The Online Citizen makes comeback, owner Terry Xu to move to Taiwan to run it

Reactivated.

Belmont Lay | September 16, 2022, 06:06 PM

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The Online Citizen is back.

Its website and social media accounts were reactivated on Friday, Sep. 16.

TOC's editor Terry Xu said he is "relocating" to Taiwan to oversee its operations.

Xu wrote on TOC's Facebook page and website after reactivating them.

He said he was relocating to Taiwan to "start up a news media outlet which will provide daily news coverage in Asia".

"Both the operation of the website along with its social media platforms have been transferred to a new company that is registered in Taiwan while the old Singapore entity is in the midst of closure," he wrote.

However, the reactivated TOC will not cover daily news but will be focused on providing commentaries and analysis on current affairs in Asia.

He said more details will be announced "in due course".

Background

TOC was ordered to stop posting on its websites and social medial media accounts on Sep. 14, 2021.

IMDA said TOC failed to declare all its funding sources, despite "multiple reminders and extensions".

It was given two weeks to provide further information to comply with the Broadcasting Act.

The website and some of its social media accounts were deactivated two days later before IMDA's deadline.

On Oct. 15, the authority said TOC's licence was cancelled after it repeatedly refused to declare its funding sources.

In December, the High Court dismissed an application by TOC to quash IMDA's orders to close its website and social media accounts.

Top photos via Terry Xu & TOC