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This March 29, 2018 file photo shows the logo for social media giant Facebook at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York's Times Square. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

SINGAPORE (Kyodo) -- The Singapore government has ordered Facebook to issue a correction notice on an anti-government website's page after the site's editor remained defiant over an article it posted to the social networking site earlier this month.

Singapore had ordered a small alternative news website, the States Times Review, to issue a correction notice on Thursday. But its 32-year-old editor, Alex Tan, now an Australian citizen working in Australia, has refused to comply.

On Friday, a government office that enforces a controversial new law to combat fake news said Home Minister K. Shanmugam has instructed Facebook to issue a correction notice to the States Times Review's official Facebook page.

The so-called Targeted Correction Direction, allows the government to obtain the cooperation of providers of internet intermediary services, such as Facebook, in these types of cases.

If an organization such as Facebook refuses to cooperate, it can be slapped with a fine of up to S$1 million ($730,000), and in the case of a continuing offense, a further fine of up to S$100,000 daily.

The article, headlined "Whistleblower arrested for exposing PAP candidate Christian evangelist Rachel Ong Sin Yen," was posted at 8:05 a.m. on Nov. 23.

Contacted by Kyodo, a Facebook official would only say that the company had received a request from the Singapore government, and its team was currently reviewing it.

Meanwhile, Tan, responding to Kyodo's inquiry, said through email, "I believe the government is merely testing their newly found powers (Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act) and doing a dry run before the coming general election."

The act was passed by Parliament in May and came into force on Oct. 2 despite concerns from some quarters that the law gives too much power to the government to decide what news is fake.

"My response, as you have already known by now, is a flat rejection. Compliance with an unjust law only gives them credibility and acknowledgment."

According to Tan, the Facebook page is merely a distribution point for the Singaporean public as his alternative news websites have been blocked by authorities.

Tan is an engineer in Sydney and recently become an Australian citizen.

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Singapore orders Facebook to correct anti-government website - The Mainichi