Singapore – A woman has filed a police report against a “seditious” post casting “aspersions on a Singaporean Muslim’s loyalty” to Singapore, resulting in a public apology by the social media marketing page SMRT Feedback by The Vigilanteh, which published the post.
SMRT Feedback uploaded a post on Friday (May 21) tackling religion, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the Muslim community in Singapore.
“I used to think Lee Kuan Yew was racist when he didn’t allow Muslims to serve in sensitive in sensitive military positions except for a few token Mats,” the post began.
The post provided hypothetical scenarios involving Singaporean Muslims having to pick sides and questioning their loyalty.
It also suggested that the best option was not to let Singaporean Muslims have the opportunity to choose what to do.
The full post can be read below.
On Saturday (May 22), one Syazana Yahya took to Facebook to highlight the post by SMRT Feedback which has since been deleted, noting she had gone to the police regarding the matter.
“The FB post is seditious. It casts aspersions on a Singaporean Muslim’s loyalty to its (sic) nation,” wrote Ms Syazana.
She noted that the words were “false and misleading”.
Ms Syazana added that a “Muslim person’s primary obligation in Islam is towards his family and country. In situations of war, it is our main obligation to defend our family and country. It is irrelevant that the attacker comes from a Muslim country or where our weapons come from.”
The concerned individual mentioned that a non-Muslim reading the post “will likely believe it to be true – that a Singaporean Muslim’s loyalty is questionable in times of war. That Singaporean Muslims are predisposed to be traitors.”
Ms Syazana said the assumptions were a “blatant attempt” to promote feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will by non-Muslims against Muslims.
“It is surely an offence under section 298A of the Penal Code.”
“Muslims already face unfair discrimination in many aspects of their life in Singapore. We have had our loyalty questioned many times, and we have had to fight hard to dispel the unfair assumptions that underlie these questions,” added Ms Syazana.
She called SMRT Feedback’s questions to be based on erroneous assumptions about the Muslim religion, which advocates peace, loyalty and excellence in discharging work responsibilities.
“This is our home and is the only home we have ever known. Yet, many times it feels like we have to fight hard to justify our right to live and how we fit into the fabric of Singapore society.”
In a follow-up post on Saturday, SMRT Feedback announced that the post had been deleted.
“On behalf of the team of SMRT Feedback by the Vigilanteh, I apologise for any offence caused to the Muslim community,” the post read, although it was unclear who the individual was behind the page.
“I recognise that a line has been crossed and transgressions have been made. The best way is to own up to it and apologise than to be adamant that I am always correct,” said SMRT Feedback, noting that the previous post was not in any way written to question the loyalty of the Muslim community in Singapore.
The police have confirmed that a report has been lodged, and they are looking into the matter, according to Mothership.sg./TISG
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