NTUC to be designated a politically significant person

Move aims to mitigate its risk of being target of foreign influence, given ties to PAP

- Chin Soo Fang

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will be designated a politically significant person under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica), a law that empowers the authorities to deal with foreign interference in domestic politics.

The notice was served to NTUC on July 11, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The statement said: “The Registrar (of Foreign and Political Disclosures) has assessed that given NTUC’s close nexus and symbiotic relationship with the People’s Action Party, it is in the public interest for countermeasures under Fica to be applied to NTUC.”

The pre-emptive measure is intended to mitigate NTUC’s risk of being a target of foreign interference in the future.

“It is not because NTUC has been compromised by a foreign actor, or has committed any wrongdoing nor anything of concern,” MHA said in response to queries.

Politically significant persons can include political parties, political office-holders, MPs, and election candidates and their election agents.

Other persons 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.

As a designated politically significant person, NTUC would have to make yearly disclosures to the authorities of political donations of $10,000 or more that it receives and accepts, as well as foreign affiliations.