Foreign interference in Singapore politics, policies ‘an absolute no’: Shanmugam

She was at the time under another sedition investigation for an article she had written on the monarchy in the wake of Malaysia’s 2018 General Election.

The outcome of both investigations has not been reported.

In posts on social media platform X on March 22 and 23, Ms Fadiah said she was banned from entering Singapore after trying to do so on March 22.

Noting that immigration officers could not disclose why she had been banned, Ms Fadiah said she had attempted to make the trip here as she had been invited to deliver a guest lecture. 

On March 27, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Ms Fadiah had encouraged the youth here to “adopt her brand of radical advocacy”.

The ministry said that she encouraged them to go beyond protests, mobilise students and different communities in Singapore, and undertake disruptive and violent actions in support of specific causes. In response, Ms Fadiah said MHA’s statement was “malicious, false and defamatory”, and that the ministry had not provided evidence to support its allegations.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said the Republic is “increasingly” seeing people from different parts of Malaysian society seeking to intervene in Singapore’s politics and policies.

This includes issues over penalties imposed for certain criminal offences, Singapore’s foreign policy, as well as some of the ways the country organises itself, he said.

He said Ms Fadiah had “encouraged local activists to adopt her brand of radical advocacy” and “incited them to break the law and use violence”.

“When people attempt to interfere in this manner, we will act decisively,” he said. “It does not matter whether the instigator is Singaporean, Malaysian, or any other foreign national.”