Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said the government had to call out PAS after the Malaysian Islamic party waded into Singapore politics ahead of the republic’s general election in May.
“This history is seared into some of us, and it is also seared into some Malaysians, but for very different reasons,” he said, referring to the 1964 racial riots.
Shanmugam cited the government had to act “when PAS leaders openly supported a political party in Singapore on racial and religious grounds and in the middle of a general election.”
He was referring to actions in April by Selangor PAS Youth chief Sukri Omar and PAS treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad. Sukri shared a post by former Singapore citizen Zulfikar Shariff accusing several Malay-Muslim MPs of failing to represent the community, while Iskandar expressed support for a Singapore election candidate.
On May3, the Home Affairs Ministry and Elections Department accused the PAS leaders of trying to influence the election, saying the posts could harm racial and religious harmony.
PAS on Wednesday rejected Shanmugam’s remarks as painting the party as a bogeyman and denied interference in Singapore’s politics. The next day, Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry rebuked PAS for contradicting itself.
Shanmugam said PAS politicians were championing one set of Malay Muslim candidates over another, adding such attempts will have impact.
“It is incumbent on all political parties to decisively reject any attempts by foreigners to influence our election—especially on the grounds of race and religion,” he said.
He questioned whether PAS cared for Singaporeans when it backed Malay Muslim candidates from the Workers’ Party and whether PAS subscribed to Singapore’s multiracial, multi-religious model.
He said statements by PAS leaders showed otherwise, citing a 2024 remark by the PAS president that Lee Kuan Yew’s strategy of fielding diverse candidates diminished Malay political influence.
