Social cohesion takes long time to build, can be broken if not careful: Josephine Teo

Singapore

The Minister for Digital Development and Information was commenting on the problematic narratives found in several social media posts and urged people not to share them.

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06 Jun 2026 04:30PM

(Updated: 06 Jun 2026 04:43PM)

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s social cohesion has taken a long time to build; hence, people should not allow anyone to cast doubt about its multicultural identity, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on Saturday (Jun 6).

“We must always remember that the cohesion we have in our society is very precious. It has taken a very long time to build up, it can be broken if we are not careful.

“Stay alert and make sure that we don't allow anyone to cast doubt on our national unity,” she added.

Mrs Teo was speaking to reporters after the authorities ordered three social media sites to block access to 14 posts on their platforms.

The posts contained problematic narratives seeking to target the Indian community and undermine Singapore’s model of multiculturalism, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.

The content likely originated from a China-based platform, and was subsequently carried on other platforms and websites, according to Investigations by the police and MHA.

Mrs Teo, who was attending the Jalan Besar Family Sports Carnival in Zhongshan Park, said she had seen the videos.

“These videos did not originate from Singapore; they do not reflect the views of Singaporeans,” she said.

Mrs Teo urged the public not to circulate and spread the harmful content if they receive it.

She added that while the police have asked the platforms to disable access to the videos, efforts to build ties in the community also matter.

“Beyond removing these kinds of harmful videos, it is also about our daily efforts to strengthen ties in the community, get to know one another and to appreciate one another,” said Mrs Teo.

MUST NOT ALLOW ATTEMPTS TO SOW TENSIONS

She then referred to how one of the posts used a depiction of a religious procession in Chinatown along Pagoda Street to imply that Indians are not welcome in Singapore.

Pagoda Street is located within Mrs Teo’s Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency.

She noted that within her constituency, there are Buddhist and Hindu temples, a mosque and a Methodist church within a “very short walking distance”.

Mrs Teo said that events like Saturday’s Jalan Besar Family Sports Carnival are a good example of how Singaporeans can strengthen ties within the community.

“Our racial harmony is precious, and we have been very vigilant against the attempts to sow tensions between our races and to divide Singaporeans,” she said.

“These videos are clearly one such attempt.”

While the nefarious actors target the Indian community today, they could very well target other races and communities tomorrow, she added.

“We must not allow that,” said Mrs Teo.

Source: CNA/fb(nj)