Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday condemned racist and anti-foreigner comments targeting Indians online, saying such views do not represent Singapore and warning that unchecked prejudice could deepen mistrust between communities.
Wong, in a Facebook post, said racist comments had emerged online following the devastating floods in Nepal, including remarks about Singaporeans who remained missing. He said more recently, questions surrounding Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India had also been accompanied by anti-Indian abuse.
“We should be clear about the distinction. We can and should have robust debates. But we should never use seemingly legitimate arguments as a cover to fuel prejudice against any community or hostility towards foreigners,” Wong said.
He said such views should neither be considered representative of Singapore nor dismissed as harmless online chatter, as unchecked behaviour could become normalised and “deepen mistrust between communities”.
Wong said he had discussed the developments with his Cabinet colleagues and noted that anti-foreigner and racial sentiments had surfaced previously during the COVID-19 pandemic, debates over CECA and the 2025 General Election.
“There will always be people who seek to exploit our differences. We cannot stop every hateful comment from appearing online. But how we respond is up to us,” he said, urging Singaporeans to reject prejudice and uphold the ideals of the country’s National Pledge regardless of race, language or religion.
