Building trust is most effective way to curb spread of falsehoods

I refer to the report “Government agencies should be included under anti-harassment law: Experts” (Jan 25).

If government agencies were to be included under the Protection from Harassment Act, the public would have to be more careful about criticising such agencies.

Even if members of the public see their comments as the truth, the possibility of undergoing a long-drawn litigation with the Government may obstruct them from making comments in the first place.

This may create an environment where people are afraid to express their thoughts and hence cannot partake in active citizenship.

There is also no need for legislation to protect public bodies from the “deliberate spreading of falsehoods”.

As pointed out in the case of the Attorney-General versus Ting Choon Meng, the Defence Ministry is “a government agency possessed of significant resources and access to media channels”.

If someone were spreading falsehoods, the agency could extricate itself through official clarification and retain or restore trust through the good work it does.

Such measures allow agencies to demonstrate that they are serving people, and not shutting them up.

Confidence in the Government or any organisation is earned and never a given.

I hope the Government recognises that the most effective way to prevent the spread of falsehoods is to build trust and rapport with the people, and not via an authoritarian rule of law.