'Snake, curry, black magic': Racist posts target Indians in Singapore; PM, home minister condemn remarks

Singapore's top leadership has strongly condemned a wave of racist and xenophobic comments targeting people of Indian origin online, with Senior Minister and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam describing the remarks as "shameful, nasty and totally unacceptable".

The comments surfaced following two separate developments — the flash floods in Nepal, in which several Singaporeans remain missing, and reports that Air India is seeking fresh equity from its shareholders, including Singapore Airlines.

Speaking to the media, Shanmugam said racist posts had appeared online following the Nepal disaster, including derogatory comments targeting Indians. He said some of the posts used offensive stereotypes and referred to Indians using terms associated with snakes, curry, black magic and parathas.

He said the Singapore Police have been asked to look into the comments and determine whether any offences had been committed. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information will also ask social media platforms to remove posts that violate their guidelines.

Shanmugam stressed that such comments should not be allowed to become normalised, warning that unchecked online racism could eventually enter mainstream public and political discourse and threaten Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious social fabric.

"I think the racist comments have crossed the line," he said, adding that Singapore must not allow a minority of people to undermine social harmony.

The minister also addressed racist attacks directed at the leadership of Temasek and Singapore Airlines following the Air India investment issue. He said some online users had targeted executives because of their Indian ethnicity and alleged that they would favour Air India because of their background.

Shanmugam rejected such arguments, pointing out that ethnicity should have no bearing on commercial investment decisions. He said Singapore Airlines, as a listed company, was responsible for assessing its investments and making decisions based on long-term growth and profitability.

Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons had previously partnered through Vistara, which later merged with Air India in 2024. The Singapore government has maintained that individual investment decisions by Temasek and its portfolio companies should be made on commercial considerations rather than political pressure.

Shanmugam also highlighted the importance of Singapore's investments in India, noting that India has been Temasek's best-performing geographical market over the past decade, according to information published by the investment company.

He said Singapore's relationship with India should be viewed through economic and commercial facts rather than ethnic prejudice.

The minister further warned against allowing anonymous online accounts to become a shield for racist abuse and said those responsible should be identified and dealt with where appropriate.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has also stressed that while robust debate is welcome, legitimate discussions should never be used as a cover for prejudice against any community.

Shanmugam said Singaporeans should not mistake the actions of a small group of people for the views of the wider population. He pointed to Singapore's support for relief efforts in Nepal as an example of the country's multiracial solidarity.

He warned that racism directed at one community today could eventually be directed at another, saying that maintaining racial and religious harmony remains essential to Singapore's stability.

The latest controversy comes amid growing concerns over racist and xenophobic content targeting Indians online. Singapore authorities have previously taken action against social media content that was considered harmful to the country's multicultural social fabric.