Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021

Last updated
Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021
Parliament House Singapore.jpg
Parliament of Singapore
  • An Act to counteract foreign interference in the public interest, to repeal the Political Donations Act (Chapter 236 of the 2001 Revised Edition) and to make consequential and related amendments to certain other Acts.
Citation Act 28 of 2021
Considered by Parliament of Singapore
Passed4 October 2021
Commenced7 July 2022
Legislative history
Bill titleForeign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill
Bill citation Bill 24 of 2021
Introduced by K. Shanmugam (Minister for Home Affairs)
Introduced13 September 2021
First reading 13 September 2021
Second reading 4 October 2021
Third reading 4 October 2021
Status: Current legislation

The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021, or Fica/FICA, [1] is a statute of the Parliament of Singapore. Enacted in 2021, it seeks to "protect the public interest by counteracting acts of foreign interference". [2] The Bill was introduced on 13 September 2021 and passed on 4 October 2021.

Contents

Background

Legislation targeting foreign influence in Singapore had been mooted in as early as 2017. [3] In March 2021, Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo announced that the government was considering the use of "legislative levers" to combat foreign influence. [4]

Key provisions

The act grants the Minister for Home Affairs the authority to investigate individuals suspected of being foreign agents engaged in "hostile information campaigns". An independent panel, chaired by a judge, will consider appeals against the minister's findings, although persons marked as "politically significant" may not be allowed to file such appeals. [5] Authorities will also be allowed to compel social media platforms and website operators to hand over user data, [6] without any justification in select instances. [7]

Reactions and statements

Support

Facebook issued a statement agreeing with the goals of the bill, while also noting that it was worded "very broadly". [8]

Opposition

Reporters Without Borders described the act as "legal monstrosity with totalitarian leanings", while asserting that "(i)t is clearly independent media outlets that the FICA is targeting on national sovereignty grounds." [9] Activist Thum Ping Tjin claimed that the bill was a "coup" attempt by Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam. [10] [11] Member of Parliament Gerald Giam opined that the bill had a "significant impact on free speech and government accountability". [7] In a joint statement published on 1 October, Singaporean academics Cherian George, Chong Ja Ian, Linda Lim, and Teo You Yenn expressed their concern that Fica would curtail academic freedom in the country. [12] A day after the legislation was passed, Amnesty International described Fica as "a tool for crushing dissent". [13] Following K. Shanmugam's parliamentary speech on Fica, several activists, including Kirsten Han, Lim Tean, Jolovan Wham, and Terry Xu, were served with correction orders under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act for insinuating that he had said that "rule of law does not operate in Singapore". [14]

Legislative history

The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 September 2021 by Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam. [15] On 29 September, the Workers' Party announced amendments it had tabled two days earlier for the next parliamentary sitting. They included judicial oversight, a more precise scope of executive powers under the law to prevent abuse, and greater and transparency as to who was subject to the law. Although party members understood the need to prevent foreign interference, they disagreed with the bill as initially written. [16] [17] [18] On 30 September, Non-constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai filed an unsuccessful petition to delay the passage of the bill. [19] [20] A second reading of the bill took place on 4 October, [7] during which Shanmugam gave a two-hour-long speech defending Fica, [21] while stating that the government would accept some of the 44 amendments proposed by the Workers' Party. [22] The bill was passed in Parliament the same day, at around 11:15 pm; 75 Members of Parliament (all 70 from the People's Action Party and 5 Nominated Members of Parliament) voted in favour of the legislation, whereas 11 from the Workers' Party and the Progress Singapore Party objected with 2 abstentions (all NMPs). [23] [24]

Uses of the Act

On 2 February 2024, the Registrar of Foreign and Political Disclosures, which operates under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs, announced its intention to list Hong Kong-born businessman Philip Chan as a politically significant person. [25] At the time of intended designation, Chan was the president of both the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and the Kowloon Club, a Singaporean social club helping Hong Kong immigrants to adapt to Singapore. In addition to attending the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as an overseas delegate, [26] [27] Chan was also a patron of two Singaporean grassroot organisations, namely the Kampong Chai Chee Citizens’ Consultative Committee and the Bukit Timah Community Club management committee. [28] After reviewing his submissions, the Registrar confirmed its designation of Chan as a politically significant person on 26 February 2024, making him the first person in Singapore to be named as such. [29]

Related Research Articles

Walter Woon Cheong Ming is a Singaporean lawyer who served as the fifth attorney-general of Singapore between 2008 and 2010. He is currently an Emeritus Professor at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, Lee Kong Chian Visiting professor at the Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law, and the dean of the RHT Legal Training Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Singapore</span>

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Singapore have evolved over the decades. Same-sex sexual activity is legal for both males and females; for men it was officially legalised in 2022 after being de facto decriminalised since 2007, and for women it was always legal. Prior to 2022, same-sex sexual activity between males was de jure illegal under the British colonial-era Section 377A of the Penal Code. The law had been de facto unenforced for decades. In February 2022, the Court of Appeal in the Supreme Court reaffirmed that 377A cannot be used to prosecute men for having sex with other men, and that it is "unenforceable in its entirety". Transgender rights in the country are also progressive in the region, which included Singapore being the first country in Asia to legalise sex reassignment surgery in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Lim</span> Singaporean politician and lawyer

Sylvia Lim Swee Lian is a Singaporean politician, lawyer, former police officer and Temasek Polytechnic law lecturer. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), she had been a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament between 2006 and 2011 of the 11th Parliament of Singapore. She represented the Serangoon division of Aljunied GRC between 2011 and 2020, and has been Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Paya Lebar division of Aljunied GRC since 2020. Lim has been the chairwoman of the Workers' Party since 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josephine Teo</span> Singaporean politician

Josephine Teo Li Min is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister for Communications and Information, Minister-in-charge of the Cyber Security Agency and Smart Nation Initiative since 2021. Teo is currently also Second Minister for Home Affairs, a position which she had held since 2017. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng division of Jalan Besar GRC since 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Singapore relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–Singapore relations, also referred to as Israeli–Singaporean relations, refers to the bilateral relations between the State of Israel and the Republic of Singapore. Relations between the two countries have been extremely cordial and friendly for more than half a century, which are influenced by their similar geopolitical state of affairs, being relatively small states surrounded by larger neighbors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. Shanmugam</span> Singaporean politician

Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam , better known as K. Shanmugam, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister for Law since 2008 and Minister for Home Affairs since 2015. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Chong Pang division of Nee Soon GRC since 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Singapore</span> Condition of women in Singapore

Women in Singapore, particularly those who have joined Singapore's workforce, are faced with balancing their traditional and modern-day roles in Singaporean society and economy. According to the book The Three Paradoxes: Working Women in Singapore written by Jean Lee S.K., Kathleen Campbell, and Audrey Chia, there are "three paradoxes" confronting and challenging the career women of Singapore. Firstly, Singapore's society expects women to become creative and prolific corporate workers who are also expected to play the role of traditional women in the household, particularly as wife and mother. Secondly, Singaporean women are confronted by the "conflict between work and family" resulting from their becoming members of the working population. Thirdly, Singapore's female managers are still fewer in number despite their rising educational level and attainments when compared to male managers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System</span> Cross-border rapid transit system

The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is an international cross-border rapid transit system that will connect Malaysia's second largest city, Johor Bahru and Woodlands, Singapore, crossing the Strait of Johor. It will consist of two stations, with the Malaysian terminus at Bukit Chagar station and the Singaporean terminus at Woodlands North station, which also interchanges with Singapore's Thomson–East Coast MRT line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Perera</span> Former Singaporean politician (born 28 September 1970"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`")

Leon Perera is a former Singaporean politician. A former member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), he was previously a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament between 2015 and 2020. Perera was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Serangoon division of Aljunied GRC between 2020 and 2023. Perera resigned from the Workers' Party and as Member of Parliament on 19 July 2023 due to an extramarital affair with party member, Nicole Seah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods</span> Committee of the Parliament of Singapore

The Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods is a select committee of the Parliament of Singapore that was formed on 11 January 2018 to examine and report on the problem of deliberate online falsehoods and to recommend strategies to deal with them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progress Singapore Party</span> Opposition political party in Singapore

The Progress Singapore Party is an opposition political party in Singapore and is currently one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and opposition Workers' Party (WP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthea Ong</span> Singaporean politician

Anthea Indira Ong Lay Theng is a former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) for the 13th Parliament of Singapore. Ong is also a full-time entrepreneur and social advocate, and founder of social organisations including Hush TeaBar and A Good Space.

The following lists events that happened during 2020 in the Republic of Singapore.

TraceTogether was a digital system implemented by the Government of Singapore to facilitate contact tracing efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. The main goal was a quick identification of persons who may have come into close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The system helps in identifying contacts such as strangers encountered in public one would not otherwise be able to identify or remember. Together with SafeEntry, it allows the identification of specific locations where a spread between close contacts may occur.

The following lists events that happened during 2021 in the Republic of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019</span> Statute of the Parliament of Singapore

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019, commonly abbreviated as POFMA and known colloquially as Fake News Law, is a statute of the Parliament of Singapore that enables authorities to tackle the spread of fake news or false information.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leong Mun Wai</span> Singaporean politician

Leong Mun Wai is a Singaporean politician, financial executive, and former civil servant. A member of the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), he has been a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament of the 14th Parliament of Singapore since 2020 and served as Secretary-General of the PSP from 2023 to 2024.

Kirsten Han is a Singaporean journalist and social activist. In 2017, she co-founded the Malaysian-based online journalism platform New Naratif with Sonny Liew and Thum Ping Tjin, and served as its editor-in-chief till March 2020.

The following lists events that happened during 2023 in the Republic of Singapore.

Philip Chan Man Ping is a Singaporean businessman.

References

  1. ↑ Ong, Justin (29 September 2021). "WP proposes changes to S'pore's draft anti-foreign interference law, citing need for greater transparency". The Straits Times .
  2. ↑ "Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill". Singapore Statutes Online. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  3. ↑ Chua, Alfred (1 August 2017). "Discerning electorate best defence against foreign influence: Chan Chun Sing". Today .
  4. ↑ Baharudin, Hariz (1 March 2021). "S'pore studying new laws to protect Republic from foreign interference, says Josephine Teo". The Straits Times .
  5. ↑ "Understanding FICA" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore) .
  6. ↑ "Singapore parliament to debate 'foreign interference' law". Al Jazeera . 4 October 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 Jaipragas, Bhavan (2 October 2021). "'The most powerful law' in Singapore: Foreign Interference bill brings concerns for civil society". South China Morning Post .(subscription required)
  8. ↑ Mahmud, Aqil Haziq (28 September 2021). "Facebook agrees with Singapore Government on tackling foreign interference, but says proposed law worded 'very broadly'". CNA .
  9. ↑ "Singapore's foreign interference bill – legal monstrosity with totalitarian leanings". Reporters Without Borders. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "K Shanmugam on misconceptions about Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill (FICA) in Singapore". CNA . 4 October 2021.
  11. ↑ Jaipragas, Bhavan (4 October 2021). "Singapore parliament passes foreign interference bill amid opposition calls for checks on abuse of power". South China Morning Post .
  12. ↑ Kurohi, Rei (3 October 2021). "Academic activities not under threat from anti-foreign interference law: MHA". The Straits Times .
  13. ↑ "Singapore: Foreign interference law is a tool for crushing dissent". Amnesty International. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  14. ↑ Chua, Nadine (9 October 2021). "Pofma Office to issue targeted correction direction to Twitter over Jolovan Wham's post". The Straits Times .
  15. ↑ Baharudin, Hariz (13 September 2021). "Proposed law seeks to counter foreign interference in S'pore politics, measures include take-down and blocking orders". The Straits Times .
  16. ↑ "Amendments to the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill". The Workers' Party. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  17. ↑ Ong, Justin (29 September 2021). "WP proposes changes to S'pore's draft anti-foreign interference law". The Straits Times. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  18. ↑ Mahmud, Aqil Haziq (29 September 2021). "WP proposes changes to draft foreign interference law, amendments to be discussed in Parliament". CNA. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  19. ↑ Ong, Justin (30 September 2021). "PSP NCMP submits petition to Parliament to delay anti-foreign interference law pending more consultation, scrutiny". The Straits Times .
  20. ↑ Ong, Justin (4 October 2021). "Debate on proposed law to counter foreign interference goes ahead after petition to delay it fails". The Straits Times .
  21. ↑ "K Shanmugam on Singapore's Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill". CNA . 4 October 2021.
  22. ↑ Jaipragas, Bhavan. "Singapore law minister defends foreign interference bill as 'best balance' to face risks, check against abuse". South China Morning Post .
  23. ↑ Ong, Justin (4 October 2021). "Singapore passes law to counter foreign interference after 10-hour Parliament debate". The Straits Times .
  24. ↑ "Singapore passes foreign interference law allowing authorities to block internet content". The Guardian . 5 October 2021.
  25. ↑ "Intended Designation of Chan Man Ping Philip As Politically Significant Person Under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act". Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore) . 2 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  26. ↑ Chew, Hui Min; Tham, Davina (2 February 2024). "Singaporean businessman the first person to be served 'notice of intended designation' under foreign interference law". CNA (TV network) . Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  27. ↑ "新加坡列港商陳文平為「具政治影響力者」 疑因「講好中國故事」被指活動具政治目的". Sing Tao Daily . 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  28. ↑ Fang, Chin Soo (2 February 2024). "Who is Philip Chan, the man against whom S'pore has invoked its foreign interference law?". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  29. ↑ "Designation of Chan Man Ping Philip as a Politically Significant Person Under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021". Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore) . 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.