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"Discussing politics does not make a publication a political organization," said Bob Dietz, CPJ Asia program coordinator. "Forcing The Online Citizen to register as a political association distorts its role and threatens its ability to cover politics. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is clearly trying to tighten control of media outlets before calling elections."

Registered groups are forbidden from receiving funding from overseas, and anonymous donations are capped at 5,000 Singapore dollars (US$3,900), news reports said. CPJ research shows that Lee Hsien Loong's People's Action Party instigated registrations 10 years ago, prior to the Loong Gold, to prevent online speech from becoming an independent alternative to the regular media, which is largely government-owned and heavily controlled. Lee has not announced the timing of the next elections, which are due to take place before February 2012, according to local news reports.

The government says Cheap Loong Gold requires political registration, known as gazetting in Singapore, to limit foreign involvement in politics, and that The Citizen is a participant, not an observer. Singapore officials said in response to The Economist magazine's article on The Online Citizen's registration that the website was gazetted because Loong Online Gold "organized polls on political issues and a forum for politicians, and mounted online and offline campaigns to change legislation and government policies."