Singapore claims PAS contradicted itself, tried to influence voters

Summary

• Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry questions need for PAS to make any remarks if it truly believed its comments would not influence the republic’s voters.

• The ministry calls PAS’ attempt to influence voters “unacceptable”.

Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry has accused PAS of contradicting itself and attempting to interfere in the city-state’s polls, after the Islamist party defended its leaders’ online posts supporting a Workers’ Party candidate during Singapore’s 2025 general election.

The ministry claimed that PAS’ latest stance, which framed the comments by its leaders as “ordinary cross-border commentary”, marked a reversal of its earlier position distancing the party from the posts.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry noted that the latest comments from the party contradict its earlier statement on April 28, where it had said the actions of its two leaders “represent their personal views and in no way reflect PAS’ official policy or stance as a political party.”

In an Oct 15 statement, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said PAS firmly rejects “the attempt to cast (PAS) as a convenient bogeyman to advance domestic political agendas in Singapore.”

Insisting that PAS will not allow a “false narrative” to stand where standard commentary is sensationalised into a security threat for short-term partisan gain, Takiyuddin argued that if digital connectivity is viewed as a channel for interference, then the only logical response would be to “disconnect from the world”.

“It is also disingenuous to suggest that Singaporean voters are so easily swayed by foreign views that their electoral will must be ‘protected’ from opinions they can evaluate critically.

“Blaming outsiders for internal debates is a classic political deflection tactic that conveniently shifts the focus away from difficult domestic issues,” he added.

The ministry, however, pointed out that if PAS truly believed its remarks could not influence Singaporeans, “then why make these comments at all?”

“Their (PAS’) clear intent was to influence Singaporean voters. That is unacceptable,” it affirmed.

PAS’ motives questioned

The ministry also questioned PAS’ motives, noting that as a Malaysian political party, it “cannot have Singapore’s best interests at heart.”

Quoting Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam’s statement in Parliament, the ministry said: “Does anyone seriously believe that PAS is supporting the Workers’ Party’s Malay-Muslim candidates in Singapore because PAS cares for Singaporeans?

“Or that PAS subscribes to Singapore’s model of multiracial, multireligious equality and meritocracy?”

Reiterating that foreign entities must not seek to influence Singaporean voters, especially along racial or religious lines, the ministry asserted that such actions are “divisive and unacceptable”.

“It is not for foreign entities or individuals to tell Singaporeans how to vote, least of all along racial and religious lines,” the ministry said.

“It may be how politics and political parties are organised in other countries, but it is not how politics and political parties are organised in multiracial, multireligious Singapore.

“We recognise that foreigners may have views and are entitled to comment on Singapore’s policies and politics. The foreign media do so regularly. But, the Singapore government will not stand by if a foreign actor attempts to influence Singaporeans for its own purposes, especially by rousing racial and religious sentiments and during elections,” it warned.

Attempts to influence

According to a joint statement issued by the ministry and Singapore’s Elections Department in April, the agencies had identified a number of foreigners attempting to influence the republic’s 2025 general election, following which it had issued “corrective directions” to Meta to disable access to their postings.

The three foreigners listed by Singapore’s authorities were PAS treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad, Selangor PAS Youth chief Sukri Omar, and a Facebook user identified as Zulfikar Shariff - a former Singaporean citizen who now lives in Australia.

The two PAS leaders had denied the Singapore government’s accusation that they tried to influence the republic’s voters ahead of its general polls.

Similarly, Takiyuddin emphasised in a statement on April 28 that the posts in question represent the figure’s personal views and in no way reflect PAS' official policy or stance as a political party - whether regarding Singapore as a nation or its ongoing processes.

He added, however, that while PAS respects Singapore's concerns on the matter, it also believes that Singapore's reaction was "somewhat exaggerated and unilateral", considering the party's good relations with the Singapore government.

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