PSP chief Leong Mun Wai says Singapore must reject racism & foreign interference but avoid labeling legitimate concerns as prejudice

SINGAPORE: In a recent social media post, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chief Leong Mun Wai warned against conflating Singaporeans’ concerns with racial prejudice, adding that he agrees with Workers’ Party secretary-general Pritam Singh, who underlined the necessity of having honest conversations about job insecurities, immigration, and other key concerns.

On June 17, Mr Singh tackled a number of recent issues, including the recent anti-Indian sentiment, the Chinese film Dear You, and the difficult conversations that are needed in Singapore. Speaking honestly about these issues is vital in a multi-racial country such as Singapore, he said.

On his part, Mr Leong, who served as a Non-constituency Member of Parliament from 2020 to 2025, wrote that the PSP rejects racism in all its forms and opposes foreign interference in Singapore’s domestic affairs.

“However, precisely because we are a multi-racial society, we must be careful not to conflate legitimate concerns with racial prejudice,” he wrote, adding that even when certain political, economic, and social issues are sensitive, they should be open to discussion. Moreover, discussions should be held even if there are “some irresponsible individuals” who use issues to sow intolerance.

Responding to this means “more transparency, more information and more open debate,” he added, arguing that their absence can lead to more speculation, misinformation and prejudice.

Mr Leong used PSP’s debate on foreign talent in 2021 as an example, saying that many Singaporeans’ concerns were economic rather than racial, specifically jobs and career opportunities, and workforce composition.

He also noted that later disclosures from the government and the introduction of the COMPASS framework acknowledged concerns about the excessive concentration of certain nationalities in workplaces. 

He argued that the city-state can remain open to global talent, but at the same time, make sure that Singaporeans receive fair opportunities and are not disadvantaged. 

“Legitimate economic concerns deserve to be debated on their merits, not dismissed as racial prejudice,” he added.

As for the recent debate on Dear You, he added that interest in preserving Chinese dialects reflects a legitimate cultural discussion rather than prejudice.

In the comments section, Mr Leong addressed netizens who aimed at a specific nationality, with some “crossing over into prejudice.”

“This is against the position and spirit I set out in my post.

We can talk about numbers, concentration, and your personal experience with the foreign talent policies. You may even objectively describe foreign lifestyles that are affecting you as neighbours. But we cannot target a nationality’s culture or race.

Let’s keep this group respectful of every race, language, and religion,” he urged. /TISG

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