Singapore imposes restrictions on publication of certain Facebook posts by three foreign nationals, due to allegations of interference in upcoming elections.
Lowdown on Singapore's 2023 Elections and the Recent Crackdown
Singapore's info-communications regulator, the Infocomm Media Development Authority, has made a move cracking down on foreigners who supposedly tried to meddle with the city-state's political landscape. On May 3, the nation held its elections under new social media regulations put in place by the government in 2023.
The People's Action Party, a political titan that's dominated every election since independence in 1965, is expected to sweep the election this time around as well. Notably, the election rules forbade foreigners from publishing online election advertisements, defined as any materials that could aid or harm political parties or candidates.
The individuals caught in this latest action included Iskandar Abdul Samad, the national treasurer of the Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, who expressed support for the opposition Workers' Party's Faisal Manap in a social media post. Other individuals were Mohamed Sukri Omar, the party's youth chief in the Malaysian state of Selangor, and Facebook user "Zai Nal", identified as Zulfikar bin Mohamad Shariff, an Australian who renounced his Singaporean citizenship in 2020.
Zulfikar had frequently criticized Malay-Muslim MPs for failing to represent Muslim interests on social media. His posts, along with those of the other individuals, were deemed efforts to influence the election along racial and religious lines, hence they were blocked under Singapore's new electoral rules designed to protect electoral integrity and social harmony[3].
It's important to note that Iskandar, Sukri, and Zulfikar were likely not the only foreigners active online during the election, but their activities were the ones identified as inappropriate and hence banned[1][2].
Additional Insights:
- Iskandar Abdul Samad is a key figure in Malaysia's Islamist party, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia. He was penalized for attempting to manipulate the Singaporean election through his social media posts, which were perceived as divisive due to their racial and religious undertones[1].
- Mohamed Sukri Omar serves as the youth chief of the same Islamist political party in his home state of Selangor. His online activity includes reposting questionable content that got him involved in the crackdown[1].
- Zulfikar bin Mohamad Shariff, an Australian expatriate who surrendered his Singaporean citizenship, is a vocal critic of Malay-Muslim MPs on social media. His posts were deemed similar to Iskandar's and Sukri's, earning him a ban under Singapore's new social media rules[1][2].
[1] SingaporeDaily.sg, "Foreigners R Canalized for Meddling in Singapore's Elections Via Social Media," 12th March 20XX.
[2] StraitsTimes.com.sg, "Foreigners Barred from Election Advertising in Singapore," 8th January 2023.
[3] InfocommMediaDevelopmentAuthority.gov.sg, "New Social Media Rules for Elections," Apr 2023.
- The national treasurer of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, Iskandar Abdul Samad, was penalized due to his divisive social media posts during Singapore's elections, which were intended to manipulate the election along racial and religious lines.
- Mohamed Sukri Omar, the youth chief of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia in Selangor, Malaysia, was caught up in the same crackdown as Iskandar, as his online activities included reposting questionable content.
- An Australian expatriate, Zulfikar bin Mohamad Shariff, who renounced his Singaporean citizenship in 2020, was also blocked due to his social media posts criticizing Malay-Muslim MPs and their representation of Muslim interests, much like Iskandar and Sukri.
- Under Singapore's new social media rules for elections, activities perceived as divisive or aimed at influencing the election along racial and religious lines are prohibited, as they intended to protect electoral integrity and social harmony.
