6 days ago
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The Singapore authorities connected Saturday (June 6, 2026) ordered 3 societal media platforms to artifact entree to 14 posts, apt originating from China, which targeted the Indian assemblage and “undermine” the country’s “model of multiculturalism”.
The constabulary person issued disabling directions nether the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) to artifact entree to the posts connected YouTube, Facebook and X, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said successful a statement.
At slightest 75% of Singapore’s implicit six cardinal colonisation are of Chinese descent, 15% are Malay, and betwixt 7 to 9 per cent are of Indian origin. The remainder are of different planetary origins.
The absorption requires the platforms to “take each tenable steps to disable entree by Singapore users to these posts”, it added.
Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong told reporters astatine a assemblage lawsuit connected Saturday that "from what we cognize truthful far, the contented originated from overseas".
Investigations into the problematic contented successful these posts had revealed that it apt originated from a China-based level and was subsequently shared by different platforms and websites, according to a Channel News Asia study connected Saturday (June 6, 2026).
"These videos onslaught our multiracial nine and they effort to disagreement radical based connected race. This, however, is not who we are. Every assemblage successful Singapore present is valued and everyone has an adjacent place," the Channel quoted Mr. Tong arsenic saying.
"These videos onslaught astatine the precise instauration of what makes Singapore location for each of america and they undermine the precise ground of our society," said Mr. Tong, who is besides Minister of Law.
Mr. Tong said the authorities does not tolerate immoderate narratives that question to undermine Singapore's radical harmony, "especially erstwhile it is propagated by foreigners".
In a statement, the MHA said Singapore firmly opposes "nativism and xenophobia".
"Any effort to pit 1 assemblage against different present indispensable beryllium firmly rejected,” said the MHA. "These attacks coming from a overseas root are doubly unacceptable." Mr. Tong said that determination is presently nary grounds to suggest that this is simply a coordinated run by immoderate government. Investigations person shown that the contented was apt generated organically by assorted overseas netizens, helium added.
"I would accidental immoderate state seeking to safeguard its societal cohesion would hold with america that specified contented is unacceptable, and would instrumentality a akin stance to safeguard their ain society," the Channel quoted the curate arsenic saying.
The societal media posts, which see videos, represent assorted claims that Singapore is displaying anxiousness implicit its taste individuality and taste politics. Such narratives started circulating online successful the Chinese accusation abstraction successful May, the MHA said.
“Shortly thereafter, online contented emerged containing inflammatory narratives astir Singapore’s taste diverseness and suggesting that Singapore was being overrun by Indians,” said the Ministry.
The problematic contented apt breach Section 298A of the Penal Code for knowingly promoting feelings of enmity, hatred oregon ill-will betwixt antithetic groups connected grounds of race, oregon committing an enactment prejudicial to the attraction of harmony betwixt antithetic radical groups successful Singapore, said the <inistry.
The offence carries a punishment of up to 3 years’ jailhouse and a fine.
The Singapore authorities takes a superior presumption of threats to the country’s societal cohesion and radical harmony, including from outer actors, and volition enactment resolutely against them, it added.
Mr. Tong said the authorities volition proceed to show the sites “very closely” and volition not hesitate to instrumentality further measures "if we respect it to beryllium successful Singapore’s interests".
"More importantly, I deliberation Singaporeans should besides beryllium discerning and cautious with what they are consuming online, and besides question the root oregon volition of specified videos. And, don’t disseminate them if they whitethorn harm our societal cloth oregon our societal harmony," the Channel had Mr. Tong arsenic saying.
