Doorstop by Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, and Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and SMS, MHA, at Nee Soon GRC Break of Fast Event

Question: Minister, can you comment on MHA’s OCHA directions issued to Meta yesterday about a video of a man stepping on the Quran?

Minister: We received a Police Report. I think those who have seen the video will know it is deeply offensive; at any time it would have been offensive, let alone during Ramadan. The Police have taken action. They have issued directions to Meta to prevent access to the video, and Meta has complied and has taken the video down. Police believe that the person who loaded this video is likely to be the same person who loaded similar videos previously. He was charged and convicted in July last year, and he was sent to jail. At that time, he had loaded videos showing the Quran being stepped on as well. He was released in December 2025. When he was convicted in July last year, there was some evidence that he was mentally unwell. He is now overseas and Police will interview him when he returns.

SMS Faishal: Actions that deliberately insult any religion have no place in Singapore. This is not just an issue for the community affected, it affects all of us. An insult to one religion affects all other religions and their communities, because it undermines the mutual respect that holds our society together. Singapore’s social fabric is precious, and it must be protected. Acts like these only serve to sow discord and erode the trust that we have worked hard to build in our multiracial and multireligious society. I am reassured that the authorities have taken swift steps to stop the circulation of the video and investigations are ongoing. Let us continue to uphold the values of mutual respect and understanding that keep our Singapore society strong.


Question: Are there any concerns that the recent video will stir up unnecessary emotions over here, given what is going on in the Middle East?

Minister: We have explained our position, these videos are unacceptable. We took action last year. The person went to jail. We think it's the same person, and I've explained our position, it's been taken down. I think whether you're Muslim or non- Muslim in Singapore, people will understand why we take action immediately. Thank you.


Question: Sir, any comments on the situation in the Middle East currently?

Minister: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued statements, other Ministers have spoken. Since you asked, I will share three points. The first is obviously the considerable impact on the thousands of people who are being affected by the war. It is huge. The second is the huge economic impact on the rest of the world, including Singapore. You look at the Straits of Hormuz, effectively blocked. It’s going to  impact on oil prices, gas prices; they have already gone up, and they are likely to go up further, because some of the energy ministers from the Gulf countries have talked about the situation - at least one has said that there might be a stop to the flow of oil and gas. In that situation, everything that you use in the country is pretty much dependent on energy. So it is not just us, all over the world, it is going to impact people, it is going to impact on economies, it is going to impact businesses. The third point is we do not know how long it will last. Initially, there were suggestions that it was going to be a short war, maybe three weeks, four weeks. Now, the statements seem to suggest that it may be longer. America and Israel probably know what the aims are, but from a public perspective, and it is not clear to me looking at the public statements, what the war aims are, and that will then introduce a substantial element of uncertainty on how long it can last, or may last. And that is going to be very bad, both for the Middle East and the rest of the world. Wars usually are bad for people involved, as well as others who are impacted. But in this case, it’s quite a lot of people around the world affected.