Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said he will file a police report against an online publication, The States Times Review (STR). The publication in an article published on 21 Oct, titled, ‘Law Minister K Shanmugam: Eurasian Singaporeans are Indians‘, reported that “a Eurasian Singaporean representative complained that Eurasians are considered Indian under the Presidential candidacy law.”
The publication was reporting on a forum on Elected Presidency organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Mr Shanmugam who was the keynote speaker at the forum, suggested that “race can play a factor (in elections, but) how much of a factor is a judgment call.”
According to a report in TODAY Online, among the other speakers at the Forum was Mr Benett Theseira, president of the Eurasian Association. He expressed unhappiness that Eurasians would be considered part of the “Indians and other minorities” community, in relation to the EP.
He reportedly said, “Indians outnumbered Eurasians 20 to 1. So it makes it difficult for (there to be) an Eurasian president.”
STR had attributed the comment to Mr Shanmugam and said that he made it to “a Eurasian Singaporean representative.”
Mr Shanmugam charged that STR’s report was ‘completely false’.
“During my session which lasted 90 minutes, I said nothing of the sort attributed to me, about Eurasians,” Mr Shanmugam said.
Adding: “In fact I wasn’t asked about Eurasians at all, either by Mr Theseira or anyone else.”
Mr Shanmugam further clarified that he made no comments at all about Eurasians and that there were no questions posed to him relating to Eurasians. According to Mr Shanmugam, there was also no discussion on Eurasians.
Mr Shanmugam said that he will be making a police report against the publication.
STR responded to Minister Shanmugam’s post and said:
“Unhappy with a report criticising him for making racist statements, Law Minister K Shanmugam lodged a police report against States Times Review today (Oct 22) claiming the website published an “outright falsehood” <SNIP>
Earlier today (Oct 22), States Times Review published a news report highlighting that the Law Minister lumped Eurasian Singaporeans as Indians under the Presidential candidacy law.
According to the Law Minister, there is no need for a Eurasian to be a Singapore President because their numbers are too small. Over on the public forum platform, Minister K Shanmugam suffered brickbats and criticisms, especially from Eurasian Singaporeans and it is understandable he is finding a scapegoat to cover up his embarrassment .
The use of defamation law suits and abuse of the Singapore police are common tools used by the government elites to oppress criticism.”
STR is headed by Singaporean Alex Tan. He was a candidate of the Reform Party in the 2011 General Election. Mr Tan recently shared that he had been granted permanent residence in Australia and that he “will never return to Singapore as the corrupted regime will definitely see to it my incarceration.”