Firm behind Online Citizen registers, but criticises MDA process

SINGAPORE — The company behind socio-political website The Online Citizen (TOC) has submitted its registration forms to the Media Development Authority (MDA), in compliance with the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification, while also flagging concerns about the regulatory framework.

The MDA had asked The Opinion Collaborative Ltd (TOC Ltd) to register — which prohibits it from receiving foreign funding — saying it had imposed the requirement as TOC Ltd, like the website, is similarly involved in the propagation, promotion or discussion of political issues relating to Singapore.

Announcing it had done so yesterday (Nov 10), TOC Ltd also said the MDA’s “excessive and unwarranted concern with foreign funding has hampered its ability to be an effective media developer”. “The MDA’s obsession with foreign funding, unfortunately, also hampers our operational effectiveness — as owners of a small business, we cannot possibly afford to spend time filling in forms every month,” it added. 

TOC Ltd noted that its latest submission is the third registration in relation to TOC, “to fulfil three different obligations, under two different identities with two different government agencies”. It called for the gazetting requirements on TOC as a political association to be lifted. 

In response, the MDA said in a statement that the registration of TOC Ltd “upholds the long-standing principle that politics must remain a matter for Singapore and Singaporeans alone”. 

It pointed out that the restrictions on foreign funding only apply to donations and TOC Ltd can still receive funds for commercial purposes, such as from foreign advertisers or subscribers. They also pertain only to the TOC website and not any other business TOC Ltd may be engaged in. “Such a regulation recognises the evolving nature of an online social enterprise and can hardly be regarded as excessive,” the MDA said.

As for the gazetting of TOC, the MDA said there was some overlap between TOC and TOC Ltd, but its members and directors are not the same. TOC Ltd is not gazetted under the Political Donations Act and is registered as a corporate entity with an undertaking not to receive foreign funding, it added.