Singapore’s High Court orders Bloomberg and a reporter to pay defamation damages to two ministers, after finding that a December 2024 article was defamatory. The court awards S$230,000 (about US$177,860) to each of the two claimants. The ministers are K. Shanmugam, coordinating minister for national security, and Tan See Leng, the manpower chief.
According to the reports, the defamation case stems from a Bloomberg story about Singapore’s property transactions, described as involving “Good Class Bungalow” dealings and characterized as increasingly opaque. The ministers filed separate suits in January 2024 against Bloomberg and reporter Low De Wei, alleging the article contained defamatory statements about their property-related transactions.
All outlets say the judge found the December 2024 article defamed both ministers and that Bloomberg and the reporter are ordered to pay the damages amounts set by the court. The reporting also indicates the damages are the same for both claimants. No outlet cited any changes to the underlying factual findings beyond the court’s defamation determination and damages order.
