Singapore must act firmly when others seek to divide it: Edwin Tong on blocked online content
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[SINGAPORE] Singapore must act firmly and reject attempts by those who wish to harm the nation and divide it, said Law Minister Edwin Tong on Saturday (Jun 6).
He was referring to online narratives that had surfaced, pitting the races here against each other and attacking Singapore’s multiracial society.
Tong, who is also second minister for home affairs, called on Singaporeans to be more discerning when viewing online content and to not disseminate it if it is harmful.
The authorities had moved on Saturday to block access here to 14 posts on social media platforms YouTube, Facebook and X that contained derogatory and demeaning language against the Indian community and made claims such as that Singapore is “overcrowded” with Indians.
Said Tong to reporters at Siglap South Community Centre: “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 Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement that narratives started circulating online “in the Chinese information space” in May that Singapore is displaying anxiety over its cultural identity and ethnic politics.
Shortly after, online content emerged containing inflammatory narratives about Singapore’s cultural diversity and suggesting that Singapore was being overrun by Indians.
The ministry said investigations showed that the content likely originated from a platform based in China and was subsequently carried on other platforms and websites.
Checks by The Straits Times found that while some of the videos have about a few thousand views, others have much fewer.
When asked if there would be an inadvertent spotlight cast on the videos that may currently not have many views, Tong said that it was 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.”
There have been previous reports of similar content from abroad targeting Singaporeans, some of which are artificial intelligence-generated.
These include Chinese-language videos attacking Singapore for its treatment of China and siding with the US.
Tong said the government will continue to monitor the sites very closely and will not hesitate to take further measures if it deems that it is in Singapore’s interests to do so.
“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.” THE STRAITS TIMES
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