Foreign interference, misinformation test Singapore's unity: Shanmugam

Republic has managed to keep ahead of such threats via active governance, he says

- Ng Wei Kai Correspondent

Wars abroad and foreign influence have always had an impact on domestic politics, but a more interconnected world means it has become ever harder to keep a society like Singapore cohesive, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam.

While views may differ depending on one's race or religion, today's technology can give rise to a multiplicity of viewpoints catering to narrow segments, and a fair bit of misinformation on every conflict, he said.

Foreign governments who want to intervene in another country's affairs can also target that country's population and exploit existing fault lines more easily, he added.

Speaking at a dialogue at the Asia Future Summit on Oct 9, Mr Shanmugam raised the examples of how the Gaza conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war have been viewed differently by various communities here.

Surveys have shown that Muslims are more affected than other Singaporeans by the Gaza conflict, while a significant number of Chinese Singaporeans especially those who are older - hold the view that Ukraine is at fault in the Russia-Ukraine war, he noted.

Having a highly literate and online population in Singapore means people here have access to both information and misinformation, and information wars that do not necessarily target Singapore could risk being played out in the city-state, he added at the dialogue, which was moderated by Straits Times editor Jaime Ho.

The Asia Future Summit was jointly presented by SPH Media flagship titles The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao and The Business Times, with OCBC Bank as the presenting sponsor.

While Singaporeans' positions on these conflicts abroad are partly based on the information they consume from sources, racial and religious ties are also a factor, said Mr Shanmugam.

"These are deep-seated human emotions," he said. "They are not going to be diluted significantly by 60 years of nation building."