ENGAGING COMMUNITIES, SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE
In a multiracial and multireligious society like Singapore, it is often harder to be a minority, Mr Wong acknowledged.
“We recognise that. So we must make a greater effort to engage all the different communities,” he said.
MPs regularly engage with various communities, listen to concerns and raise them when needed, including in parliament, he added.
When asked whether he was concerned about the incident affecting relationships between ethnic groups – particularly in areas like Tampines with larger Malay-Muslim communities – Mr Wong said the government’s swift action was driven by a commitment to protecting social harmony, not political concerns.
“It is precisely because we are worried, not about the consequences about the election, but worried about the impact on our social harmony that we are taking action.”
Reiterating that the press conference was “not a political” event, Mr Wong said: “I’m not here to talk about my concerns about the party. I’m here to talk about my concerns for Singapore and our country.”
He added that the responses from political parties so far have been encouraging. “It seems like everyone agrees,” he said.
If all parties stay aligned and reject foreign interference not just in words but in actions over the coming days, his concerns would be addressed, Mr Wong said.
“And we can continue to have our election campaign, Singaporeans can choose and we can do so knowing that our cohesion or harmony will not be undermined.”
Mr Wong was asked by CNA whether there are other entities that are a cause for concern when it comes to foreign influence during the GE – for example, the Critical Spectator Facebook page run by Mr Michael Petraeus, a Polish national in Singapore.
In response, Mr Wong reiterated that it is Singaporeans who must decide the outcome of the election.
Safeguards are in place to ensure this, he said.
“It doesn’t mean that foreigners cannot write about elections, to be very clear. Foreign journalists report on elections all the time and that is allowed.
“But when foreigners take a position on an issue or a candidate and push for an issue or candidate, one over the other, and especially when it is about race and religion and you start mixing race and religion into politics – that crosses the line.”
The government will continue to monitor the situation, said Mr Wong, noting that there are many posts and comments online.
“But if anything crosses the line, we will certainly take action. We will apply the rules even handedly, across the board. We will apply them fairly without fear or favour,” he added.
