Singapore and Foreign Interference

Why is Singapore vulnerable to foreign interference?

With big power contestation and ongoing conflicts and disputes around the world, countries may exert influence on others to choose sides. Some of these attempts may come in the form of foreign interference.

As a small country with an open economy and highly digitally connected and diverse society, Singapore could get caught up in this.

Segments of our population consume narratives spread on messaging applications as well as from foreign media, published or broadcasted in English or mother tongue, and these may be channels 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

Reported Cases of Foreign Interference in Singapore

In our history, Singapore has been the target of numerous foreign interference attempts. Today, foreign interference is still a threat to Singapore and can undermine our social cohesion and resilience.

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.

Defending Singapore and Our Way of Life

We must ourselves defend Singapore and our way of life.

Foreign interference is a serious threat to our national security and social cohesion. Everyone has a part to play to strengthen our defences against foreign interference. As Singaporeans, let us commit to protect our national interests and sovereignty.

How Can I Play My Part to Counter Foreign Interference?

Stop

Do not share with others or circulate information which I receive, but am not sure about its origin or authenticity.

Check

Look for other sources to ascertain whether what I am reading is true.
Check the URL carefully.
The individual or organisation associated with a social media post may not always be authentic—they could be paid astroturfers or bots.

Report

Contact ISD at 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD) or isd@mha.gov.sg to report suspected foreign interference.

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