Singapore Telling a "lie" to avoid disclosing identities of other people
Earlier, I shared this anecdote of a disastrous covid testing protocol. 

Suppose the minister for health gets angry with me for sharing this anecdote. 

Suppose he uses his POFMA or other ministerial power to demand that I disclose the name of my friend and the two dance instructors. 

Suppose I do not wish to put these three people in the limelight and get them into trouble (for reasons that are peculiar to them).

What do I do? How do I get away from the pressure put by the minister.

I may say that I "lied" about this case. The case did not happen. I made up the story. 

Suppose the minister then set up a non-Parliamentary Committee of Privilege and asked me to testify before this panel. They want to know why I lied, how I lied, who I lied to, who I consulted about my lie, etc.

I would be confused about what my rights are. In giving my answers, I might put other people (including friends whom I consulted) into trouble. 

This case would probably get a million people in Singapore talking about it. After all, it would be widely carried in the state media.

It would be distracting from the real issue.

The real issue is that the current protocol had caused many people in Singapore to suffer the big loss of income and inconvenience, similar to what the two dance instructors had gone through.

Instead of dealing with the important issue, it would be quite unproductive for the minister to focus the resources into determining if TKL had lied about this anecdote. 

Disclaimer - Any resemblance to any similar incident inside and outside Parliament is not intended.

Tan Kin Lian

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