Singapore must never allow prejudice against any community: PM Wong on anti-Indian abuse
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has condemned the rise of racist and xenophobic online rhetoric targeting the Indian community following recent regional disasters and corporate investments. Government leaders are urging citizens to reject divisive narratives to maintain social cohesion in the multi-ethnic city-state.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of managing social stability and ethnic harmony in a globalized, multi-cultural nation vulnerable to online polarization and hate speech.
Singapore must never allow prejudice against any community to become accepted or normalised, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Sunday (September 6, 2026), days after racist and xenophobic comments appeared online about the Nepal-Tibet flash floods disaster and the Singapore Airlines-Air India partnership.
"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," the Channel News Asia quoted Mr. Wong as saying.
The Prime Minister’s remarks come a day after Singapore Senior Minister K. Shanmugam said police are investigating “shameful” and “totally unacceptable” racist and xenophobic comments posted online about the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster and Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) investment in Air India.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Wong said that "an uglier side" had emerged in online discussions about the two matters.
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