Police looking into 'shameful' racist online comments about Nepal-Tibet disaster, Air India: SM Shanmugam
"These people should be unmasked and dealt with, rather than be allowed to hide behind online anonymity," says Senior Minister K Shanmugam.
Senior Minister K Shanmugam speaking to the media at Social Space @ Chong Pang on Sep 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)
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SINGAPORE: Police are looking into "shameful" racist and xenophobic online comments about the Nepal-Tibet disaster and Singapore Airlines' (SIA) investment in Air India, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday (Sep 5).
Speaking to reporters, Mr Shanmugam said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information will also ask social media platforms to remove comments that breach guidelines.
“The media tells me that they had to remove several comments because they were so nasty. I don't know if all the comments are all made by Singaporeans. But, I will say this – the comments are shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable,” added Mr Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister and coordinating minister for national security. “I have asked police to look into these comments.”
Under CNA's social media moderation policy, users who post hate speech, racist or offensive comments are blocked from commenting on CNA's social media pages. In cases where such comments are widespread and persistent, CNA may totally turn off comments on its posts, as it did for several news posts related to the Nepal-Tibet disaster.
Member of Parliament Alex Yam (PAP-Marsiling-Yew Tee) also called out such comments earlier this week, describing them as "not just racist" but "downright heartless".
Nine Singaporeans remain missing after devastating floods caused massive destruction in Nepal last week.
Mr Shanmugam gave several examples of racist remarks made online about the missing Singaporeans, including "No they are not our own", "I only see Indian faces here. Skip. Rescue cut." and "All ABNNs look the same, how to AI?" He noted that "ABNN" is a derogatory term for Indians.
More than a thousand people had died and Singaporeans remained unaccounted for, he said, yet such remarks continued to circulate online.
Mr Shanmugam added that the majority of Singaporeans do not share these views, pointing to the more than S$3 million (US$2.4 million) raised by the Singapore Red Cross for relief efforts in Nepal.
“Singaporeans are generous, across all races. And it is important that we don't allow a minority to poison the entire well.”
RACIST BACKLASH OVER AIR INDIA INVESTMENT
News that Air India is seeking fresh equity from shareholders, including SIA, has sparked a new wave of "anti-Indian, racist ranting" online, such as "references to snakes, curry, prata, black magic," Mr Shanmugam said.
An "online mob" has also attacked various parties, including the CEO and senior management of Temasek, over their ethnicity. Temasek is the majority shareholder of Singapore Airlines and Mr Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara is Temasek's CEO.
"It has been said that because the CEO is of Indian ethnicity, he would favour Air India. In the eyes of these people, the CEO's sin is that he is of Indian ethnicity, even though he is as Singaporean as any of us ... That is nasty and libellous," Mr Shanmugam said.
"But for this online mob, however, all of that, the facts don't matter. What matters is their racism and their own prejudices. If we allow this, in future, everyone can be attacked for their decisions based on their ethnicities.
"These people should be unmasked and dealt with rather than be allowed to hide behind online anonymity."
Singapore is not exempt from "latent racism", Mr Shanmugam said, adding that authorities have taken a "tough line" to protect the country's multiracial, multi-religious fabric and preserve social harmony.
“I've decided to call out these people because you see what is happening in other countries. First, a minority says these nasty things; slowly it becomes normalised; then it becomes mainstream, and political and community leaders will say it," he added.
"Public discourse is then debased. Social harmony is affected. Violence against people of a different skin colour and different religion becomes acceptable."
Racist comments, particularly against Indians in Singapore, have grown more frequent of late, with some originating and "fanned from overseas", Mr Shanmugam said.
"We are a very small multiracial, multi-ethnic country. If we are divided along racial or religious lines, we will lose the unity that has made Singapore strong. There will be feelings of ill-will, suspicion, and we will all suffer," he added.
"We should not tolerate this. This is not who we are as Singaporeans."
TEMASEK'S ROLE IN SIA'S DECISIONS
A Reuters report last month cited sources as saying that Air India is seeking a further US$1.5 billion in support from owners Tata Sons and SIA, just months after it posted a record annual loss.
An SIA spokesperson said last week that the board would "carefully consider any requests for additional capital from Air India, taking into consideration the group's other capital requirements and Air India's business strategy".
Workers' Party MP Kenneth Tiong said in a Facebook post on Aug 26 that he would not support nor expect any future use of Temasek's funds to "prop up Air India via Singapore Airlines".
Whether it is SIA or Temasek that "writes the cheque", there will be a "significant impact" on Temasek, he wrote.
"No one, least of all Singaporeans, owes Air India a living ... If Singapore Airlines wants to continue its bet on Air India, it should do so on its own two feet, and not on Temasek's."
Mr Shanmugam said it is SIA's responsibility to assess its investments in Air India against the resources it has for its "long-term growth and profitability".
"Any decision to invest in Air India lies with SIA, and Temasek as a shareholder in SIA, along with other shareholders, will expect SIA to make its investment decisions responsibly."
Temasek is accountable to the government for its overall portfolio and long-term performance, Mr Shanmugam said, but not for individual investment decisions of its portfolio companies.
"Temasek and its subsidiaries decide how to invest across a wide portfolio with investments of varied risks and varied time horizons. Once governments or politicians start directing individual investment decisions, commercial discipline will be compromised," he added.
"Decisions will become politicised – shaped by political considerations, rather than commercial judgment. In the end, Singaporeans will bear the cost."
The government's general principle is not to intervene in individual investment decisions or pressure companies on how to invest, Mr Shanmugam added.
Its role is to ensure professional management in Temasek, and then provide Temasek and its portfolio companies with the "political cover and the confidence which will allow them to make properly considered commercial decisions, free from untoward pressures".
Temasek and many of its portfolio companies, including SIA, Sembcorp, Singtel and CapitaLand, have made substantial investments in India over the years, Mr Shanmugam said.
"Temasek's website says that 43 per cent, nearly half, of its country exposure is to the Americas and China, and 7 per cent is in India. But its website also says that India has in fact been its best-performing market over the last decade," he said.
The senior minister gave several examples of successful investments made by Temasek and its portfolio companies in India. These included the sale of Temasek's stake in an Indian joint venture to its partner Schneider Electric for more than S$8 billion – nearly 10 times what Temasek had initially paid for the shares. Another investment in Manipal Health Enterprises, which was listed publicly last month, is now said to be valued at more than S$11 billion.
"Mr Tiong is entitled to his views. He is entitled, like any other Singaporean, to ask questions about SIA and Temasek.
"But neither his views, nor that of any minister, or any other MP, should substitute for the commercial judgment of SIA's management and board of directors – boards which have knowledgeable and independent members, and management which has professionals whose primary responsibility is to consider and make these decisions."
Asked by a reporter whether Mr Tiong's post had crossed racial or xenophobic lines, he said: "As regards to Mr Tiong and whether he was being xenophobic or racist, I think you'd best ask him. You'd have to ask him what he intended and what he meant."
On Mr Tiong's statement that no one "owes Air India a living", Mr Shanmugam said: "I think he ought to do his homework and look at SIA's letter and the facts that I put out today, and ask if he is being responsible."
