Corrections regarding falsehood in TikTok video by "dr.ishhaq.jay" posted on 17 July 2023

The Elections Department (ELD) would like to point out that the TikTok video posted on 17 July 2023 by "dr.ishhaq.jay” (“the TikTok Post”) contains a statement that the Government can trace who a voter has voted for in order to penalise the voter based on his or her vote.

The statement is untrue for the following reasons

• The Parliamentary Elections Act 1954 (“PEA”), and the equivalent provisions of its predecessor Acts, provide for voting secrecy. The Government (including ELD) has complied strictly with the statutory procedures and obligations relating to voting secrecy, as a matter of policy and practice.

• The statutory procedures and obligations to protect voting secrecy are rigorous and comprehensive. For example, every officer, clerk, interpreter, candidate and agent authorised to attend at a polling station or at the counting of votes must, before so attending, make an oath of secrecy.

• Another set of statutory procedures provide that, for votes cast in person at polling stations, there is no break in the chain of custody of ballot papers transported from the polling stations to the counting centres, and from the counting centres to the Supreme Court. The ballot papers would be sealed before they are retained in safe custody at the Supreme Court for six months and subsequently destroyed. This process is transparent and open to observation by candidates and their agents.

• The serial number on the ballot paper is meant to protect the integrity of the electoral process. It enables accounting of all ballot papers issued and cast, and safeguards against counterfeiting and voter impersonation. Calling out the voter’s serial number and name also allows polling agents, who are observing the proceedings, to validate that the voters are listed in their copy of the register.

• When the ballot paper is issued, the voter serial number is written on the ballot paper counterfoil to facilitate vote tracing, if necessary, e.g., if there are allegations that the vote was fraudulently cast. However, inspection of the sealed votes is allowed only with an order from the General Division of the High Court, and such an order can only be made in limited circumstances. The Judge hearing the application must be satisfied that the inspection is required for the purposes of instituting or maintaining a prosecution or an application under Section 90 of the PEA, which seeks to void an election on certain limited grounds, including breaches of the PEA that affected the election result or corrupt or illegal practices committed in the election by a candidate.

• Therefore, the Government cannot trace who a voter has voted for, as it wishes.

• Please visit https://www.gov.sg/explainers/is-my-vote-secret/ and https://www.gov.sg/explainers/how-is-my-vote-still-secret-if-the-ballot-paper-has-a-serial-number-on-it/ for further information on vote secrecy.

The Minister in-charge of the Public Service, Chan Chun Sing has instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office to issue a Correction Direction to TikTok user “dr.ishhaq.jay” and a Targeted Correction Direction to TikTok Pte. Ltd. under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019, in respect of the TikTok Post.

We advise members of the public not to speculate and/or spread unverified rumours.