Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam has responded to the incident where two sisters caused a scene at a Meet-the-People Session (MPS). While their actions could potentially be a criminal offence, he doesn’t intend to make a police report and hopes to put the matter to rest.
Speaking as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Nee Soon GRC, Shanmugam said: “You can watch the video for yourself, I don’t have much more to say. My view is that we should try to move forward and focus on building a stronger community. This means engaging in more interactions and constructive discussions on various issues, even difficult topics.”
Shanmugam made these comments during an interview with the media on Thursday (March 27), after attending a Ramadan break-fast event held at the temporary prayer hall of Masjid Darul Makmur.
What Happened?
According to a video and post by Shanmugam on social media about a week ago, the incident happened on March 12 at the Chong Pang MPS in Nee Soon, which Shanmugam oversees. The two sisters, who are not Nee Soon residents, showed up claiming they wanted to discuss the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) with him. As Shanmugam was heading back to meet residents, they started shouting “coward” and even showed him the middle finger.
It was later revealed that the sisters are members of a group called “Monday of Palestine Solidarity,” which has also disrupted more than 10 other MPS sessions.
Why No Police Report?
During the interview, Shanmugam said he didn’t seek professional advice or deeply look into the legal aspect, but based on his understanding, the sisters’ actions could potentially be a criminal offence. However, he didn’t make a police report and had no intention of doing so.
“As Home Affairs Minister, I am aware that the two individuals are currently under investigation for other unrelated offences. But those investigations have nothing to do with what happened at my MPS,” he said.
He added, “They are still young, and I am from their parents’ generation. So I sincerely hope they will have enough space to learn and grow from this incident.”
Conspiracy Theory? Shanmugam Says It’s Not Staged
After the video went online, some netizens speculated that the incident was staged by the People’s Action Party (PAP) because Shanmugam’s voice could be clearly heard in the footage.
Responding to these claims during an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Shanmugam said the suggestion was nonsense and that those making such claims were too obsessed with conspiracy theories.
“I don’t think the sisters themselves would agree that they are part of a PAP plot or members of the PAP. That day, I was attending other community events before the MPS, so I was wearing a microphone. The volunteers were also filming my interactions with residents,” he explained.
Who Else Was There?
Joining Shanmugam at the break-fast event were former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Syed Harun Alhabsyi, who is rumoured to be a potential PAP candidate, PAP newcomer Deryne Sim, who is active in Nee Soon, and Jackson Lam, who has served in Chong Pang for many years and was previously the PAP Hougang Branch Chairman.
The Masjid Darul Makmur mosque has been closed for renovations since 2023. Over the past two years, grassroots leaders have helped cover part of the rent for using the old site of North View Secondary School as a temporary prayer hall. The mosque is expected to reopen by the end of this year.
