Latest news with #ForeignInterference(Countermeasures)Act
South China Morning Post
28-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Lawrence Wong flags Malaysian election influence attempts ahead of Singapore polls
Singapore 's political leaders are warning against foreign attempts to influence voters in an election campaign, under measures introduced four years ago to guard against external meddling. Advertisement Lawrence Wong , leader of the city state's ruling People's Action Party, said at a rally on Saturday that foreign actors, including a political party in Malaysia , had tried to influence the outcome of Singapore's elections. He warned that the mixing of religion and politics, as well as calls to support candidates based on race or religion, were 'very dangerous'. Meanwhile, Pritam Singh, who leads the largest opposition Workers' Party, said his team categorically rejected any involvement of foreign elements in domestic politics. 'Singapore is our business – nobody else's,' Singh said at a rally on the same day. Pritam Singh, Singapore's leader of the opposition and secretary general of the Workers' Party, speaks during a rally on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE The warnings followed a government order issued to Meta Platforms Inc. to take down several Facebook advertisements published by foreigners during the election period, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Elections Department on Friday. This is the first parliamentary election since the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act was passed in 2021 , which gives officials power to curb foreign efforts to influence Singapore's political affairs. Authorities identified two members of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia – a conservative Islamist party and the largest opposition group in Malaysia – among the Facebook posts. Security personnel watch over supporters of Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) during rally outside a polling station in Malaysia's Terengganu state. Photo: AFP
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Singapore politicians warn against foreign meddling in election
By Yihui Xie (Bloomberg) – Singapore's political leaders are warning against foreign attempts to influence voters in an election campaign, under measures introduced four years ago to guard against external meddling. Lawrence Wong, leader of the city-state's ruling People's Action Party, said at a rally on Saturday that foreign actors, including a political party in Malaysia, had tried to influence the outcome of Singapore's elections. He warned that the mixing of religion and politics, as well as calls to support candidates based on race or religion, were 'very dangerous.' Pritam Singh, who leads the largest opposition Workers' Party, said his team categorically rejects any involvement of foreign elements in domestic politics. 'Singapore is our business – nobody else's,' Singh said at a rally the same day. The warnings followed a government order issued to Meta Platforms to take down several Facebook advertisements published by foreigners during the election period, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Elections Department on Friday. This is the first parliamentary election since the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act was passed in 2021, which gives officials power to curb foreign efforts to influence Singapore's political affairs. Authorities identified two members of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia – a conservative Islamist party and the largest opposition group in Malaysia – among the Facebook posts. The list also included an Australian citizen who renounced his Singapore citizenship in 2020 and had previously been detained under Singapore's Internal Security Act for promotion of the terrorist group ISIS, according to the statement. Paul Tambyah, chairman of opposition Singapore Democratic Party, raised concerns about foreign bots on Facebook spreading misinformation about candidates. Tambyah urged the Ministry of Digital Development and Information to take action, stressing that the impact of such influences may persist beyond elections. The country's election campaign started on Wednesday, and will last nine days – making it one of the world's shortest – before voters head to the polls on May 3. More stories like this are available on ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Straits Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Property tycoon Robert Ng and 3 children designated politically significant persons under Fica
(Clockwise from top left) Singaporean property tycoon Robert Ng and three of his children – Mr Daryl Ng, Mr David Ng and Ms Nikki Ng – have been designated 'politically significant persons'. PHOTOS: BLOOMBERG, YEO HIAP SENG, DAVID NG/LINKEDIN, PBCFORUM SINGAPORE – Singaporean property tycoon Robert Ng Chee Siong and three of his children have been designated as 'politically significant persons' under the nation's foreign interference law designed to guard against the risks of foreign influence in domestic politics. Under Singapore's Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica), they must declare political donations of $10,000 or more, among other precautionary oversight measures, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement on April 22. The measures, under Section 48(1) of Fica, will apply to Mr Robert Ng – chairman of Hong Kong-listed Sino Group, the sister company of Singapore's Far East Organization – whose affiliations with major Communist Party of China committees have put him under scrutiny of the Singapore authorities. The Fica measures also apply to his sons, Mr Daryl Ng Win Kong and Mr David Ng Win Loong, and his daughter, Ms Nikki Ng Mien Hua, with effect from April 22. According to publicly available records, the four are members of committees of China's top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – an advisory group within the Communist Party of China's political system. MHA said in a statement on April 22 that the four were formally informed on April 7 that they would be designated as politically significant persons (PSPs). They did not object to the decision, it added. 'The designations of the four individuals are not because they have engaged in any egregious activity,' said the ministry. The family members had declared to the Registry of Foreign and Political Disclosures in 2024 that they are members of a foreign legislature or foreign political organisation, MHA said in an earlier statement on April 7. The declarations are mandatory for Singaporeans who are members of such foreign organisations, under Section 79 of Fica. Under Fica, the four will be required to make annual disclosures to the registrar on political donations of $10,000 or more that they receive and accept, as well as on their foreign affiliations and migration benefits such as honorary citizenship or permanent residency. Mr Robert Ng's family has a significant public profile in Singapore, with Far East Organization and Sino Group among the largest property developers in the country. The groups are linked to major property developments here, including the Fullerton Heritage project and the redevelopment of Golden Mile Complex. Sino Group's philanthropic arm, Hong Kong-based Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, has also made donations to several charitable causes and given substantial amounts to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in Jurong, as well as supporting the National Gallery Singapore. Mr Robert Ng has been increasingly linked to significant roles in the Chinese political sphere, including as the National Committee's deputy director of the committee for economic affairs and the vice-chairman of the China Overseas Friendship Association, a foreign affairs organisation under the Chinese government. His children, Mr Daryl Ng, 46; Ms Ng, 44; and Mr David Ng, 36, are members of the CPPCC's local committees, among other political affiliations. They are the deputy chairman, non-executive director and group associate director at Sino Group, respectively. Mr Daryl Ng is a standing committee member of the 14th Beijing Municipal Committee, and was a member of the 12th and 13th Beijing Municipal Committee. He is also the president of the Hong Kong United Youth Association and the chairman of the Hong Kong-Asean Foundation. Ms Ng is a member of the 14th Shanghai Municipal Committee, and had also been a member of the 12th to 13th committees, and Mr David Ng is a member of the 13th Fujian Provincial Committee, and had also been a member of the 12th committee. Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam had said in 2024 that Singapore citizens and permanent residents were allowed to be members of such foreign entities but, under Fica, they had to declare such memberships. Singaporeans who join such bodies would need to be discerning as to whether their participation could potentially go against Singapore's interests, Mr Shanmugam said then. Introduced in 2021, Fica arms the Singapore authorities to deal with covert attempts by hostile foreign actors to meddle with domestic politics, such as artificially amplifying certain views to manipulate public opinion on hot-button issues, instilling unrest or undermining confidence in institutions. The law was introduced by MHA amid an increasing prevalence of disinformation campaigns led by state actors and other organisations against targeted countries. Under Fica, PSPs can include political office-holders, MPs, and election candidates and their election agents. Other individuals or groups may also be designated politically significant if the authorities assess that their activities are directed towards a political end, and that it is in the public interest that countermeasures against foreign interference be applied. The law does not target Singaporeans or other local entities that express their views, unless they are being used by foreign entities as proxies for interference. Human rights group Maruah and non-governmental organisation Think Centre – both gazetted as political associations – were designated as PSPs in December 2023 when Fica's provisions against interference via local proxies came into force. Singaporean businessman Philip Chan Man Ping was also designated a politically significant person in February 2024. The National Trades Union Congress was designated a PSP in July 2024. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Sino Group's Robert Ng and children designated politically significant persons under foreign interference law
[SINGAPORE] Sino Group chairman Robert Ng and his three children have been designated as politically significant persons under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday (Apr 22). The four individuals were issued notices of intended designation on Apr 7 and did not submit any representations against their intended designations. 'The registrar remains of the view that all four individuals should be designated as politically significant persons base on their declared memberships in foreign legislatures or foreign political organisations,' MHA said. 'The designations of the four individuals are not because they have engaged in any egregious activity.' Robert Ng, 72, is the eldest son of the late Ng Teng Fong, founder of Singapore property giant Far East Organization, and brother of Philip Ng, who has retired as chief executive officer of FEO. Robert Ng's children are Daryl Ng, 46; Nikki Ng, 44; and David Ng, 36. All four members of the Ng family have links to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference – China's top political advisory body. The designation as PSPs means that they will be required to make annual disclosures to the Registrar of Foreign and Political Disclosures on foreign affiliations and migrations benefits as well as political donations of S$10,000 or more that they receive and accept.
CNA
22-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Singapore tycoon Robert Ng and his three children designated as 'politically significant persons'
SINGAPORE: Sino Group chairman Robert Ng and three of his children - Mr Daryl Ng, Ms Nikki Ng and Mr David Ng - have been designated as "politically significant persons" under a law to counter foreign interference. It comes about two weeks after they were served a notice of the authorities' intention to do so and did not submit any representations against their intended designation, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a press release on Tuesday (Apr 22). Based on their declared memberships in foreign legislatures or foreign political organisations, MHA said the registrar assessed that they should be designated as "politically significant persons" under Section 48(1) of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, or FICA. Enacted in 2021, the law contains "countermeasures to prevent, detect and disrupt foreign interference in (Singapore's) domestic politics". "The designations of the four individuals are not because they have engaged in any egregious activity," MHA said. Mr Daryl Ng, Ms Nikki Ng and Mr David Ng are the deputy chairman, a non-executive director and group associate director at Sino Group, respectively. Checks by CNA showed that the four members of the Ng family hold positions in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body. Unlike the National People's Congress, the CPPCC has no lawmaking powers, but its suggestions can influence policymaking. As a designated politically significant person, they are required to make annual disclosures to the Registrar on their political donations of S$10,000 (US$7,400) or more that they receive and accept. They also have to declare their foreign affiliations and migration benefits. Mr Robert Ng and his children declared their involvement shortly before Mar 1, 2024, which was the deadline for Singapore citizens to declare their memberships with foreign legislatures or foreign political organisations. Singaporeans who were already members before Feb 1, 2024, had to do so by Mar 1 that year. As of Mar 31, seven Singaporeans have declared their memberships in foreign legislatures or foreign political organisations. Mr Ng and his children were served notices on Apr 7, said MHA. MHA further clarified on Apr 9 that the other three individuals were not issued notices as the Registrar of Foreign and Political Disclosures had assessed that they did not meet the designation thresholds. This is the second time MHA has designated individuals under FICA provisions. The first person to be served this notice was Singaporean businessman Philip Chan Man Ping, who later received the designation on Feb 26, 2024. At the time of his designation, Mr Chan - who immigrated from Hong Kong and eventually became a Singapore citizen - was known to be associated with the CPPCC. He was also involved in grassroots and fundraising efforts in Singapore for over a decade. foreign interference FICA China
