‘How we respond is up to us’, says PM Wong as he calls on S’poreans to reject hateful comments

In a Facebook post, PM Wong was addressing anti-Indian comments that have emerged online following the devastating floods in Nepal.

Published Sep 06, 2026, 04:35 PM

Updated Sep 06, 2026, 04:35 PM

PM Lawrence Wong urges Singaporeans to uphold the ideals of the National Pledge and reject hateful, racist comments online, especially following recent anti-Indian sentiments.

Senior Ministers K. Shanmugam and Lee Hsien Loong condemn racist and xenophobic remarks, with police investigating and authorities demanding removal of such content from platforms.

PM Wong emphasises Singapore's identity as open and inclusive, warning that unchecked prejudice can deepen mistrust and threaten national unity.

SINGAPORE - There will always be people who seek to exploit Singapore’s differences, but how the country responds is up to Singaporeans , said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

While not every hateful comment online can be stopped, “we can reject such views, and refuse to give them more space or legitimacy”, he added.

Singapore has held together because it has consistently rejected attempts to divide it along racial or religious lines, and chosen instead to recognise one another as fellow Singaporeans, he said in a post on Facebook on Sept 6.

“We must keep making that choice,” he said as he urged Singaporeans to hold fast to the ideals of the National Pledge - “regardless of race, language or religion”.

He was addressing anti-Indian comments that have emerged online following the devastating floods in Nepal in which nine Singaporeans remain missing. Such comments also came up over SIA’s investment in Air India.

PM Wong said while Singapore can and should have robust debates, seemingly legitimate arguments should not be used as a cover to fuel prejudice against any community or hostility towards foreigners.

“We should be clear about the distinction.”

He said: “These views do not represent Singapore. But neither can we dismiss them as harmless online chatter. If such behaviour goes unchecked, it can become normalised, deepen mistrust between communities, and pull us apart.”

That is why he discussed the developments with his Cabinet colleagues and Senior Minister K. Shanmugam spoke about it on Sept 5, said PM Wong.

Shanmugam had told the media that the police are looking into the racist and xenophobic comments.

He said some of these comments have been “shameful, nasty and totally unacceptable”, with references to snakes, curry, prata, black magic and other racist stereotypes.

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information will also ask platforms to take such comments down as they are in breach of guidelines, he added.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong similarly spoke out against such comments on Sept 6, saying they were deeply troubling and urging Singaporeans to “reject hatred”.

PM Wong noted that the emergence of such online comments are not new, with anti-foreigner and racial sentiments stirred up during the Covid-19 pandemic and in debates over the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Singapore and India. They also surfaced during the 2025 General Election, where he spoke out against attempts to bring race and religion into politics.

Singapore’s identity must remain open and inclusive, said PM Wong.

“Whatever our background, if we embrace our values and way of life, we are part of this nation. This is what our National Pledge stands for, and I believe the vast majority of Singaporeans share this view,” he said.

“We must never allow prejudice against any community to become accepted or normal in Singapore.”

黄之锋总理在脸书上发帖，回应尼泊尔发生毁灭性洪灾后网上出现的反印言论。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 6 日下午 4:35

更新于2026年9月6日下午4:35

新加坡总理黄循财敦促新加坡人坚持《国家誓词》的理念，并拒绝网络上的仇恨、种族主义言论，尤其是在最近出现反印度情绪之后。

高级部长尚穆根和李显龙谴责种族主义和仇外言论，警方正在调查此事，当局要求从平台上删除此类内容。

黄循财总理强调新加坡是一个开放包容的国家，并警告说，不受控制的偏见会加深不信任，威胁国家团结。

新加坡——总理黄循财表示，总会有人试图利用新加坡的差异，但国家如何应对取决于新加坡人自己。

他补充说，虽然不能阻止网上所有仇恨言论，但“我们可以拒绝这种观点，不给它们更多空间或合法性”。

他在9月6日发布于Facebook的一篇文章中表示，新加坡之所以能够保持团结，是因为它始终拒绝按种族或宗教界限分裂国家，而是选择彼此承认为新加坡同胞。

“我们必须继续做出这样的选择，”他敦促新加坡人坚守国家誓词的理念——“无论种族、语言或宗教”。

他是在回应尼泊尔发生毁灭性洪灾后网上出现的反印言论，目前仍有九名新加坡人失踪。此外，新加坡航空对印度航空的投资也引发了类似的争议。

黄循财总理表示，新加坡可以也应该进行激烈的辩论，但看似合理的论点不应被用作掩盖煽动对任何群体的偏见或对外国人的敌意的幌子。

“我们应该明确二者的区别。”

他说：“这些观点并不代表新加坡。但我们也不能将其视为无害的网络闲聊而置之不理。如果这种行为不加以制止，它可能会变得正常化，加深社区间的不信任，并使我们分裂。”

黄总理表示，正因如此，他才与内阁同僚讨论了事态发展，高级部长尚穆根于9月5日就此发表了讲话。

尚穆根曾告诉媒体，警方正在调查这些种族主义和仇外言论。

他说，其中一些评论“可耻、恶劣且完全不可接受”，其中提到了蛇、咖喱、印度煎饼、黑魔法和其他种族主义刻板印象。

他还补充说，数字发展和信息部也将要求平台删除此类评论，因为它们违反了相关准则。

9月6日，高级部长李显龙也对这类言论表示谴责，称其令人深感不安，并敦促新加坡人“拒绝仇恨”。

黄循财总理指出，此类网络言论并非新鲜事，在新冠疫情期间以及新加坡与印度就全面经济合作协议展开辩论时，反外国人情绪和种族主义情绪都曾被煽动起来。在2025年大选期间，此类言论也曾出现，当时他曾公开反对将种族和宗教问题引入政治。

黄循财总理表示，新加坡的身份认同必须保持开放和包容。

他说：“无论我们出身如何，只要我们认同我们的价值观和生活方式，我们就是这个国家的一份子。这就是我们的《国家誓词》所代表的意义，我相信绝大多数新加坡人都认同这一点。”

“我们绝不能允许对任何群体的偏见在新加坡被接受或正常化。”