Singapore introduces bill to maintain racial harmony

MHA said the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill closely references existing legislation, including the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MHRA) enacted in 1990 to maintain religious harmony.

"This Bill signals our strong resolve to strengthen our racial cohesion and remain united as one people. It strikes a balance between keeping public discourse free from hateful speech, while allowing space for legitimate discussion," MHA said in a statement.

The Bill's key proposals include the introduction of a Restraining Order (RO) regime to address content prejudicial to racial harmony, a community-based approach to dealing with racial incidents, and safeguards to prevent race-based entities from being used as vectors of foreign influence.

It will enable the Home Minister to issue ROs against individuals involved in the communication, production, or distribution of content that prejudices the maintenance of racial harmony in Singapore.

A racial content RO under the Bill may, among other things, prohibit a person from communicating or distributing specified information or material, and from holding office in an editorial board or a committee of a specified publication.

Failure to comply with the RO will be an offence. However, as safeguards, all ROs will be reviewed by an independent body known as the Presidential Council for Racial and Religious Harmony (PCRRH) and are subject to confirmation by the President.

Meanwhile, the Bill also proposes that race-based entities be subject to baseline foreign influence measures, including requirements to disclose foreign and anonymous donations accepted, foreign affiliations, and their leadership composition.

Entities must comply with leadership restrictions, requiring that over half of the governing body are Singapore citizens and that responsible officers are either Singapore citizens or permanent residents.

These measures aim to protect Singapore from external actors exerting malicious foreign influence to exploit race or undermine the country's racial harmony to achieve its agenda.

However, the Bill will apply only to race-based entities that are designated by a Competent Authority.

"An entity may be designated if the Competent Authority is satisfied that its primary or other objects, purposes, or activities include representing or promoting the interests of, or discussing any issue relating to any race; and designation is deemed necessary or expedient to pre-empt, prevent or reduce any foreign influence that may undermine racial harmony in Singapore," it said.

To begin with, clan and business associations linked to the Chinese, Malay, and Indian races will be designated under this Bill.

-- BERNAMA