Singapore’s new law aims to protect racial groups against foreign interference

The bill seeks to introduce provisions including shielding against foreign influence in designated race-based organisations

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Workers at Raffles Place. Singapore’s racial harmony law seeks to safeguard the different ethnic groups against foreign interference. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:29pm, 8 Jan 2025

Singapore’s new racial harmony law will grant the government “greater legislative teeth” to tackle domestic racial issues, according to observers who also say the move is a response to increasing polarisation among different ethnic groups worldwide.

The Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill, which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, expands authorities’ powers to issue restraining orders, implement community remedial actions, and introduce safeguards against foreign influence in designated race-based organisations.

“This new bill provides greater legislative teeth to deal with domestic racial matters and expands the means and avenues available to the government in countering racial occurrences,” said Mustafa Izzudin, a senior international affairs analyst at management consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore.

First floated by then-prime minister Lee Hsien Loong in his 2021 National Day Rally address, Lee said the legislation would be introduced to consolidate the government’s existing powers to deal with racial issues while strengthening its ability to deal with threats to racial harmony.

Singapore authorities have prioritised racial harmony as the bedrock of society, a stance which has since 1965 shaped national policies, from education and housing to politics. Ethnic Chinese comprise about three-quarters of the city state’s 3.5 million citizens, while Malays and Indians make up 15 per cent and 7.4 per cent, respectively.

Under the new law, the country’s Minister for Home Affairs can issue restraining orders against individuals or entities involved in producing or distributing content deemed prejudicial to racial harmony.