Singapore has issued multiple correction orders to opposition political parties and online news sites over statements made this past week, as candidates begin their campaign trail for the country's upcoming July 10 General Elections. These included claims the government had discouraged COVID-19 testing of migrant workers and was targeting to increase the local population to 10 million by 2030. 

Apart from the ruling government's People's Action Party (PAP), 10 other parties will be contesting at this year's General Elections where 93 seats in parliament are up for grabs. With safe distancing measures still largely in place, campaign rallies and speeches have been broadcast place online and on social media platforms. 

These kicked off on July 1 and candidates have until "Cooling-off Day" on July 9, when campaigning is prohibited, to wrap up their rallies before voters head to the polls on July 10. 

However, a day after campaigning began, the Education Ministry ordered a correction direction to be issued under the country's Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) to opposition party, People's Voice, over a Facebook "live" video. The party's head Lim Tean had said the government spent "a quarter of a billion dollars" a year offering free education for foreign students, which the Education Ministry disputed[1].

It instructed correction directions to be issued to People's Voice's Facebook page as well as Lim's YouTube channel under POFMA. 

The Act was evoked again days later involving reports that the government was looking to increase the local population to 10 million by 2030. This time, correction orders were issued[2] to multiple parties including online site The Online Citizen Asia and the Facebook pages of opposition parties Singapore Democratic Party and People's Voice. 

Correction directions also were handed to several Facebook users[3]

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