'Shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable': SM Shanmugam calls out racist comments on S'poreans missing in Nepal & SIA-Air India issue

The racist online comments about the missing Singaporeans in the Nepal floods and Singapore Airlines' Air India investment are "shameful, nasty, and totally unacceptable", Senior Minister K Shanmugam said on Sep. 5.

Speaking at a media doorstop, he added that social media platforms have had to remove several comments about those missing in Nepal "because they were so nasty".

He has also asked the police to look into them, and will further ask them to investigate other racist comments.

Additionally, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) will ask the social media platforms to take such comments down as they are "in breach of guidelines".

What are the comments?

"It is noticeable that of late, there have been more racist comments, particularly when it comes to Indians in Singapore," SM Shanmugam pointed out.

After the news broke out that nine Singaporeans are missing in the Nepal floods, comments questioning the nationality of these people were posted on social media.

Previously, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Alex Yam called out such comments, describing them as "racist", "heartless", and "difficult to stomach".

SM Shanmugam also highlighted the reactions to the recent news that Air India is seeking US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion) in fresh equity from shareholders including Singapore Airlines (SIA), whose investment in Air India contributed to its nearly S$1 billion in losses in 2026.

It has given rise to "a whole series of anti-Indian racist ranting online", including references to snakes, curry, prata, and black magic, he said.

Temasek's CEO, Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, has also been attacked for his ethnicity, with comments claiming that he would favour Air India.

"In the eyes of these people, the CEO’s sin is that he is of Indian ethnicity, even though he is as Singaporean as any of us — he was born here, studied here. That is nasty and libellous," SM Shanmugam said.

However, the facts are that India is Temasek's best-performing geography for the last 10 years.

SM Shanmugam added that he believes that the people who made such comments "should be unmasked and dealt with, rather than be allowed to hide behind online anonymity".

Protecting Singapore's social harmony

According to SM Shanmugam, some of these racist online comments originated and have been fanned from overseas.

He said he decided to call out the people who posted these comments because of what can be seen happening in other countries.

He described a hypothetical situation where such "nasty" comments gradually become normalised, then become mainstream, affecting social harmony and allowing violence against people of a different skin colour and religion to become acceptable.

Singapore, however, is a very small, multi-racial, and multi-ethnic country.

"If we are divided along racial or religious lines, we will lose the unity that has made Singapore strong. There will be feelings of ill will, suspicion, and we will all suffer.

We should not tolerate this. This is not who we are as Singaporeans."

SM Shanmugam said he believes that the majority of Singaporeans do not share the racist views posted about the missing Singaporeans in Nepal.

He shared that Red Cross Singapore, for example, has raised over S$3 million for relief efforts in Nepal.

"Singaporeans are generous across all races, and it is important that we don't allow a minority to poison the entire well."

Response to Kenneth Tiong's post

SM Shanmugam also responded to Workers' Party Member of Parliament (MP) Kenneth Tiong's Facebook post from Aug. 26, saying that SIA shouldn’t be making further investments into Air India.

"No one, least of all Singaporeans, owes Air India a living," Tiong said.

"If Singapore Airlines wants to continue its bet on Air India, it should do so on its own two feet, and not on Temasek's," he added.

SM Shanmugam said he believes that Tiong is entitled to his views and to ask questions about SIA and Temasek Holdings, the majority shareholder of SIA.

"But neither his views, nor that of any minister, or any other MP, should substitute for the commercial judgment of SIA's management and board of directors," he underscored.

The board has knowledgeable and independent members, and the management has professionals whose primary responsibility is to consider and make these decisions, he explained.

In response to a question from the media on whether Tiong's post had crossed any racial or xenophobic lines, SM Shanmugam responded:

"I think you best ask him what he intended and what he meant. I think he ought to do his homework and look at SIA’s letter and the facts that I put out today and ask if he is being responsible."