Shanmugam urges focus on community after MPS incident while activists dispute official narrative

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam has said it is time to move on from the incident involving two sisters who approached him during a Meet-the-People Session (MPS) on 12 March, urging Singaporeans to focus on unity and constructive dialogue. Speaking to media on 27 March during a visit to a temporary prayer site at the former North View Secondary School, Shanmugam said, “There’s a video about the incident. I don’t really want to talk more about it. People can see the video, and my view is that we ought to try and move on.” He added that the message of reconciliation is particularly relevant during the final stretch of Ramadan, and said national conversations should be carried out respectfully and constructively across all communities. However, the two activists involved have disputed the official account presented by Shanmugam and mainstream media outlets, which they believe misrepresented their actions as disruptive and confrontational. According to a seven-minute video shared by Shanmugam on Facebook, the women—wearing shirts with the word “Press” on the front—approached him at his Chong Pang branch office to raise concerns about the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA). In the video, the exchange becomes heated, with raised voices and critical gestures. The minister described the encounter as staged and identified the women as being part of a group—Mondays for Palestine Solidarity—which, according to the PAP, had visited multiple MPS sessions to cause disruption.

Activists refute claims of disruption and clarify purpose of MPS visit

In contrast, the two women released their own detailed accounts disputing this characterisation. They said they attended in their personal capacity to discuss concerns over POFMA, not to represent any group or to raise issues about Palestine. “We want to make it clear that we were not at Shanmugam’s MPS on behalf of any group, nor did we go there to discuss Palestine,” they stated, adding that their “Press” shirts symbolised freedom of speech. They also said Shanmugam himself introduced the Palestine angle during the conversation, which they found irrelevant to the discussion they intended to have. The women explained that they had informed all five volunteers who screened them that they were there to speak about POFMA, and had offered to wait until all residents had been seen. Despite these assurances, they described being surrounded by volunteers and security when they finally met the minister, and said their interaction was selectively filmed to present them in a negative light. They were not allowed to record the conversation themselves. The women claim that the published clip omits the bulk of the 90-minute interaction and instead focuses on a brief exchange marked by visible frustration. “Of course, everyone is fixating on the middle finger,” one of them remarked, noting that their substantive attempts to discuss the law were left out. They rejected allegations of disruption at previous MPS events and invited affected residents, if any, to come forward with their accounts.    

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Minister expresses hope for closure while activists seek transparency and accountability

During the media engagement on 27 March, Shanmugam said that while the activists’ actions could potentially constitute a criminal offence, he would not be filing a police report. He also confirmed that the two sisters were already under investigation for other unrelated offences that took place prior to the MPS exchange. “I’m not filing a police report,” he said. “They’re both young. I’m in their parents’ generation. And really, I hope that they will have the space to learn and grow from this incident.” The activists, however, described the meeting as more akin to an interrogation. They said they were surrounded by over a dozen individuals during the discussion, with several people recording them. They alleged that they were interrupted frequently and unable to fully express their views. They challenged Shanmugam and the PAP to release the full, unedited recording of the exchange—estimated to have lasted 90 minutes—to allow the public to assess the full context. They argue that the seven-minute clip shared online presents only a narrow view of the engagement. They added that their intention was to raise legitimate concerns about POFMA’s use, citing cases such as the Transformative Justice Collective, whose members were reportedly investigated despite complying with correction orders.

Minister clarifies video recording and rejects conspiracy claims

Responding to online suggestions that the incident may have been staged, Shanmugam firmly rejected such speculation, calling it “an extreme conspiracy theory”. He clarified that he had been miked up because he had come directly from a prior community event, not to prepare for the activists’ arrival. He explained that casual public interactions outside MPS venues are frequently filmed by his volunteers and that this was part of routine documentation. “We don’t talk confidential matters . We say hello, greet… my volunteers would be videoing not just the event but when I walk back,” he said. He maintained that the video was not planned in anticipation of any confrontation, and repeated his view that the country should focus on building cohesion rather than escalating the matter further. Shanmugam was joined at the 27 March event by fellow Nee Soon GRC MPs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Carrie Tan, and Derrick Goh, as well as former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, who resigned in February amid public speculation that he may contest in the upcoming general election. Associate Professor Faishal also gave an update on the Darul Makmur Mosque upgrading project, stating that construction was nearing completion and that the community hoped to perform Hari Raya Haji prayers at the upgraded site, subject to permit approvals.