Singapore GE2020: Police reports made against DPM Heng; AGC says no offence committed
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The police said DPM Heng’s remarks, in the context they were made, do not evidence any intent to wound anyone’s racial feelings or promote enmity between different races.
ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
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The police confirmed yesterday that police reports were made against Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, over his remarks at a March 2019 forum that Singapore was not yet ready for a non-Chinese prime minister.
In a statement, the police said they consulted the Attorney-General's Chambers, which advised that no offence was committed. "Mr Heng's remarks, in the context they were made, do not evidence any intent to wound anyone's racial feelings or promote enmity between different races."
Mr Heng, who is leading the People's Action Party team contesting in East Coast GRC in the general election, had made the remarks at a forum in response to a question on whether it was Singapore or the ruling party that was unprepared for a minority-race PM.
He said then that based on his interactions with residents in past elections, views supportive of a non-Chinese PM are not as common among people from the older generation.
According to a screenshot posted online of one of the police reports against Mr Heng, it was made on Sunday night, hours after the police said they were investigating Workers' Party candidate Raeesah Khan over comments she allegedly made on discrimination by Singapore's law enforcement authorities against minorities.
Ms Raeesah, 26, apologised that same night, saying she did not mean to cause social division, but had made the remarks as she wanted to raise awareness about minority concerns.
Since news broke of the investigation against Ms Raeesah, social media posts where netizens claim to have made police reports against other political office holders have also surfaced.
