Inflammatory videos targeting Indian community did not originate in S'pore & do not reflect the views of S'poreans: Josephine Teo

Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo has denounced inflammatory online content that negatively target Singapore's Indian community.

Earlier on Jun. 6, the Singapore Police Force issued Disabling Directions (DD) to platforms including videos and posts on YouTube, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) over 14 posts containing inflammatory messages about racial harmony in Singapore.

Such content "do not reflect the views of Singaporeans", Teo said at the Jalan Besar Family Sports Carnival on the same day.

Inflammatory posts

The posts, including videos and posts on the aforementioned platforms, conveyed harmful narratives suggesting that Singapore was being "overrun by Indians".

Investigations revealed the content likely originated from a China-based platform and spread elsewhere in the online space, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

However there is currently no evidence of any coordinated government campaign behind the videos.

Among others, the content made claims that the Chinese ethnic group has a "greater right" to belong in Singapore compared to other ethnic groups and that Singapore's multiracial policy is a façade meant to appeal to Western values.

The messages also denounced Singapore government's "decoupling" from China, claiming that neglecting the "threat" of a growing Indian population would lead to a negative outcome.

The posts were accompanied by selective images and footage of crowded streets along Little India to suggest Singapore's "overcrowding" with Indians.

Posts do not reflect the views of Singaporeans

"Today they target the Indians and they pit the Chinese against them. Tomorrow, it will be other races, other communities. We must not allow that," Teo said in a media doorstop on Jun. 6.

In a Facebook post, she added that it is "not by accident" that places of worship across various religions are within walking distance of each other in Singapore.

"Singapore's multiculturalism is not merely demographic. It is embedded in our daily interactions, our education, and our public institutions.

This may be difficult to grasp for those from more monocultural settings, where identity is often expected to be singular and one-dimensional.

Singaporeans, by contrast, have always been accustomed to moving between different cultural worlds."

"It is part of who we are," she added.

Teo asked for members of the public who have seen such content to avoid sharing them further.

In addition, she also urged for more interaction and trust among members of different racial groups and faiths in Singapore in their everyday interactions.