"Government to consider legislation against foreign interference: Edwin Tong
SINGAPORE: To ensure that Singapore does not fall prey to foreign interference and information campaigns, the Government will consider updating the legal framework to respond swiftly to such threats, said Senior Minister of State for Law and Health Edwin Tong in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 12).
Mr Tong was responding on behalf of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui.
Ms Cheng had asked if there was a need to introduce new laws or strengthen existing laws when dealing with foreign interference and Singaporeans who work with foreign actors to influence Singapore's elections and politics.
In his response, Mr Tong referred to the meetings of the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods (DOFs), which met in March last year.
"The Select Committee had recommended that the Government consider measures to address both deliberate online falsehoods and also state-sponsored campaigns that threaten our national security. The Government will consider the report and will also consider legislation in both of these areas this year," Mr Tong said.
Ms Cheng had also asked whether Singapore could learn from countries such as the United States, Australia and France, in their encounters with foreign interference in their elections and politics.
In response, Mr Tong brought up the case of New Zealand as well, where an opposition leader had allegedly circumvented political donation laws by disguising a donation by a businessman linked to a foreign government so that it did not have to be declared. This sparked debate within the country on the need to review policies against foreign interference.
In his remarks to Parliament, Mr Tong noted that in December last year when Singapore and Malaysia's bilateral ties were strained, the Government saw a spike in critical comments made online by avatars, which are anonymous accounts with pictures that do not show the owner's face.
"On one such issue, jams at land checkpoints, around 40 per cent of comments on alternative media outlets pages on social media came from avatar accounts. We do not know who these suspicious accounts belong to nor do we know if they are being coordinated by foreign actors," Mr Tong said.
"But it is clear that these accounts have sought to give and create artificial impressions to netizens of the opposition to Singapore's position at a time of heightened bilateral difficulties," Mr Tong added."
He also mentioned abt Prof Huang Jin fr LKYSPP who was expelled after he been found to b an agent of foreign influence!
A blow to LKYSPP n possibly resulting in the Dean taking early retirement not long after that.
Some said it was due to different of opinions abt what is China n how Sgp should work with China n the USA to further the interests of Sgp overall.
Anyway, the view of the current government has to be the right one over that expressed by whoever in LKYSPP had in mind.
Regardless of this not so solid example, the gov is clear that Sgp government must hv the power to neutralise ANY foreign influences n meddling in our politics, public policies, sovereignty n security!
SINGAPORE: To ensure that Singapore does not fall prey to foreign interference and information campaigns, the Government will consider updating the legal framework to respond swiftly to such threats, said Senior Minister of State for Law and Health Edwin Tong in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 12).
Mr Tong was responding on behalf of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui.
Ms Cheng had asked if there was a need to introduce new laws or strengthen existing laws when dealing with foreign interference and Singaporeans who work with foreign actors to influence Singapore's elections and politics.
In his response, Mr Tong referred to the meetings of the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods (DOFs), which met in March last year.
"The Select Committee had recommended that the Government consider measures to address both deliberate online falsehoods and also state-sponsored campaigns that threaten our national security. The Government will consider the report and will also consider legislation in both of these areas this year," Mr Tong said.
Ms Cheng had also asked whether Singapore could learn from countries such as the United States, Australia and France, in their encounters with foreign interference in their elections and politics.
In response, Mr Tong brought up the case of New Zealand as well, where an opposition leader had allegedly circumvented political donation laws by disguising a donation by a businessman linked to a foreign government so that it did not have to be declared. This sparked debate within the country on the need to review policies against foreign interference.
In his remarks to Parliament, Mr Tong noted that in December last year when Singapore and Malaysia's bilateral ties were strained, the Government saw a spike in critical comments made online by avatars, which are anonymous accounts with pictures that do not show the owner's face.
"On one such issue, jams at land checkpoints, around 40 per cent of comments on alternative media outlets pages on social media came from avatar accounts. We do not know who these suspicious accounts belong to nor do we know if they are being coordinated by foreign actors," Mr Tong said.
"But it is clear that these accounts have sought to give and create artificial impressions to netizens of the opposition to Singapore's position at a time of heightened bilateral difficulties," Mr Tong added."
He also mentioned abt Prof Huang Jin fr LKYSPP who was expelled after he been found to b an agent of foreign influence!
A blow to LKYSPP n possibly resulting in the Dean taking early retirement not long after that.
Some said it was due to different of opinions abt what is China n how Sgp should work with China n the USA to further the interests of Sgp overall.
Anyway, the view of the current government has to be the right one over that expressed by whoever in LKYSPP had in mind.
Regardless of this not so solid example, the gov is clear that Sgp government must hv the power to neutralise ANY foreign influences n meddling in our politics, public policies, sovereignty n security!
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