SINGAPORE: Singapore’s premier warned on Saturday the government would not tolerate racist comments posted on the Internet or in other media, saying the attacks can disrupt the multi-ethnic city-state.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s comments followed the filing of sedition charges against three ethnic Chinese Singaporeans for making inflammatory comments about Muslims on the Internet.
Singapore, which experienced bloody Chinese-Malay racial riots in the 1960s together with neighbouring Malaysia, considers racial harmony as one of its fundamental social principles.
“Anybody who does anything to damage this harmony — we cannot let this stand,” Mr Lee said.
“Not only does it send the wrong signals to others who might want to say something foolish, but I think it sends a very wrong signal to all the minorities in Singapore where they stand.... No matter where you say it, this is a message that is not acceptable.”
The latest to be charged with sedition was Gan Huai Shi for allegedly posting on his Internet blog inflammatory comments about Malay Muslims, who comprise 13.7 per cent of the city-state’s population, the Straits Times said.
Ethnic Chinese make up three-quarters of the total population of 4.2 million people, while ethnic Indians account for 8.4 per cent and the rest are from a wide variety of racial groups, including Westerners.
Nicholas Lim, a 25-year-old assistant marketing manager, was also charged with sedition for allegedly posting anti-Muslim remarks on an online forum for dog lovers, the Straits Times reported.—AFP
