'I Don't Need an Answer From You' - Minister's Brutal Smack-Down to Facebook Official in 'Fake News' Hearing

Singapore’s justice minister delivered a withering smack-down to a Facebook official appearing before a parliamentary committee on March 22, responding to the latter’s objections to questions by saying, “Can we move on. I don’t need an answer.”Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, also known as K Shanmugam, made his comments following complaints by Simon Milner, Facebook’s Policy Director, EMEA, who was appearing before the parliamentary Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods.Shanmugam had asked Milner a number of questions in what was a tetchy exchange, before, at 5’15" in this footage, Milner addressed the chair and objected to the questions.“I’m not sure this is a fair use of this committee’s time,” Milner said. “I don’t think it’s fair to ask me detailed questions about evidence given by my colleague to a different parliament in a different country about activities associated with that country.”Milner and Shanmugam then argued back and forth, with the chairman also interjecting to make clear it would be he and members of the committee, and not Milner, who would decide which questions were relevant.Then, Shanmugam delivered his coup de grace. From 9’52" in this footage, he says, "If you are embarrassed about being confronted with answers that your colleagues have given to other parliaments, you can say so. If you feel unable to support them, of course you can say so. But I think you will leave the relevance of the questions to me, and for me to be directed by the chair.“Can we move on?” he asked, only to add as Milner moved his microphone to respond, “I don’t need an answer from you.” Credit: Singapore Government via Storyful