(Feb 4): Singapore’s parliament passed a bill establishing controls on “race-based” business groups and clan associations that is aimed at safeguarding racial harmony and curbing foreign influence in the financial hub.

Under the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill passed Tuesday, designated entities linked to Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnic groups will have to disclose foreign donations, overseas affiliations and ensure Singapore citizens are appointed to leadership positions. Minister of Home Affairs K Shanmugam will also have the power to issue restraining orders against designated groups to combat foreign influence that may “present a threat to public peace and public order”.

“You cannot, by law, force people of different races to get along with one another,” the minister told parliament on Tuesday. “The law can set out a framework as to what you can’t do.”

The bill is the latest in a string of legislation in recent years to clamp down on foreign influence and what the government views as misinformation. In 2021, it passed one such bill that prevents foreign entities or individuals from influencing politics in the country, while another targeting “fake news” took effect in 2019.

Singapore’s government has long defended the need for such laws, saying the city-state is vulnerable to fake news and hostile information campaigns because it’s a financial hub with a multiethnic population and widespread internet access. Chinese make up about 75% of the population while Malays account for 14% and Indians 9%.

The legislation passed in parliament will result in the designation of more than 300 entities in Singapore as being “race-based”, according to a preliminary government estimate. The government has said it will take at least a year to operationalise all the proposals in it.

Bills typically become law in Singapore when they are passed by parliament and receive the president’s assent, which is usually assured.

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