Issuance of Correction Direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act on Falsehoods About Arrival of Travellers from South Asia

1.     The Ministry of Transport (MOT) is aware of a video circulating on social media showing a large number of travellers from South Asia arriving at Changi Airport, purportedly on 5 May 2021, despite current travel restrictions. The information in the video is false. 

2.     The Minister for Transport has instructed the POFMA Office to issue a Correction Direction (CD) to Singapore Incidents in relation to its Facebook and Instagram posts on 5 May 2021, both of which contained the video. Singapore Incidents will be required to carry a correction notice on its Facebook and Instagram pages, stating that the posts contain falsehoods.

Corrections and clarifications regarding falsehoods posted by SG Incidents

3.     On 5 May 2021 at 21:42 hrs, Singapore Incidents published a video on its Facebook page, showing a large group of travellers from South Asia arriving at Changi Airport Terminal 1. The video contained a watermark which states the date of the video as 5 May 2021 and the location as Changi Airport. The same video was published at 21:44 hrs on the Singapore Incidents Instagram page.

4.     The information in the video is false:

a.     First, the video showed passengers arriving at Changi Airport Terminal 1, and a clock indicating the time as 14:53 hrs. There were no flights from South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) that arrived at any terminal in Changi Airport between 08:00 hrs and 15:30 hrs on 5 May 2021.

b.     Second, in the video, passengers were seen walking past a renovation hoarding at gate hold rooms D42/43 in Terminal 1. This hoarding was removed on 5 April 2021, establishing that the video was taken before 5 April 2021.

Additional Clarifications

5.     From 23 April 2021, 23:59 hrs, all long-term visit pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to India are not allowed entry into or transit through Singapore. With effect from 1 May 2021, 23:59 hrs, this border control measure was extended to all long-term visit pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

6.     While there are still passenger flights arriving in Singapore from South Asia, these flights carry primarily returning Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents, cargo, or fly in empty to pick up passengers in Singapore who are returning to South Asia. For example, on 5 May 2021, there were 5 passenger flights arriving in Singapore from South Asia, carrying a total of 50 passengers, all of whom were returning Singapore citizens or Permanent Residents. The breakdown of passengers on these flights is as follows:

Breakdown of passenger flights arriving from South Asia on 5 May

7.     All passengers arriving on these flights from the above-mentioned countries are currently subject to stringent border control and health measures. At Changi Airport, these passengers are escorted through the airport, separate from other passengers arriving from other countries.  

8.     For the facts of the case, please refer to the Factually article “Corrections and Clarifications Regarding Falsehoods About Arrival of Travellers from South Asia” at https://www.gov.sg/article/factually070521. 

9.     We are aware of other similar videos spreading on social media. We urge members of the public not to spread unverified information and to rely on information from trusted official websites and social media pages.