Doorstop by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, on issuance of Disabling Directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act to deal with social media content containing problematic about the Indian community in Singapore

Question: Minister, can you share your comments on MHA’s press statement on the removal of offensive and problematic content regarding the Indian community in Singapore?

Second Minister: Well, we are aware of the offensive and problematic content that’s been circulating online regarding the Indian community in Singapore. From what we know so far, the content originated from overseas. In summary, the message in the Chinese-language videos is that:

(a) The Chinese ethnic group has a greater right to belong in Singapore compared to other ethnic groups.

(b) Singapore’s multiracial policy is a façade meant to appeal to Western values.

(c) Singapore’s stability cannot be attributed to its multiracial policy, but to its majority Chinese demographics.

(d) Ethnic Indian politicians in Singapore, whose numbers are growing, would act in favour of Indian immigrants; and

(e) Finally, Singapore’s culture is fundamentally Chinese, and the government’s approach of “decoupling” itself from China while neglecting the threat of a growing Indian community would lead to a negative outcome.

These videos attack our multi-racial 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. So, 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. 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 Singapore Police Force has issued Disabling Direction to Google, Meta and X to take all reasonable steps to disable access to the post in Singapore.

Question: What measures will the Government take against the creators of the problematic content?

Second Minister: We don’t tolerate any narratives at all that seek to undermine the racial harmony that we enjoy and that we protect, especially when it is propagated by foreigners, and many of these posts are of foreign origin. So, our priority right now is to take down these posts.

Question: Minster, is there any reason to suspect that this is a coordinated campaign by a state actor, notably China?

Second Minister: No, there is currently no evidence to suggest that this is a coordinated campaign by any Government. Based on our investigations, the content originate from the infospace – they are 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.

Question: Minister, it is not the first time that we have been hit by similar videos targeting the Singapore audience – AI generated, seemingly from China. So, what does the Government plan to do if content with similar narratives continue to proliferate across different platforms?

Second Minister: Well, the Government will obviously continue to monitor these sites very closely and I will say that we will not hesitate to take further measures if we regard it to be in Singapore’s interests. 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. And, don’t disseminate them if they may harm our social fabric or our social harmony.

Question: Minister, if I may, is the traction for the video high? If the numbers are not high, we are actually inadvertently spotlighting it instead of warning people.

Second Minister: It’s not just about traction; it’s about the fact that these videos may seek to undermine the cohesion we have, and they divide us. So, something has to be done about it, especially when they originate from a foreign source.