S’pore cannot let foreign actors exploit differences, public must be vigilant and discerning: MFA

SINGAPORE – Singapore cannot let foreign actors impose their narratives or exploit differences, and decisions about its future must be made solely by Singaporeans, said political office-holders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Feb 27.

Speaking partly in Mandarin during the debate on her ministry’s budget, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann told the House that the first line of defence against foreign influence campaigns is a vigilant and discerning public.

“Decisions about Singapore’s future must be made by Singaporeans and Singaporeans only, free from external manipulation,” she said.

At a time of fragmentation when trust and consistency are in deficit, Singapore must continue to be clear-eyed about its national interests, said Ms Sim. It has to assess its options dispassionately and make hard-nosed decisions that are only in the country’s interest.

“Most importantly, we must stand on our own two feet. We cannot rely on others to secure our interests and our destiny,” she said.

There are situations where Singapore sometimes has to say no, after careful consideration, to partners and friends. Doing so is not easy, and is made more challenging with foreign infiltration into Singapore’s information space, she added.

She said Singaporeans should be particularly careful when they come across content that highlights or appeals to one particular ethnicity over another.

“On the whole, we should be vigilant towards online commentaries targeted at Singapore. Some of these could be attempts to undermine our confidence, or exploit our fault lines,” she said in Mandarin.

With a diverse, digitally connected population, Singapore is an attractive and vulnerable target, she noted.

Ms Sim added that the development of advanced digital tools has supercharged the ability of foreign actors to seed narratives and even mount hostile information campaigns to advance their interests, and such activities have clearly increased.

Speaking on the same issue but in Malay, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim said foreign actors may impose their narratives, exploit Singaporeans’ differences and pressure them to see and accept their views.

“But we must remain calm in judgment, clear in principle and direction, and confident in our values. We must stay united and strengthen our social compact.”

Mr Zhulkarnain said Singapore’s national interest is its guiding compass in foreign policy.

“We must continue to clearly identify and assert our national interests – be it safeguarding our sovereignty or protecting our social cohesion – and use our capabilities to chart the right path,” he said.

To deal with these external pressures, Singapore must continue to build domestic support for foreign policy, suggested MPs such as Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs.

MFA has stepped up engagement efforts with Singaporeans, said Ms Sim.

These include students, youth, businesses and grassroots leaders, through closed-door dialogue sessions and workshops to help them better understand Singapore’s operating context and foreign policy considerations.

“Foreign policy begins at home,” said Ms Sim.

“Our ability to stand firm on the world stage depends on having our people’s trust and support, and our ability to remain calm and collected in the face of challenging external circumstances. We can only act with confidence if Singaporeans are united behind us.”

Advancing global partnerships

Mr Yip and Mr Henry Kwek (Kebun Baru) asked how Singapore is advancing partnerships with middle powers in the aspects of geopolitics, trade and technology.

Ms Sim said that one key strategy is to strengthen and expand the Republic’s partnerships with like-minded countries, including major and middle powers.

“With this circle of trusted friends, we will forge ahead in both critical sectors like defence cooperation, but also in new and exciting domains such as energy, technology and sustainability,” she said.

Singapore upgraded its relationships with Australia, France, India, New Zealand and Vietnam to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2025. It also established

a new strategic partnership with South Korea

.

The Republic signed the

EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement

with the European Union in May 2025. This is the EU’s first standalone digital trade agreement with another country and

Singapore’s largest bilateral digital economy agreement

to date.

Singapore is also exploring greater cooperation between the EU and Asean, as well as between the EU and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

These initiatives support Singapore’s broader engagement of Europe and complement its new CSP with France, as well as existing Strategic Partnerships with Germany and the United Kingdom.

Singapore will also deepen collaboration in areas like the digital economy, green transition and emerging technologies with Japan as both nations mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

Closer to home, it also continues to work closely with Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei to expand bilateral cooperation and deepen regional integration at the state, provincial and city levels.

Mr Zhulkarnain said the

Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone

has seen over $5.5 billion in investments from Singapore-based companies.

The

Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link

, targeted to commence in end-2026, will reduce the journey time from Singapore to Johor and ease congestion on the Causeway.

Singapore will deepen its engagement with East Malaysia with the

opening of new consulates in Sarawak and Sabah

to expand cooperation and unlock greater connectivity, integration and trade, he added.

With Indonesia, the Republic is exploring projects such as cross-border electricity trade, carbon capture and storage, and the development of a sustainable industrial zone in the Riau Islands.

Singapore and Brunei will mark the 50th anniversary of defence relations in 2026, and look forward to celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement next year.

The Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) also forms a key part of the nation’s strategy to engage with other territories and create future opportunities for collaboration, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gan Siow Huang.

Singapore’s development partnerships span over 180 countries and territories. It has supported over 163,000 foreign officials through training and capacity-building programmes, with 60 per cent of SCP’s participants coming from South-east Asia.

Even as Singapore is expanding external partnerships, MFA is strengthening consular support for Singaporeans overseas, she said.

Besides enhancing its eRegister system for Singaporeans travelling overseas, its 24/7 Consular Response Centre provides effective and timely support for Singaporean travellers.