Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs says the country’s openness, digital connectivity and diversity expose it to foreign interference, as CNA Verify found nearly 400 posts linking it to Indonesian market turmoil and an alleged meeting.
The Singapore Embassy in Jakarta rejected an allegation that former Indonesian deputy foreign minister Dino Patti Djalal and political scientist Saiful Mujani had visited the ambassador’s residence. Both men also denied the claim.
CNA Verify counted close to 400 posts across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X and Facebook that connected Singapore to Indonesian market turmoil and the embassy allegation. The outlet reported nearly 12 million views.
CNA Verify also found accounts using similar images and wording in quick succession; some profiles had been created on the same day. The outlet said those patterns pointed to coordination, but did not show that the accounts answered to one person.
In a separate explainer, CNA Verify said the meeting allegation accounted for about 2% of posts from one TikTok network. Other posts in the network covered Indonesian domestic programs and politics. The outlet cited experts who viewed the content as a possible effort to weaken criticism and consolidate support among domestic audiences. That was an assessment of possible motive, not an identification of a sponsor.
MHA links Singapore’s exposure to its small size, global economic ties, digital connectivity and social diversity. The ministry says messages can reach residents through messaging services and international media in English and languages spoken at home. During a 2021 parliamentary debate, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said Singapore’s racial and religious mix was “easily exploitable by different countries.”
MHA also points to bilateral tensions in 2018, when anonymous online commentary gave the impression that Singapore’s position faced wider public opposition than it did. The ministry says hostile information campaigns can strain community relations and weaken public confidence in political decision-making.
The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) passed on Oct. 4, 2021, and provisions dealing with hostile information campaigns took effect on July 7, 2022, MHA says. The law lets authorities investigate suspected campaigns and direct platforms and other entities to act.
CNA Verify has not identified who operated or funded the accounts. Its reporting also does not establish how many people believed the claims or changed their views.
