Shocking Plagiarism Scandal Rocks Mediacorp's Design Competition!

In a stunning development, Mediacorp has disqualified three entries from its prestigious design competition, Design Pompipi, amidst serious allegations of plagiarism. The entries in question were found to have been copied from Singapore-based artist Lee Xin Yi and renowned lifestyle store Supermama, leading to an outcry from the art community.

The issue came to light when Lee took to Facebook on January 3 to expose the offending works, which had been submitted by a participant named Sabiyathul. "From Mediacorp’s This Is Our SG60 Competition: Works taken (stolen) from myself and others such as Supermama, uploaded for a competition. What’s new?" Lee wrote, drawing attention to a troubling pattern he has observed with respect to his work.

This is not the first time Lee has faced such challenges. In 2024, his artwork was also misappropriated and digitally altered without permission for a mural at Shifu Food Court in Bras Basah Complex, further compounding frustrations within the artistic community.

Adding salt to the wound, Lee raised concerns over Design Pompipi's terms and conditions, which clearly stated that all rights to submitted entries would be transferred to Mediacorp. "That’s where one of the major problems lies: by accepting such entries," he noted.

Design Pompipi was created as a public initiative to commemorate Singapore's 60th year of independence, inviting participants to design a graphic that encapsulated their interpretation of Singapore or SG60. The initiative promised exciting incentives, including cash prizes totaling S$2,000 for the top six most-voted designs along with Caltex StarCash vouchers.

In response to the backlash, a Mediacorp spokesperson issued a statement to CNA Lifestyle. "We thank all members of the public who participated in Mediacorp’s Design Pompipi competition for their support. Participants agree to the competition’s terms and conditions, which require all designs to be original and prohibit the use of AI-generated works. While we cannot guarantee the detection of plagiarism at submission, entries will be disqualified once discovered," the spokesperson clarified.

On January 5, following public feedback regarding the entries highlighted in Lee's post, Mediacorp acted quickly to disqualify the plagiarized submissions and reached out to those participants in writing.

In a follow-up on January 7, Lee revealed he received an apology via email from Sabiyathul and mentioned that other artists had similarly reported their own works being stolen for the same competition. He urged fellow artists to be vigilant and closely examine the terms and conditions of such contests. "I also remind everyone that these plagiarized works happened under the organisers’ watch and execution, and remained there until the public sounded out. You do not need a public reaction to do the right thing," Lee poignantly concluded.

As this story develops, many are left questioning the integrity of art competitions and the responsibilities of organizers in protecting original works. Will this scandal prompt a re-evaluation of the protocols in place to safeguard artists' rights? Stay tuned for the latest updates!