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Kimberly Lim

The criticism of a former nominated member of parliament by Singapore’s top officials over a controversial Gaza post was prompted by the need to cool tensions and address a “political hot potato”, especially in an election season, according to observers.
The city state’s top office holders, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, earlier this week took ex-NMP Calvin Cheng to task nearly a month after he said on social media he would sponsor flying members of an activist group to Gaza “only if they never come back”.
Amid a backlash last month sparked by his comments on March 13, Cheng indicated he was taking legal action against individuals – including opposition figures – whom he said had defamed him as he had not targeted any race or religious group.
On Thursday, he finally apologised for his Gaza comments, saying on Facebook he was “deeply remorseful”. Cheng’s post in question had directed sarcasm at pro-Palestinian activists disrupting neighbourhood meetings between residents and members of parliament.
Later on Thursday, after two other top officials had weighed in on the matter, Prime Minister Wong on Facebook called Cheng’s Gaza post “insensitive and unacceptable”, pointing to Singapore’s “diverse and yet harmonious” social fabric.

Speaking to This Week in Asia, law don Eugene Tan said: “The ministerial interventions, including by Prime Minister Wong, suggest that the issue has the makings of a political hot potato in the coming general election that could undercut the People’s Action Party’s political standing and moral legitimacy on the Gaza issue.”
He pointed out that stances on the war had gained traction beyond the Malay and Muslim community in Singapore, and extended to younger segments of society.
Echoing his sentiments, political observer Bilveer Singh described the ministers stepping in as “damage control”.
Public anger at Cheng’s comments had been mounting over the past month before the ministers decided to weigh in, noted Singh, who added it might be “too little too late”.
Wong on Thursday wrote: “When we were part of Malaysia, some segments of the Malaysian community called the local Chinese pendatang – foreigners or immigrants. It angered many Chinese, who felt that they were second-class citizens. So when Singapore became independent, we resolved never to treat our minorities like that.”
He stressed that “cohesion is the result of generations of patient effort and hard work” and must be guarded.
The prime minister’s post also included photos of him with Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi and Ustaz Pasuni Maulan at Yusof Ishak Mosque, who had met Cheng earlier in the day. The two religious leaders sit on the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.
Wong wrote: “I also shared with them my perspective: that Calvin Cheng’s remarks about telling another Singaporean to ‘take a hike’ to Gaza was completely insensitive and unacceptable.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said Cheng’s comments were “hurtful” towards many members of the Malay Muslim community, and he understood why.
“The way those comments were framed crossed a line. It’s not just about disagreement, it’s about the message it sends, that some Singaporeans somehow do not belong if they speak up. That is not something we can accept. Not here,” he wrote.
In Cheng’s original post on March 13, he offered to fund the relocation of leaders and members of pro-Palestine advocacy group Monday of Palestine Solidarity to Gaza.
“I would like to sponsor them to relocate to Gaza, expenses paid by me. But only if they never come back. I am offering business class to the leaders. And to their 928 followers, can buy them some walking shoes each. Take a slow hike,” he wrote.
Cheng was responding to pro-Palestinian activists disrupting various meet-the-people sessions, which are weekly talks across Singapore during which residents can seek help from their elected parliament representative.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam had posted a video of his interaction with two activists last month at a session, in which they were seen making rude gestures and calling him a coward.
While Monday of Palestine Solidarity denied it had initiated the visit to Shanmugam’s session, the ruling PAP named the group when answering queries from local media.
Shanmugam last week also said he held “sharply different views” on the Israel-Gaza war from Cheng, reiterating his stance that Israel’s actions were “illegal and oppressive to Palestine”.
Before other ministers joined the chorus of criticism this week, the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (Pergas) late on Sunday voiced “deep consternation” at Cheng’s post, saying on Facebook the former NMP’s comments “included inflammatory suggestions directed at members of the Muslim community in Singapore”.
Responding on Monday, Cheng said on Facebook he “neither mentioned race nor religion” in his controversial post, and had “directed my remarks at a group of people which included non-Muslims”, adding he understood Pergas’ concerns but hoped it would revisit his comments.


He also said he had taken legal action against multiple parties, including opposition figures, who had allegedly defamed him when criticising his post.
After finally apologising on Thursday, Cheng wrote that he had met the two ustazs and discussed his original remarks, acknowledging they had caused “hurt and anger, especially within the Muslim community in Singapore”.
“I explained to the two Elders that I had not intended to attack any community or faith. My comments were directed specifically at the MPS group, which included Chinese and Indians, and had a mix of religions,” he wrote.
“I was specifically upset with their disruptive activism. My remarks were not targeted at the Muslim community,” Cheng wrote, adding that he should not have said “even in jest that people should go to a conflict zone”.

Separately, in a Facebook post on Thursday, Shanmugam also posted that he had a meeting with Chia Boon Teck, the former vice-president of the Law Society, who had resigned over online comments he made that appeared to victim-shame a woman in a rape case.
Shanmugam told Chia he needed to “reflect on his comments, and his approach”.
“I suggested that he considers a journey of deeper reflection and understanding, appreciate that his remarks were quite wrong,” he said. “Mr Chia has said that he will reflect, change, and find ways of contributing to society.”
These developments come as the country inches closer to a general election, which is widely expected to be called in May, ahead of its November legal deadline.


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Singapore ministers’ criticism of ex-NMP Calvin Cheng seen as bid to cool tensions

Former nominated member of parliament Calvin Cheng was criticised for his comments about sending pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza. Photo: Facebook/Calvin Cheng

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (centre) with religious leaders Mohamad Hasbi and Pasuni Maulan. Photo: Facebook/Lawrence Wong

Minister Masagos Zulkifli disagreed with Cheng’s views on the Israel-Gaza war. Photo: Facebook

Singapore’s Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam he held “sharply different views” on the Israel-Gaza war from Cheng. Photo: Reuters

4 in 10 Singaporean voters have decided on PAP if election held tomorrow: survey

Four in 10 Singaporean voters would vote for the ruling People’s Action Party, according to a survey. Photo: EPA-EFE

Supporters of Singapore’s People’s Action Party gather on nomination day in 2015. The next election will be the first with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong leading the PAP. Photo: AFP

Singapore’s main opposition party, The Workers’ Party, led by Secretary-General Pritam Singh, has unveiled its prospective candidates ahead of the 2025 election. Photo: Reuters

Diversity or detachment? Singapore’s civil service a political talent pool

People gather next to the Merlion statue at Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore. The city state is expected to hold a general election later this year. Photo: AFP

Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s prime minister. Wong left his post as chief executive of the Energy Market Authority before being fielded by the PAP in West Coast in 2011. Photo: EPA-EFE

David Neo (left), former army chief, joins Senior Parliamentary Secretary and MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng (right) on house visits at Tampines North on April 4. Photo: Facebook/BaeyYamKeng

Ng Chee Meng of the PAP during a walkabout in June 2020 ahead of the general election in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

Workers’ Party chair Sylvia Lim. Women held 27 of the 93 elected seats, or under a third of the seats, in the last election in 2020 in Singapore. Photo: Twitter

Dr Ong Lue Ping, a senior principal clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health, has been spotted working the ground in WP blue in the east of Singapore. Photo: Handout

Voters queue to cast their ballots at a polling station in Singapore on July 10, 2020. Observers have noted a growing normalisation of opposition politics in the city state. Photo: EPA-EFE

Singapore PM Lawrence Wong slams Trump’s 10% tariff on country as ‘not actions by a friend’

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Singapore designates tycoon Robert Ng, his 3 children as politically significant persons

Robert Ng  Chee Siong, chairman of Sino Group, during an event in 2019. Photo: Simon Song

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Calvin Cheng on Thursday apologised for Facebook comments in which he offered to send pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza


Calvin Cheng on Thursday apologised for Facebook comments in which he offered to send pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza.


Singapore ministers’ criticism of ex-NMP Calvin Cheng seen as bid to cool tensions

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Calvin Cheng on Thursday apologised for Facebook comments in which he offered to send pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza

Calvin Cheng on Thursday apologised for Facebook comments in which he offered to send pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza