Bloomberg defamation suit: Shanmugam, Tan See Leng each awarded $230k in damages
The Singapore High Court has ordered Bloomberg and one of its journalists to pay $230,000 in damages to two government ministers for defamation. The ruling found that the news outlet acted with malice by publishing false information regarding real estate transactions.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal risks faced by international media outlets when reporting on political figures in jurisdictions with strict defamation laws.
Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam (left) and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng were each awarded $230,000 in damages by the High Court on July 14.
Listen SINGAPORE – The High Court on July 14 awarded Cabinet ministers K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng each $230,000 in damages after ruling that they had been maliciously defamed by financial news provider Bloomberg and its journalist .
Justice Audrey Lim found that real estate reporter Low De Wei, who wrote the article headlined “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy”, knew certain information used was false, or had published without caring whether it was true.
The judge said Bloomberg’s conduct in removing the paywall for the article also demonstrated malice, adding that it was done to make the article accessible to the broader public.
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