Singapore Targets Anti-Indian Hate Online — SkimNews
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- Lee Kuan Yew made English Singapore's primary language upon independence on August 9, 1965, despite a 75% ethnic Chinese population, and introduced the Ethnic Integration Policy after 1964 race riots killed 36 people to ensure every building reflects national ethnic demographics.
- Social media attacks on Singapore's Indian community have escalated in recent years, including posts calling nine Singaporeans missing in Nepal flash floods 'not our own' because most were ethnic Indians, with some using the derogatory term 'ABNN'.
- Temasek CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara faced online attacks over his Indian origin after Air India sought fresh capital; Singapore Airlines owns about 25% of Air India, whose full-year losses contributed to SIA's 57.4% net profit decline to S$1.2 billion in the year ended March 2026.
- Singapore authorities in June took action against 14 social media platforms targeting the Indian community and restricted access to those posts for users in Singapore, with Senior Minister K. Shanmugam calling the comments 'shameful' and 'totally unacceptable.'
- PM Lawrence Wong said the country must never allow prejudice against any community to become normalized, adding: 'We can and should have robust debates. But we should never use seemingly legitimate arguments as a cover to fuel prejudice.'
- The article traces anti-Indian sentiment partly to Lee Kuan Yew's meritocratic hiring philosophy — 'accept only immigrants who increase the average level of competence' — which has made Indian expats highly visible in top corporate positions.
Why it matters: Anti-Indian hate in Singapore is the first major test of the ethnic integration framework Lee Kuan Yew built after the 1964 race riots killed 36 people, with 14 social media platforms restricted and police investigations now underway. The targeting extends beyond expatriates to Singapore-born Indians, because CECA's economic provisions get misread online as job-granting rights, blurring the line between foreign workers and citizens.
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