S'pore student shuts down blog after threat of legal action By Valerie Tan, Channel NewsAsia


SINGAPORE: Blogs, or Web Logs, are electronic replacements for the good old pen-and-paper diary. But the similarities end there.

While a diary can only be read by its author, a blog can be read by anyone anywhere. One Singaporean scholar recently got into hot soup for making allegedly racist comments. Now, Channel NewsAsia found out that another Singaporean blogger, studying in the United States, has had to pull off his blog. The ex-scholar, pursuing his Masters in the States, has shut down his blog after apparently being threatened with legal action.

Lawyers say bloggers need to understand they can be sued for comments in cyberspace. Blogs are popular ways for the internet community to express their thoughts online. But Chen Jiahao, a Singaporean studying in the United States, might have taken it too far. He allegedly criticised the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)'s scholarship system, in his blogs.

The former Public Service Commission scholar is said to have criticised some of its policies requiring scholars to meet certain standards. Chen claimed he was threatened with legal action, in emails from A*STAR's chairman Philip Yeo. But A*Star has not confirmed or denied the incident.

It told Channel NewsAsia that its chairman was away until June 7 and could not give a camera interview. The blog was shut down last month. In its place is a note from Chen, under his blog name of AcidFlask, apologizing for making remarks "which Mr Yeo felt were defamatory to him and A*Star". He also promised not to mention the agency or Mr Yeo by name again at the website.

Lawyers say bloggers need to be aware that they need to be responsible for what they say online. "I think that if the writings in the blog were indeed defamatory, then the person who has been defamed can actually take legal action against the blogger. In other words, he can be sued," said Gilbert Leong, a partner at Rodyk & Davidson. - CNA/ir

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Wow, we can be sued for defaming comments on our own blog, which might inhibit people from putting what they strongly feel about certain stuff in their blog. What if the comments hold some truth in it. You know, you u felt strongly about something, especially something bad, you tend to write it a bit more extremely, with extreme opinions, sometimes even with tiny tiny trace of distortion. This is human behavior, self-serving bias. Well I don't know much about civil laws, perhaps the contents in the 2 blogs mentioned in the news are really too extreme. I guess, if they were to do a serious investigation of all the blogs. Many bloggers would be sued.

However, on the other hand, it's true that we have to be responsible for our speech, especially when blogs are becoming so popular la, with potentially high frequency of public access. If people utter untrue statement that affect other thing adversely, that other thing will suffer innocently. Without proper protection, blog might be misuse for evil action with the intention to malign the victims.

All in all, some level of legal liability for blog is appropriate, but human rights and freedom of speech must be taken into considerations too. There's must be a balance between legal intervention and people's liberty to express their heartfelt opinions in their very own, personal blog. Guess there might be a need to define the red line between defaming and criticizing. Bloggers should also be responsible enough to use blog for the right intention, and not for their selfish and harmful motives. This is to maintain the integrity of blog culture..