Govt should rebut mistaken views in cyberspace

I refer to the report “Studying behaviour ‘can lead to better results for schemes, policies’” (June 26).

Head of Civil Service Peter Ong said there were many nudge effects in the online space, and “the first few comments on a new article may have a disproportionate influence on the tone of the subsequent discussion”.

He suggested the silent majority be nudged to speak up online, “so that a better balance of views is captured”.

Currently, government agencies rely mainly on the mainstream media and their official websites to explain policies.

To prevent misconception of policies and unfair comments from spreading disproportionate influence on public opinion, agencies should not remain silent in cyberspace when these happen.

Take, for example, the release of the Population White Paper in 2013. Many netizens straight away criticised the population projection of between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by 2030, and created a furore without digesting the paper.

Many were unaware the paper had proposed tighter controls on foreign labour and permanent residents. Its objectives were twisted in many blogs in just days.

Changes in Central Provident Fund withdrawal rules last year also encountered many criticisms, some of which made sense, while some were undue accusations and slanted.

If government agencies would counter mistaken and distorted views in popular blogs, more of the public, especially the silent majority, would join in to give their take. Policies could also be better understood in cyberspace.

The importance of online media is increasing and may one day overtake traditional media in shaping public opinions. In this respect, we should prevent our online domain from being an avenue of splitting Singaporeans’ unity via the sowing of half-truths and distrust.

Let us work together to turn it into a vibrant platform conducive to constructive debate and the building of more mutual understanding and common ground among us.