Singapore and Foreign Interference
With big power contestation as well as ongoing disputes around the world, foreign actors may exert influence on countries to choose sides. These attempts may come in the form of foreign interference and Singapore is not immune.
Last updated 1 February 2026
Why is Singapore Vulnerable to Foreign Interference?
As a small country with an open economy as well as a highly digitally connected and diverse society, Singapore is vulnerable.
Segments of our population consume narratives spread through messaging applications and foreign media, whether published or broadcast in English or our mother tongue. These channels could be used for foreign interference.
"Our racial and religious mix is easily exploitable by different countries… [We] see a steady build-up of different narratives, which is being very cleverly done. It is not obvious propaganda, but it conditions people to think in certain ways, particularly on foreign policy issues, often appealing to a larger racial identity, beyond the Singaporean identity." — Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Mr K Shanmugam at the Second Reading of Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill Speech on 4 Oct 2021
Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Huang Jing was a professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. While he was with the school, he acted as an agent of influence of a foreign country and worked with that country’s intelligence agents to covertly advance the agenda of that country in Singapore. Singapore took firm action and expelled him from Singapore.
Comments Critical of Singapore During Disputes
During a period of bilateral tension with a country in 2018, there was a large spike in online comments critical of Singapore. Many came from anonymous accounts. They sought to give an artificial impression of widespread objection to Singapore’s position.
In another case, during a period of tension with a country between 2016 and 2017, Singapore was the target of a hostile information campaign that attempted to undermine our foreign policy position by influencing sentiments among Singaporeans. Online commentaries and videos were uploaded by social media accounts which had lain dormant for many years. Many of these were in Mandarin and targeted our Chinese-speaking population. The content was also widely circulated via chat apps.
Cultivation of a Group of Singaporean Lawyers
In the 1980s, the First Secretary of the United States Embassy in Singapore, Hank Hendrickson, cultivated a group of Singaporean lawyers to join opposition politics and contest the 1988 General Election. The lawyers were offered funding, and one of them, Francis Seow, was offered refuge in the U.S. should he subsequently run into difficulties with the Singapore Government (he was eventually conferred U.S. citizenship).
[Potential Case] Online Commentary on 2023 Presidential Election
Commentors on ixigua opined that Singapore is a ‘Chinese country’ that should have Chinese leaders. An article was circulated on WeChat, Weixin, and Kuaishou titled, “After Lee Hsien Loong retires, Singapore may fall into the hands of Indians”.
[Potential Case] Online Commentary on Singapore’s Stance on the Russia-Ukraine War
Singapore took a clear stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and imposed sanctions on Russia in response to her invasion of Ukraine. Anonymous accounts on social media created and spread narratives that criticised Singapore’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war.
