April Fools' Day 2014: Singapore Bans Pranks

Singaporean authorities have banned April Fools' Day jokes in the media.

The government warned media outlets against running fake stories for the purposes of entertainment, CBS reported.

"No media centre in Singapore shall under any circumstances disseminate fabricated or otherwise baseless news items on April 1, or any other day," the Media Development Authority (MDA) said.

"The integrity of the media comes into question when quality standards are abandoned recklessly in favour of inappropriate jocularity. False reporting undermines the trustworthiness of news itself and leads to the decay of the social fabric."

Veteran Singaporean newspaper journalist Tok Chee Ming responded: "It's a pity. It's not as if we were even planning to run stories about LHL or MM," he said, referring to prime minister Lee Hsieng Loong and "minister mentor" Lee Kuan Yew.

"We were actually planning to run a story about a jellyfish invasion. Which, of course, never happened."

The MDA warned of legal action against any outlets that flouted the ban.

The People's Action Party, Singapore's ruling party since 1963, has often been criticised by the international community and human rights organisations for using strict laws which sometimes undermine human rights. The government has often been ridiculed for its long list of restrictive laws - including a ban on chewing gum.

Singapore was identified as the least emotional country in the world in a survey conducted by US-based pollster Gallup in 2012. According to the study, only 36% of Singaporeans expressed their feelings.

Singaporeans complained that their busy lifestyle did not give them time to showtheir emotions.