NTUC designated as a politically significant person under foreign interference law
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NTUC’s designation is at the federation level and will not include affiliated unions and associations, nor its social enterprises.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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SINGAPORE – The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has been designated a politically significant person under the foreign interference law with effect from July 26.
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said NTUC has not submitted any representations in response to the Notice of Intended Designation issued to it on July 11
Fica is a law that empowers the authorities to deal with foreign interference in domestic politics.
MHA said NTUC was issued a notice on July 26 informing it of the designation, which requires the organisation to make annual disclosures to the Registrar of Foreign and Political Disclosures on political donations of $10,000 or more that it receives and accepts, as well as foreign affiliations.
“These transparency requirements will mitigate NTUC’s risk of being a target of foreign interference,” the ministry added.
Labour chief Ng Chee Meng said NTUC has no objection to being designated a politically significant person, noting that the move is a pre-emptive measure to mitigate foreign interference.
“We support safeguarding Singapore’s sovereignty and will adhere to the requirements under Fica,” he said in a statement.
He added that NTUC will continue championing workers’ interests for better wages, welfare and work prospects.
“We assure the public and our partners that our operations and services will continue unabated,” Mr Ng said.
MHA had previously said that the pre-emptive measure was intended to mitigate NTUC’s risk of being a target of foreign interference in the future, given its close nexus and symbiotic relationship with the ruling People’s Action Party.
“It is not because NTUC has been compromised by a foreign actor, or has committed any wrongdoing nor anything of concern,” MHA said on July 11 in response to queries.
NTUC has 1.3 million members and unites 58 trade unions, seven trade associations, seven social enterprises and other partners under its umbrella. As at May 2024, about 45 per cent of union members were professionals, managers and executives.
NTUC’s designation is at the federation level and will not include affiliated unions and associations, nor its social enterprises, which are separate legal entities.
It will also not include NTUC’s personnel such as its central committee members and employees, though several of its central committee members may already be politically significant persons, given their roles as political office-holders or sitting MPs.
Politically significant persons can include political parties, political office-holders, MPs, and election candidates and their election agents.
Other individuals or groups may also be designated politically significant if the authorities assess that their activities are directed towards a political end, and that it is in the public interest that countermeasures against foreign interference be applied.
Human rights group Maruah and non-governmental organisation Think Centre – both gazetted as political associations – were designated politically significant persons in December 2023 when Fica’s provisions against interference via local proxies came into force.
Singaporean businessman Philip Chan Man Ping was subsequently also designated a politically significant person
