Singapore: Youtube, Facebook and X have been asked to block access to 14 posts by the Singapore government as they tarnish the image of the Indian community and undermine the country’s model of multiculturalism, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Saturday.
Under the Online Criminal Harms Act the police have issued disabling directions asking the platform to “take all reasonable steps to disable access by Singapore users to these posts.”
As per the reports the investigation reveals that the content likely originated from China-based platforms and was reshared by other platforms and websites. Even Second Minister of Home Affairs Edwin Tong informed reporters that the content originated from overseas.
Tong said,” These videos attack our multiracial society and they try to divide people based on race. This, however, is not who we are. Every community in Singapore here is valued and everyone has an equal place.”
Inflammatory Narratives Targeted Indian Community
The social media post claimed that the cultural identity and ethnic politics of Singapore is in threat due to anxiety. Moreover videos circulate on social media that stated Singapore was being overrun by Indians. In May such narratives were being circulated online by the Chinese information space, said the MHA.
The content claimed that Singapore’s 75% population are of Chinese descent with 15% Malay and about 9% are of Indian origin. It stated that multiracial policy was a facade that was just to attract Western values and the country’s stability happened due to the Chinese demographic and not multiracial policy.
It also claimed that as the numbers of ethnic Indian politicians are rising it would lead to in favour of Indian immigrants. Derogatory language compared the rising presence of Indians to a “concentration of curry.”
Government Rejects “Nativism and Xenophobia”
MHA said these attempts are done in order to sow seeds of ill will against the Indian community as there are Indian migrant workers in the construction sector who contribute to Singapore’s growth and development. The Ministry said,”These attacks coming from a foreign source are doubly unacceptable adding that Singapore strongly opposes “nativism and xenophobia.”
Tong said as there was no evidence to showcase a coordinated campaign by any government and that it was originally generated by various foreign netizens still the county seeks to safeguard its social cohesion that would agree to not accept such content and would take a similar stance to safeguard their own society.
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