Sacked Progress S’pore Party member apologises to S’pore People’s Party chairman over video falsely alleging foreign influence

SINGAPORE — The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member sacked over an anonymous video claiming that the party was “infiltrated by foreign proxies” has apologised in writing on Tuesday (May 5) to Mr Jose Raymond, chairman of the Singapore People’s Party (SPP). 

Mr Daniel Teo, 36, will also have to post his apology on his Facebook page for one year, and make a donation to the Straits Times Pocket Money Fund in lieu of an apology advertisement.

Speaking to TODAY, Mr Raymond’s lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam said that his client has waived damages “on goodwill”, citing Mr Teo’s “genuine remorse”. Mr Teo also undertook not to repeat his allegations against Mr Raymond.

The video named 10 PSP members, claiming that they had been working with Mr Raymond and historian Thum Ping Tjin.

Mr Teo’s apology and undertaking came after Mr Thuraisingam served a letter of demand to him last Saturday, a day after Mr Teo’s expulsion from PSP was announced to party members following his admission to party chief Tan Cheng Bock that he had created the video.

The letter of demand had required him to provide a full and unqualified apology within three days, and publish it in national daily The Straits Times and Mr Teo’s social media platforms.

It also demanded that he undertake, within three days, not to repeat the same or similar defamatory statements, or cause them to be published, in the future, and offer Mr Raymond compensation by way of damages.

Mr Teo’s apology, which was published on his Facebook page at about 7.30pm on Tuesday, read: “I admit and acknowledge that these allegations are false and completely without foundation and I unreservedly withdraw them.

“I unreservedly apologise to Mr Jose Raymond for the distress and embarrassment caused to him by these false allegations. I undertake not to make any further allegations to the same or similar effect.”

Mr Teo had issued the apology to Mr Thuraisingam through his lawyers at Goh JP & Wong LLC.

In a letter dated Tuesday that was sent to Mr Thuraisingam, Mr Teo’s lawyers said that their client had “never intended to publish this video without properly checking the veracity of its allegations and contents”.

They also claimed that “it was for this reason” that Mr Teo had sent the video to senior journalist Wong Pei Ting from TODAY “for fact-checking to be done”.

Ms Wong said that this allegation was completely false. She received the video on April 18 by email from an anonymous source. The email comprised just one message that read, “Hi, there is a video attached”, and an external link to the video.

Ms Wong also said that at no point did Mr Teo ask her to fact-check any video.

The police are investigating the matter, after Mr Raymond and other persons named in the video filed a police report.

Apart from Mr Raymond, PSP members Kumaran Pillai and Ravi Philemon also made separate police reports.

When contacted on Tuesday, both Mr Pillai and Mr Philemon said that they are consulting their lawyers on the matter.