Image credit: ANI
Singapore has ordered three social media platforms – YouTube, Facebook and X – to block access to 14 posts that targeted the Indian community and undermined the country’s model of multiculturalism, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Saturday.The police issued disabling directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act requiring the platforms to “take all reasonable steps to disable access by Singapore users to these posts.”Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong told reporters that the content originated from overseas. Investigations revealed that it likely originated from a China-based platform and was subsequently shared by other platforms and websites.”These videos attack our multiracial society and they 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,” Tong said.
‘Inflammatory narratives’
The social media posts, which include videos, portray various claims that Singapore is displaying anxiety over its cultural identity and ethnic politics. Such narratives started circulating online in the Chinese information space in May, the MHA said. “Shortly thereafter, online content emerged containing inflammatory narratives about Singapore’s cultural diversity and suggesting that Singapore was being overrun by Indians.”
Screenshots of Facebook posts suggesting that Singapore “was being overrun by Indians”. Photo: Ministry of Home Affairs
Seventy-five per cent of Singapore’s population are of Chinese descent, 15 per cent are Malay, and about 9 per cent are of Indian origin.The content claimed that Singapore’s multiracial policy was a “facade” meant to appeal to “Western values”, and that the country’s stability came from its majority Chinese demographic, not its multiracial policy. It also claimed that growing numbers of ethnic Indian politicians would act in favour of Indian immigrants.Derogatory language compared the rising presence of Indians to a “concentration of curry.”
‘Doubly unacceptable’
MHA said these were malicious efforts to sow discord by inciting ill will against the Indian community, including Indian migrant workers in sectors such as construction who “contribute to Singapore’s growth and development.””These attacks coming from a foreign source are doubly unacceptable,” the ministry said, adding that Singapore firmly opposes “nativism and xenophobia.”The problematic content likely breaches Section 298A of the Penal Code for knowingly promoting feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will between different groups on grounds of race, carrying a punishment of up to three years’ jail and a fine.Tong said there was currently no evidence to suggest a coordinated campaign by any government, and that 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 said.
