Singapore must be discerning about foreign agenda on drugs: Shanmugam
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said Singapore must be discerning about international entities that are pushing for drug legalisation. He said Singapore maintains a zero-tolerance stance on drugs and the country must decide if such agendas are in its best interests. Speaking on the annual Drug Victims Remembrance Day, Mr Shanmugam said it is also concerning that drug abusers in Singapore are getting younger. Chloe Teo reports.
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CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Thai military prepared for 'high-level operation' if Cambodia border row escalates
BANGKOK: Thailand's military said it is ready to launch a "high-level operation" to counter any violation of its sovereignty, in the strongest words yet in a simmering border dispute with Cambodia that re-erupted with a deadly clash last week. The army said in a statement late on Thursday (Jun 5) that its intelligence gathering indicated Cambodia had increased military readiness at the border while diplomatic efforts were ongoing, describing that as "worrisome". Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra held a meeting of the National Security Council on Friday and said that while the military was ready to defend Thai sovereignty, it understood the situation and when an escalation would be required. "The military has confirmed readiness for any scenario," she said. "But any clash will cause damage, so we will pursue peaceful means." "The government and military are working together, supporting each other," Paetongtarn added. The two governments had for days exchanged carefully worded statements committing to dialogue after a brief skirmish in an undemarcated border area on May 28 in which a Cambodian soldier was killed. Ahead of Friday's meeting, the army had said it was "now ready for a high-level military operation in case it is necessary to retaliate". "Operations of units at the border have been conducted carefully, calmly and based on an understanding of the situation to prevent losses on all sides, but at the same time, are ready to defend the country's sovereignty to the fullest extent if the situation is called for." Cambodia's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Thai military statement on Friday. HISTORIC RIVALRY Although the two neighbours have a historic rivalry, their governments enjoy friendly ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen, whose daughter and son respectively are now the prime ministers in their countries. The issue comes at a tricky time for the Pheu Thai Party-led administration in Thailand as it battles to revive a flagging economy that could be hit by steep US tariffs, while facing a challenge to its popularity having paused a signature cash handout to tens of millions of people. The party of the billionaire Shinawatra family has a troubled history with the Thai military, which twice toppled its governments in 2006 and 2014 coups. After Friday's security meeting, Thai armed forces chief Songwit Noonpackdee said the military supported the government's approach to settling the dispute peacefully. Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that in a meeting on Thursday with his Cambodian counterpart, Thia Saya, they discussed avoiding violence and proceeding with caution. He said he proposed that both sides retreat to positions previously agreed in 2024. Deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand last erupted in 2011 over the Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old temple at the heart of a decades-long row that has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides. The International Court of Justice in 2013 ruled in favour of Cambodia in clarifying a 1962 decision to award it jurisdiction over the temple. Cambodia said this week it would refer disputes over four parts of the border to the ICJ and has asked Thailand to cooperate. Thailand says it does not recognise the court's jurisdiction.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Fine for blogger who claimed in video that Josephine Teo made offensive remarks against Malays
SINGAPORE: A blogger posted a video on TikTok claiming that Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo had made offensive remarks against Malays. Manmeet Singh Bahadar Singh did so after he received a link from an unknown person to a WordPress blog with the alleged offensive content. Singh, 57, then posted a commentary about the content without verifying its authenticity. He removed it once he realised that he had been "led on" by the unknown person, his lawyers S S Dhillon and Jasjeet Singh Harjindar Singh told the court. Singh was fined S$6,000 (US$4,700) on Friday (Jun 6) after he pleaded guilty to one charge of knowingly committing an act which promoted disharmony between different racial groups. Singh is a blogger who posts about socio-political issues on TikTok, among other social media platforms. He has been previously featured in the media as former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian's bodyguard. HOW THE OFFENCE HAPPENED Before he posted the offending content on TikTok on Aug 12, 2024, he received a link to a WordPress blog post via WhatsApp from an unknown person. The blog post alleged that Mrs Teo, when asked about racial progress during an interview with Chinese media on Singapore's 59-year development, had made an offensive remark against Malays. Singh felt angry and offended. On the morning of Aug 12, 2024, he posted a video on his TikTok account with a visible representation bearing the words "Minister Josephine Teo blurted 'Malays are i*****' in a Chinese interview". He then repeated the blog post's allegations. Singh did not verify the authenticity of the claims on the blog post before making his video. In the video, Singh repeats the allegations and tells viewers to "go look it up". He then adds, "I have been voicing out for, you know, against racial discrimination in Singapore. And look what happened now? My prediction's right!" He finishes the video with the phrase "bring them down", according to court documents. At the time of the offences, Singh's TikTok account had around 9,054 followers. The video was available long enough for Mrs Teo's colleagues and a reporter to ask the minister about it. Around four hours after the video was published, Mrs Teo told her press secretary about it. The press secretary then downloaded a copy of the video and lodged a police report. Later that day, Singh suspected the allegations were false and removed the TikTok video by 1.40pm. He then posted another video in which he apologised to Mrs Teo, noting that his previous allegation was probably false. By 3pm, however, TikTok removed this video. Subsequently, Mrs Teo posted on social media platforms to state that the allegations were false. The blog post that sparked the offences was not available as of 6.30pm on Aug 12, 2024. Singh was arrested on Feb 4, 2025 and released on bail the next day. In mitigation, Mr Dhillon told the court the circumstances under which his client had been "led on" by the unknown person who sent him the blog post. Singh was on his way to work as a warehouse assistant when this person texted him and included the link to the offensive blog post. This person then encouraged Singh to do "what you need to do", said Mr Dhillon. "At the time, Manmeet had just alighted from his bus and was walking to his then-workplace, which was about a 10-minute walk from the bus stop. "Manmeet felt angry and offended and elected to take a snapshot of the blog post on his phone and proceeded to record a video of himself commenting on the alleged statement on his phone whilst walking," Mr Dhillon and Mr Singh said. Singh then went about his work. As he was working, he started having second thoughts about his post, as he had a growing suspicion that its contents were fake. However, as Singh's work involved sensitive information, he did not have access to his phone until lunch. "To his surprise and shock, he realised that the unknown person who had sent him the WhatsApp message that morning had deleted his account as well as the said message," the defence lawyers said. "This confirmed Manmeet's suspicions that he had been falsely led on." Singh immediately removed his video and published an apology video on his TikTok account. Unbeknownst to him, TikTok removed this video by 3pm. He subsequently posted a second video to apologise. The defence lawyers said that Singh was "racked with guilt" over his actions. "Manmeet is not in the business of making his videos for profit or clout. His content is akin to an extension of himself and his views, which he shares because he feels responsible to raise awareness," said the lawyers. Singh has since "deliberately steered clear of associating with other politicians to avoid controversy", the lawyers said. He also actively vets his news sources. The defence asked for a S$2,000 fine for Singh.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Teo Chee Hean to be new Temasek chairman; Lim Boon Heng steps down
SINGAPORE: Temasek Holdings said on Friday (Jun 6) that former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean will succeed Mr Lim Boon Heng as its fifth chairman. Mr Teo, who retired from politics in April and did not contest in the recent General Election, will first join Temasek's board as deputy chairman on Jul 1. He will take over the chairmanship on Oct 9 after the conclusion of Temasek's third-quarter board meeting, the state investor announced alongside other changes to its board. In its press release, Temasek said Mr Teo had advanced Singapore's interests in key areas such as geopolitics, as well as navigated complex challenges both in Singapore and abroad during his 53 years in public service. Mr Teo, 70, served as the chief of navy prior to entering politics. He made his political debut in 1992 when he was part of a People's Action Party team that contested and won a by-election in Marine Parade GRC. He then moved to contest Pasir Ris GRC during the 1997 polls and was subsequently re-elected in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC five times. During his time in government, Mr Teo helmed the home affairs, defence, education and environment ministries, among other roles. A core member of Singapore's third-generation leadership team, he later served as deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2019 before being appointed as senior minister. The political veteran also held the role of coordinating minister for national security from 2011 and oversaw other portfolios, such as the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group and the National Climate Change Secretariat, until he stepped down from politics. 'He guided Singapore's agencies to adopt a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to address complex issues such as population matters and climate change, including the formulation of practical decarbonisation and net-zero goals,' Temasek said. 'In a rapidly changing world, his wealth of experience and strategic insights will bring valuable perspectives to Temasek as it continues to evolve and grow as a global investment company,' it added. LIM BOON HENG GUIDED TEMASEK'S GLOBAL EXPANSION His predecessor, Mr Lim, has been chairman of Temasek since 2013, when he took over from former Cabinet minister S Dhanabalan. Mr Lim himself held several key Cabinet positions in the government from 1993 to 2011, including second minister for trade and industry and minister in the Prime Minister's Office. He was also the secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress from 1993 to 2006. The 77-year-old retired from politics in 2011 and joined Temasek as a director the following year. Temasek said it established itself as a global investor under Mr Lim's chairmanship. Its net portfolio value grew from S$223 billion (US$174 billion) in March 2014 to S$389 billion in the last financial year. Since 2014, it also expanded its footprint into developed markets across Europe and the United States, which are now home to nearly half of its 13 offices around the world. Its portfolio exposure to these developed markets has since doubled. Among his other contributions, Mr Lim paid close attention to talent renewal, especially when it came to increasing Temasek's international representation, the firm said. He also guided Temasek through its leadership transition in 2021, when Mr Dilhan Pillay took over from Madam Ho Ching as Temasek's CEO. Temasek noted that Mr Lim has been an advocate of good corporate governance and sustainability in its portfolio companies through engagement forums like the annual Temasek Roundtable and its flagship Ecosperity conference which started in 2014. Mr Lim also guided Temasek's various community contributions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when it led response efforts that included distributing essential supplies and medical equipment. Mr Lim championed tripartism through the Temasek Tripartite Conversations and also helped shaped Temasek's T2030 strategy in 2019, which served as its 10-year road map to construct a resilient and forward-looking portfolio, among other contributions. Reflecting on his 13 years at Temasek, Mr Lim said he has been 'privileged to work with a capable, dedicated team unified by a strong sense of purpose and commitment to excellence'. 'I am always inspired by my colleagues' collective conviction that, like generations before us, we must always act today with tomorrow clearly in our minds,' he said. He added that he is pleased that Mr Teo will guide Temasek into its next chapter of growth. 'His remarkable depth of experience in public service, combined with his seasoned wisdom on both local and global affairs, makes him the right helmsman for Temasek as we navigate increasingly choppy waters while remaining true to our purpose to ensure every generation prospers,' said Mr Lim. Speaking about his new appointment, Mr Teo thanked Mr Lim for his service to Temasek. He said that in the current era of deepening global uncertainty, Singapore must 'remain clear-minded on critical matters such as international relations, security and climate change'. 'As a key Singapore institution with a global investment footprint, Temasek understands that its long-term success requires both addressing today's risks and opportunities and anticipating tomorrow's trends,' said Mr Teo. 'I look forward to working with Temasek's board, management team and members of the wider Temasek family to build on the achievements of Temasek and chart a path for its continued success in the new global environment.' Mr Pillay said Mr Lim has been an inspirational figure and 'exemplifies what it means to be a steward leader'. 'Benefitting from his strong moral compass and wise counsel, we have strengthened our position as a globally recognised investment company, while remaining true to our Singapore roots and values,' said the Temasek CEO. He added that Mr Lim's championing of the Temasek Tripartite Conversations has been particularly meaningful, as these dialogues have built 'important bridges between Temasek, (its) portfolio companies and union representatives'. Doing so has created 'a culture of trust and collaboration that fortifies the ecosystem with greater resilience', he added. Mr Pillay also welcomed Mr Teo, saying that the state investor is privileged to benefit from his perspectives and extensive experiences. 'We look forward to his stewardship as we navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead.' Temasek also announced three other retirements from its board. Deputy chairman Cheng Wai Keung and board director Stephen Lee will be retiring on Jun 30 after nearly 14 years and 8 years of service respectively. Director Bobby Chin will also retire on Jul 31 after serving for 11 years. 'As respected business leaders with diverse expertise, they have guided the company's investment and portfolio management deliberations,' Temasek said. 'Their global perspectives on industry developments, tripartism, governance and risk management have been instrumental in upholding Temasek's reputation for sound stewardship and accountability.' Temasek, which marked its 50th anniversary last year, was first formed as a holding company for the government's assets, such as DBS and Singapore Airlines.
