Police investigating 'shameful' racist online comments about Nepal-Tibet disaster, Air India: SM Shanmugam

"These people should be unmasked and dealt with, rather than be allowed to hide behind online anonymity," says Senior Minister K Shanmugam.

Senior Minister K Shanmugam speaking to the media at Social Space @ Chong Pang on Sep 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

SINGAPORE: Police are investigating "shameful" racist and xenophobic online comments about the Nepal-Tibet disaster and Singapore Airlines' (SIA) investment in Air India, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday (Sep 5).

Speaking to reporters, Mr Shanmugam said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information will also ask social media platforms to remove comments that breach guidelines.

“The media tells me that they had to remove several comments because they were so nasty. I don't know if all the comments are all made by Singaporeans. But, I will say this – the comments are shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable,” added Mr Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister and coordinating minister for national security. “I have asked police to look into these comments.”

Under CNA's social media moderation policy, users who post hate speech, racist or offensive comments are blocked from commenting on CNA's social media pages. In cases where such comments are widespread and persistent, CNA may totally turn off comments on its posts, as it did for several news posts related to the Nepal-Tibet disaster.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Member of Parliament Alex Yam (PAP-Marsiling-Yew Tee) also called out such comments earlier this week, describing them as "not just racist" but "downright heartless". Nine Singaporeans remain missing after devastating floods caused massive destruction in Nepal last week. Mr Shanmugam gave several examples of racist remarks made online about the missing Singaporeans, including "No they are not our own", "I only see Indian faces here. Skip. Rescue cut." and "All ABNNs look the same, how to AI?" He noted that "ABNN" is a derogatory term for Indians. More than a thousand people had died and Singaporeans remained unaccounted for, he said, yet such remarks continued to circulate online. Mr Shanmugam added that the majority of Singaporeans do not share these views, pointing to the more than S$3 million (US$2.4 million) raised by the Singapore Red Cross for relief efforts in Nepal. “Singaporeans are generous, across all races. And it is important that we don't allow a minority to poison the entire well.”

Member of Parliament Alex Yam (PAP-Marsiling-Yew Tee) also called out such comments earlier this week, describing them as "not just racist" but "downright heartless".

Nine Singaporeans remain missing after devastating floods caused massive destruction in Nepal last week.

Mr Shanmugam gave several examples of racist remarks made online about the missing Singaporeans, including "No they are not our own", "I only see Indian faces here. Skip. Rescue cut." and "All ABNNs look the same, how to AI?" He noted that "ABNN" is a derogatory term for Indians.

More than a thousand people had died and Singaporeans remained unaccounted for, he said, yet such remarks continued to circulate online.

Mr Shanmugam added that the majority of Singaporeans do not share these views, pointing to the more than S$3 million (US$2.4 million) raised by the Singapore Red Cross for relief efforts in Nepal.

“Singaporeans are generous, across all races. And it is important that we don't allow a minority to poison the entire well.”

RACIST BACKLASH OVER AIR INDIA INVESTMENT

News that Air India is seeking fresh equity from shareholders, including SIA, has sparked a new wave of "anti-Indian, racist ranting" online, such as "references to snakes, curry, prata, black magic," Mr Shanmugam said.

An "online mob" has also attacked various parties, including the CEO and senior management of Temasek, over their ethnicity. Temasek is the majority shareholder of Singapore Airlines.

"It has been said that because the CEO is of Indian ethnicity, he would favour Air India. In the eyes of these people, the CEO's sin is that he is of Indian ethnicity, even though he is as Singaporean as any of us, he was born here, studied here. That is nasty and libellous," Mr Shanmugam said.

"But for this online mob, however, all of that, the facts don't matter. What matters is their racism and their own prejudices. If we allow this, in future, everyone can be attacked for their decisions based on their ethnicities .

"These people should be unmasked and dealt with rather than be allowed to hide behind online anonymity."

Singapore is not exempt from "latent racism", Mr Shanmugam said, adding that authorities have taken a "tough line" to protect the country's multiracial, multi-religious fabric and preserve social harmony.

“I've decided to call out these people because you see what is happening in other countries. First, a minority says these nasty things; slowly it becomes normalised; then it becomes mainstream, and political and community leaders will say it," he added.

"Public discourse is then debased. Social harmony is affected. Violence against people of a different skin colour and different religion becomes acceptable."

Racist comments, particularly against Indians in Singapore, have grown more frequent of late, with some originating and "fanned from overseas", Mr Shanmugam said.

"We are a very small multiracial, multi-ethnic country. If we are divided along racial or religious lines, we will lose the unity that has made Singapore strong. There will be feelings of ill-will, suspicion, and we will all suffer," he added.

"We should not tolerate this. This is not who we are as Singaporeans."

TEMASEK'S ROLE IN SIA'S DECISIONS

A Reuters report last month cited sources as saying that Air India is seeking a further US$1.5 billion in support from owners Tata Sons and SIA, just months after it posted a record annual loss.

An SIA spokesperson said last week that the board would "carefully consider any requests for additional capital from Air India, taking into consideration the group's other capital requirements and Air India's business strategy".

Workers' Party MP Kenneth Tiong said in a Facebook post on Aug 26 that he would not support nor expect any future use of Temasek's funds to "prop up Air India via Singapore Airlines".

Whether it is SIA or Temasek that "writes the cheque", there will be a "significant impact" on Temasek, he wrote.

"No one, least of all Singaporeans, owes Air India a living ... If Singapore Airlines wants to continue its bet on Air India, it should do so on its own two feet, and not on Temasek's."

Mr Shanmugam said it is SIA's responsibility to assess its investments in Air India against the resources it has for its "long-term growth and profitability".

"Any decision to invest in Air India lies with SIA, and Temasek as a shareholder in SIA, along with other shareholders, will expect SIA to make its investment decisions responsibly."

Temasek is accountable to the government for its overall portfolio and long-term performance, Mr Shanmugam said, but not for individual investment decisions of its portfolio companies.

"Temasek and its subsidiaries decide how to invest across a wide portfolio with investments of varied risks and varied time horizons. Once governments or politicians start directing individual investment decisions, commercial discipline will be compromised," he added.

"Decisions will become politicised – shaped by political considerations, rather than commercial judgment. In the end, Singaporeans will bear the cost."

The government's general principle is not to intervene in individual investment decisions or pressure companies on how to invest, Mr Shanmugam added.

Its role is to ensure professional management in Temasek, and then provide Temasek and its portfolio companies with the "political cover and the confidence which will allow them to make properly considered commercial decisions, free from untoward pressures".

Temasek and many of its portfolio companies, including SIA, Sembcorp, Singtel and CapitaLand, have made substantial investments in India over the years, Mr Shanmugam said.

"Temasek's website says that 43 per cent, nearly half, of its country exposure is to the Americas and China, and 7 per cent is in India. But its website also says that India has in fact been its best-performing market over the last decade," he said.

"Mr Tiong is entitled to his views. He is entitled, like any other Singaporean, to ask questions about SIA and Temasek.

"But neither his views, nor that of any minister, or any other MP, should substitute for the commercial judgment of SIA's management and board of directors – boards which have knowledgeable and independent members, and management which has professionals whose primary responsibility is to consider and make these decisions."

Asked by a reporter to respond to Mr Tiong's statement that no one "owes Air India a living", Mr Shanmugam said: "I think he ought to do his homework and look at SIA's letter and the facts that I put out today, and ask if he is being responsible."

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

“应该揭露这些人的身份并予以惩处，而不是允许他们躲在网络匿名背后，”高级部长尚穆根说。

2026年9月5日，尚穆根高级部长在崇邦社交空间接受媒体采访。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：高级部长尚穆根周六（9月5日）表示，警方正在调查有关尼泊尔-西藏空难和新加坡航空公司（新航）投资印度航空的“可耻的”种族主义和仇外网络言论。

尚穆根先生在接受记者采访时表示，数码发展及新闻部还将要求社交媒体平台删除违反准则的评论。

“媒体告诉我，他们不得不删除一些评论，因为这些评论非常恶劣。我不知道这些评论是否全部出自新加坡人之手。但是，我要说的是——这些评论令人羞耻、恶劣，完全不可接受，”尚穆根先生补充道。他同时也是内政部长和国家安全统筹部长。“我已经要求警方调查这些评论。”

根据中央社的社交媒体审核政策，发布仇恨言论、种族主义或冒犯性评论的用户将被禁止在中央社的社交媒体页面上发表评论。如果此类评论广泛传播且持续存在，中央社可能会完全关闭其帖子的评论功能，就像其对一些与尼泊尔-西藏灾难相关的新闻帖子所做的那样。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 国会议员严正宣扬（人民行动党-马西岭-油池选区）本周早些时候也谴责了此类言论，称其“不仅是种族歧视”，而且“简直冷血无情”。上周尼泊尔发生毁灭性洪水，造成巨大破坏，目前仍有九名新加坡人失踪。尚穆根先生列举了网上针对失踪新加坡人的几条种族歧视言论，包括“不，他们不是我们自己人”、“我只看到印度人的脸。跳过。救援行动停止。”以及“所有印度裔都长得一样，怎么用人工智能？”他指出，“印度裔”是对印度人的贬义词。他说，超过一千人丧生，新加坡人仍然下落不明，但此类言论仍在网络上流传。尚穆根先生补充说，大多数新加坡人并不认同这些观点，并指出新加坡红十字会已为尼泊尔救灾工作筹集了超过300万新元（约合240万美元）。“新加坡人慷慨大方，不分种族。重要的是，我们不能让少数人破坏整个社会的团结。”

国会议员亚历克斯·严（人民行动党-马西岭-油池选区）本周早些时候也谴责了此类言论，称其“不仅是种族主义的”，而且是“彻头彻尾的冷血”。

上周尼泊尔发生毁灭性洪灾，造成巨大破坏，目前仍有9名新加坡人失踪。

尚穆根先生列举了网上针对失踪新加坡人的几条种族歧视言论，包括“不，他们不是我们自己人”、“我在这里看到的都是印度人的面孔。跳过。救援剪辑。”以及“所有印度裔都长得一样，怎么可能人工智能？”他指出，“印度裔”是对印度人的贬义称呼。

他说，已有超过一千人死亡，还有新加坡人下落不明，但此类言论仍在网上流传。

尚穆根先生补充说，大多数新加坡人并不认同这些观点，并指出新加坡红十字会已为尼泊尔的救灾工作筹集了超过 300 万新元（240 万美元）。

“新加坡人慷慨大方，不分种族。重要的是，我们不能让少数人破坏整个社会的和谐氛围。”

印度航空投资引发种族主义反弹

尚穆根先生表示，印度航空寻求从包括新加坡航空在内的股东那里获得新的股权的消息，在网上引发了新一轮“反印度、种族主义的咆哮”，例如“提及蛇、咖喱、印度煎饼、黑魔法”。

一群“网络暴民”还因种族原因攻击了包括淡马锡首席执行官和高管在内的各方人士。淡马锡是新加坡航空公司的控股股东。

“有人说，因为首席执行官是印度裔，所以他会偏袒印度航空。在这些人眼里，首席执行官的罪过就在于他是印度裔，尽管他和我们一样都是新加坡人，他出生在这里，也在这里求学。这种说法既恶毒又诽谤，”尚穆根先生说道。

“然而，对于这群网络暴民来说，所有事实都无关紧要。重要的是他们的种族主义和偏见。如果我们放任这种情况，将来每个人都可能因为自己的种族而遭到攻击。”

“应该揭露这些人的真实身份并予以惩处，而不是允许他们躲在网络匿名背后。”

尚穆根先生表示，新加坡也未能免于“潜在的种族主义”，并补充说，当局已采取“强硬路线”来保护该国多种族、多宗教的结构，维护社会和谐。

“我决定公开谴责这些人，因为你们看到了其他国家正在发生的事情。起初，只有少数人说这些恶毒的话；慢慢地，这些话就变得正常化；然后，这些话就成了主流，政治领袖和社区领袖也会这么说，”他补充道。

“公共话语因此堕落，社会和谐受到影响，针对不同肤色和不同宗教信仰者的暴力行为变得可以接受。”

尚穆根先生表示，近来针对新加坡印度人的种族主义言论越来越频繁，其中一些言论源自海外并“受到海外煽动”。

“我们是一个非常小的多种族、多民族国家。如果我们因为种族或宗教而分裂，我们将失去使新加坡强大的团结。届时将会出现恶意和猜疑，我们所有人都会遭受损失，”他补充道。

“我们绝不能容忍这种行为。这不符合新加坡人的价值观。”

淡马锡在新加坡航空决策中的角色

路透社上个月援引消息人士的话报道称，印度航空在公布创纪录的年度亏损几个月后，正寻求从其所有者塔塔集团和新加坡航空获得 15 亿美元的额外支持。

新加坡航空发言人上周表示，董事会将“认真考虑印度航空提出的任何额外注资请求，同时考虑到集团的其他资金需求和印度航空的业务战略”。

工人党议员张建宗在8月26日的Facebook帖子中表示，他既不支持也不期望淡马锡的资金在未来被用于“通过新加坡航空公司扶持印度航空”。

他写道，无论是新加坡航空还是淡马锡“开支票”，都会对淡马锡产生“重大影响”。

“没有人，尤其是新加坡人，欠印度航空一份生计……如果新加坡航空公司想继续投资印度航空，它应该靠自己的力量，而不是依靠淡马锡。”

尚穆根先生表示，新加坡航空有责任评估其在印度航空的投资与其自身资源是否匹配，以实现“长期增长和盈利”。

“是否投资印度航空的决定权在于新加坡航空，而淡马锡作为新加坡航空的股东，与其他股东一样，都希望新加坡航空能够负责任地做出投资决策。”

尚穆根先生表示，淡马锡要对其整体投资组合和长期业绩向政府负责，但不必对其投资组合公司的具体投资决策负责。

“淡马锡及其子公司负责管理涵盖风险水平和投资期限各异的广泛投资组合，并自行决定如何进行投资。一旦政府或政客开始干预个别投资决策，商业纪律就会受到损害，”他补充道。

“决策将政治化——受政治考量而非商业判断左右。最终，新加坡人将承担后果。”

尚穆根先生补充说，政府的总体原则是不干预个人投资决策，也不对企业的投资方式施加压力。

其作用是确保淡马锡的专业管理，然后为淡马锡及其投资组合公司提供“政治庇护和信心，使他们能够做出经过深思熟虑的商业决策，而不受不正当压力的影响”。

尚穆根先生表示，淡马锡及其旗下众多投资组合公司，包括新加坡航空、胜科集团、新加坡电信和凯德集团，多年来在印度进行了大量投资。

“淡马锡的网站显示，其43%（近一半）的投资集中在美洲和中国，7%的投资集中在印度。但该网站也指出，印度实际上是其过去十年表现最好的市场，”他说道。

“张先生有权发表自己的观点。和其他新加坡人一样，他有权对新加坡航空公司和淡马锡提出问题。”

“但是，无论是他的观点，还是任何部长或任何其他议员的观点，都不能取代新加坡航空公司管理层和董事会的商业判断——董事会成员知识渊博且独立，管理层由专业人士组成，他们的主要职责是考虑和做出这些决定。”

当记者请尚穆根先生回应张先生关于“没有人欠印度航空一份生计”的说法时，尚穆根先生说：“我认为他应该好好做做功课，看看新加坡航空的信函和我今天公布的事实，然后问问自己是否尽到了责任。”

订阅我们的邮件，即可获取精选热门新闻和引人深思的文章。

订阅通知，第一时间获取突发新闻和精彩报道。

加入我们的频道，即可在您常用的聊天应用上获取当日热门文章。