WP slams the media for “very one-sided” coverage of AHTC trial

Workers’ Party member Leon Perera has slammed the media for its’ one-sided coverage on the ongoing Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) trial. The Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) pointed out that the media ran with the plaintiff’s statements but “downplayed” defence arguments.

Perera wrote on Facebook yesterday:

“The trial of Mr Low Thia Khiang, Ms Sylvia Lim, Mr Pritam Singh and others, in the civil suit by the independent panel appointed by AHTC, has begun. I’m sure all Singaporeans want to see justice done.

“Some of the media reports and headlines around this case have been very one-sided. Last night and today, I’ve seen headlines that highlight the arguments of the plaintiff while downplaying and burying deep inside the text the arguments of the defence.

Perera further highlighted that both the plaintiffs and the defence counsel presented their opening statements this past Friday, but one media outlet only covered the plaintiff’s statements in the headlines.

The opposition politician noted that the defence arguments are entirely absent, not just downplayed, in some of the headlines he has seen:

“One media outlet ran its main headline AND sub-headline highlighting what the plaintiffs said in their opening statements on Friday. Yet the defence counsel for the five town councillors also presented his opening statement on Friday! In some of the headlines I have been seeing, not only are defence arguments downplayed, they are totally absent.

“This is a time when I hope all Singaporeans who want to know more about this case seek out both sides of the story.”