We Are Not Funding NMP

The Electric New Paper ran this article on 26 May 2009:

We are not funding NMP
By Liew Hanqing

NETIZENS were abuzz over a meeting between him and Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Siew Kum Hong last month.

But Mr Johan Skarendal, 29, a member of the Swedish International Liberal Centre (SILC), has rubbished online allegations that Mr Siew had asked for and is receiving foreign funding from his organisation.

Mr Skarendal said SILC is a foundation which assists democracy development, by supporting organisations and individuals who promote democracy and human rights.

It is affiliated to the Liberal Party, one of the four political parties in the Swedish government since 2006.

In recent weeks, Mr Siew has been the target of what seems like an organised online campaign to oppose his re-nomination as a NMP.

Flamed online

He has been flamed extensively on several forums and blogs, and has even received nasty e-mails from his detractors.

Mr Skarendal told The New Paper that though he met Mr Siew during his visit to Singapore last month, the issue of funding was never broached.

He said: 'I met him (Mr Siew) for one hour to discuss his work in parliament, and his views on current affairs and the civil society in Singapore.'

He added that SILC is one of several Swedish organisations carrying out government policy in the democracy assistance field.

'All of our project proposals must pass through rigorous screening and evaluation before decisions are made to fund a project,' he said.

He stressed that Mr Siew did not ask about the possibility of funding, and neither did he mention the possibility to Mr Siew.

'The current allegations against him are clearly nothing but hot air with the intent to defame him, and as such are criminal in nature,' Mr Skarendal said.

When contacted, Mr Siew declined comment as he has already made a police report.

In an 18 May entry on his blog (siewkumhong.blogspot.com), Mr Siew wrote: 'I did not at any time ask for, and have not at any time been offered or accepted, any sort of funding from any local or foreign entity, including the Swedish politician named in the latest attack.

'The only sources of income (or funding) that I have, are my employer and the Government of Singapore (in the form of my monthly NMP allowance).'

He quashed online allegations of links with the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

Mr Siew described the latest attacks as going 'beyond anything that a reasonable person could possibly perceive as being a valid or legitimate exercise of the right to free speech.'

He added that he would not tolerate the latest wave of 'character assassination' from 'cowards hiding behind the perceived anonymity of the Internet'.

Mr Skarendal said his latest visit to Singapore was with Mr Henrik Ehrenberg, head of the allied Christian Democratic International Center.

They met with several 'human rights defenders and civil society members', but Mr Skarendal declined to say who, because it would be 'impolite' to do so.

He confirmed that he had met with SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan during the recent visit. They first met in February 2003 when Dr Chee visited Sweden.