore Herald that was started as a replacement was initially revealed to not be linked to Tan -- just that he helped with setting it up and passing it on to another anonymous person, or so he claimed.

But this latest post on the States Times Review Facebook page shows Tan and Singapore Herald are still entwined.

The Singapore Herald has also been blocked in Singapore.

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