Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng Yi Ling has slammed the Singapore government for demanding damages and costs from its citizens who criticise its policies.

"Today, I have become another victim of the government's pursuit - another victim who believes in speaking up for what is right, and for justice and freedom, but who has been prosecuted because the government wants to maintain their rule over the people and would choose to use the law, instead of the pen, to engage with its citizens.

"I have engaged in a civilised discourse with my pen, for the pen is mightier than the sword.

"But the axe has befallen on my head," Ngerng wrote in the blog Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) yesterday.

Ngerng had criticised the government's Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme for alleged abuse of funds meant for the citizens' retirement.

"While Ngerng has taken down the offending post from his blog and removed the links from his social media platforms, he faces enormous legal pressure.

"The prime minister's (Lee Hsien Loong, right in photo above ) lawyer has demanded an apology and has called on Ngerng to make a 'written offer of damages and costs' - opening a window into the manner in which critical voices are dealt with in the city-state," the CPJ editor wrote in a side note.

A history of suits

The Singapore government is notorious for its long history of suing critics, both at home and abroad.

While veteran opposition leader the late JB Jeyaratnam is top on the legal action list locally, foreign publications such as the Far East Economic Review and International Herald Tribune have also faced the wrath of the Singapore leadership's legal hand.

Its citizens who have found a new voice with the emergence of blogs breaking the government's iron grip on the media, have found themselves in the same boat.

Blogger Alex Au and the blog Temasek Review Emeritus have also been served legal letters for critical comments.

Ngerng has since posted an apology and retraction on his blog, The Heart Truths today.

However, he says he remains undaunted and committed to his cause, and instead has invited PM Lee to "have a frank conversation on how Singaporeans’ CPF is being used".

Commenting further on CPJ's blog, he said the government's harsh action was not surprising.

"I am not at all surprised that the government has decided to gun down on me.

"I have been waiting for this for some time now, and am prepared for it to happen," he wrote.

"I might bend and I might buckle, but today won't be the end. More people are now made more aware, and I hope more will continue to fight.

"For if we want our freedom, we have to fight for it."