Singapore must act firmly when others seek to divide it: Edwin Tong on blocked online content

Singapore must act firmly and reject attempts by those who wish to harm the nation and divide it, Law Minister Edwin Tong said on June 6.

He was referring to online narratives that had surfaced pitting the races here against one another and attacking Singapore’s multiracial society.

Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, called on Singaporeans to be more discerning when viewing online content and to not disseminate it if it is harmful.

The authorities had moved on June 6 to block access here to 14 posts on social media platforms YouTube, Facebook and X that contained derogatory and demeaning language against the Indian community and made claims such as Singapore is “overcrowded” with Indians.

Tong said to reporters at Siglap South Community Centre: “The content reflects the agenda, unfortunately, of those who intend to divide us as a nation.

“And that is why we must act firmly and reject attempts from those who wish to do us harm.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement that narratives started circulating online “in the Chinese information space” in May that Singapore is displaying anxiety over its cultural identity and ethnic politics.

Shortly after, online content emerged containing inflammatory narratives about Singapore’s cultural diversity and suggesting that Singapore was being overrun by Indians.

The ministry said investigations showed that the content most likely originated from a platform based in China and was subsequently carried on other platforms and websites.

Checks by The Straits Times found that while some of the videos had about a few thousand views, others had much fewer.

When asked if there would be an inadvertent spotlight cast on the videos that may currently not have many views, Tong said that it was not just about traction.

“It is about the fact that these videos may seek to undermine the cohesion we have, and they divide us,” he said.

“So, something has to be done about it, especially when they originate from a foreign source.”

There have been previous reports of similar content from abroad targeting Singaporeans, some of which are artificial intelligence-generated.

These include Chinese-language videos attacking Singapore for its treatment of China and siding with the United States.

Tong said the Government will continue to monitor the sites very closely and will not hesitate to take further measures if it determines that it is in Singapore’s interests to do so.

“More importantly, I think Singaporeans should also be discerning and careful with what they are consuming online, and also question the source or intention of such videos,” he said.

“And, don’t disseminate them if they may harm our social fabric or our social harmony.”

Speaking to the media on June 6 on the sidelines of a community event in Balestier, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo also urged Singaporeans not to further circulate the videos if they have received any.

To be vigilant against such content, daily efforts to strengthen ties in the community are important, said Teo. This goes beyond action taken by the authorities to remove these videos.

“We must always remember that the cohesion we have in our society is very precious. It has taken a very long time to build up, but it can be broken if we are not careful,” she said, adding that the posts do not reflect the views of Singaporeans.

“So, stay alert and make sure that you don’t allow anyone to cast doubt on our national unity and also our very important multicultural identity.”

Teo is MP for Jalan Besar GRC, which includes Chinatown. The area was featured in one of the videos, where there was a photo used of a religious procession of Indian devotees in Pagoda Street, which the minister said implied that Indians are not welcome there.

Teo said anyone familiar with Chinatown would know that there are Buddhist and Hindu temples, a mosque and a Methodist church, all within a short walking distance of one another.

In a Facebook post later on June 6, she said Singapore’s multiculturalism is not merely demographic but is embedded in daily interactions, education and public institutions.

Combined with its role as an international hub, this has shaped a population that is culturally grounded yet outward-looking.

“This may be difficult to grasp for those from more monocultural settings, where identity is often expected to be singular and one-dimensional,” she added.

“Singaporeans, by contrast, have always been accustomed to moving between different cultural worlds. That is not a contradiction. It is a product of our history and environment. It is part of who we are.”

While the posts being blocked are against the Indian community, there could be others in the future targeting various other communities.

“Today, they target the Indians and they pit the Chinese against them. Tomorrow, it will be other races, other communities. We must not allow that,” Teo said to reporters.

“Our racial harmony is precious, and we have to be very vigilant against the attempts to sow tensions between our races and to divide Singaporeans. (These) videos are clearly one such attempt.”

Singapore blocks online posts targeting Indian community; content likely from China-based platform

The authorities have ordered social media platforms to block access to 14 online posts that target the Indian community, such as by suggesting that Singapore was being overrun by Indians.

Investigations showed that the content most likely originated from a platform based in China and was subsequently carried on other platforms and websites, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on June 6.

MHA said the content, which selectively used images and footage of crowded streets in Little India and of Indian devotees at a religious festival in Pagoda Street to back claims that Singapore is “overcrowded” with Indians, undermines Singapore’s model of multiculturalism.

MHA said: “Singapore firmly opposes nativism and xenophobia. Any attempt to pit one community against another here must be firmly rejected. These attacks coming from a foreign source are doubly unacceptable.”

Speaking to reporters at Siglap South Community Centre on June 6, Law Minister Edwin Tong said there is no evidence at present to suggest that these posts were part of a coordinated campaign by any government.

He was responding to a question on whether there was any reason to suspect a coordinated campaign by a state actor, in particular China.

Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, said investigations show the content was “likely generated organically by various foreign netizens”.

“I would say any country seeking to safeguard its social cohesion would agree with us that such content is unacceptable and would take a similar stance to safeguard their own society,” he added.

MHA said that it assessed, together with the Singapore Police Force, that the posts are likely to constitute an offence under Section 298A of the Penal Code – for knowingly promoting feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different groups on grounds of race, or committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different racial groups in Singapore.

The police have issued disabling directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act for the content on YouTube, Facebook and X, which requires the platforms to take all reasonable steps to disable access by Singapore users to these posts.

All 14 posts were primarily in Chinese.

The ministry said it had also observed deliberate efforts to spread more such content in Singapore.

“These are malicious efforts to sow discord by inciting ill-will against the Indian community in Singapore,” it said.

“This includes Indian migrant workers in sectors such as construction who are here to make an honest living. They contribute to Singapore’s growth and development, and are valued members of our society.”

The Government takes a serious view of threats to Singapore’s social cohesion and racial harmony, including from external actors, and will act resolutely against them, it added.

“We urge Singaporeans to be discerning when consuming and disseminating information online, and to reject all attempts to divide our society,” MHA said.

Tong said the message in the posts, which he called “offensive and problematic”, is that the Chinese ethnic group has a greater right to belong in Singapore than other ethnic groups.

He said: “We don’t tolerate any narratives at all that seek to undermine the racial harmony that we enjoy and that we protect, especially when they are propagated by foreigners.

“And many of these posts are of foreign origin, so our priority right now is to take down these posts.”

MHA said narratives started circulating online “in the Chinese information space” in May that Singapore is displaying anxiety over its cultural identity and ethnic politics.

Shortly after, online content emerged containing inflammatory narratives about Singapore’s cultural diversity and suggesting that Singapore was being overrun by Indians.

The ministry said these narratives include claims that Singapore’s multiracial policy is a facade meant to appeal to Western values and that the country’s stability cannot be attributed to its multiracial policy, but rather to its majority Chinese demographics.

The content included claims that the growing number of ethnic Indian politicians in Singapore would act in favour of Indian immigrants.

The content also said that with Singapore’s culture being fundamentally Chinese, the Government’s approach of “decoupling” itself from China while neglecting the threat of a growing Indian community would lead to a negative outcome.

Apart from the selective use of images and footage of crowded streets in Little India which MHA said were most likely taken at weekends, when migrant workers have their day off, the content also contains derogatory and demeaning language to refer to the Indian community in Singapore, for example, comparing increases in their numbers to “concentration of curry”.

Tong said the videos attack Singapore’s multiracial society and try to divide people based on race.

“This, however, is not who we are. Every community in Singapore here is valued, and everyone has an equal place,” he said.

“So, these values and these videos strike at the very foundation of what makes Singapore home for all of us, and they undermine the very basis of our society.”

In a Facebook post late on June 6, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said that it was “unacceptable” that these overseas videos attack one community and seek to divide the country on racial lines.

“We have to and will take firm action. MHA has taken such action.”

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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