The Home Affairs Minister of Singapore K Shanmugam has denounced racist and xenophobic comments posted online in connection with the Nepal-Tibet disaster and Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, 5th September, Shanmugam said he had asked the police to examine the comments. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information will also approach social media platforms to seek the removal of posts that violate their guidelines.
Senior Minister and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam has firmly denounced the shameful racist comments against the families of missing Singaporeans in the Nepal floods, as well as racially prejudiced criticism of Air India. The @SingaporePolice will be investigating these… pic.twitter.com/cjYJcRYfhV
— Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) September 5, 2026
The comments came as nine Singaporeans remained missing after devastating floods caused major destruction in Nepal last week. More than 1,000 people had died, Shanmugam said, but racist comments about the missing Singaporeans continued to circulate online.
Racist comments over Nepal disaster
Shanmugam cited several comments targeting Indians while discussing the online backlash. These included statements such as “No, they are not our own”, “I only see Indian faces here. Skip. Rescue cut.” and “All ABNNs look the same, how to AI?” He said “ABNN” is a derogatory term used against Indians.
Shanmugam said some news organisations had already removed comments because of their nature. CNA, under its social media moderation policy, blocks users who post hate speech, racist or offensive comments. It has also switched off comments on some posts about the Nepal-Tibet disaster because of widespread and repeated offensive remarks.
Member of Parliament Alex Yam had earlier criticised the comments, calling them not only racist but “downright heartless”.
Shanmugam stressed that such views do not represent most Singaporeans. He pointed to more than S$3 million raised by the Singapore Red Cross for relief work in Nepal, saying Singaporeans had shown generosity across races.
“We are a very small multiracial, multi-ethnic country,” Shanmugam said, warning that racial and religious divisions could damage the unity that has made Singapore strong.
Air India investment sparks fresh backlash
A separate wave of anti-Indian and racist comments emerged online after reports that Air India was seeking fresh equity from its shareholders, including Singapore Airlines.
Shanmugam said some of the online posts contained racist references to snakes, curry, prata and black magic. An online mob also targeted Temasek’s CEO and senior management because of their ethnicity.
Temasek CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, who is of Indian ethnicity, was criticised by some people who claimed he would favour Air India. Shanmugam rejected this reasoning, saying Sandrasegara is “as Singaporean as any of us” and that attacking him because of his ethnicity was racist and libellous.
He said people should not be allowed to use online anonymity to attack others based on their ethnicity. Singapore, he added, is not free from “latent racism”, but the authorities have taken a tough approach to protect the country’s multiracial and multi-religious society.
Shanmugam also warned that racist comments can gradually become normalised if they are not challenged. He said this could damage public discussion, social harmony and eventually make violence against people of another skin colour or religion more acceptable.
Debate over SIA and Temasek
The online controversy came alongside a debate over Air India’s financial requirements. A Reuters report last month said Air India was seeking another US$1.5 billion in support from its owners, Tata Sons and SIA, only months after reporting a record annual loss.
SIA said its board would carefully consider any request for additional capital while taking into account the group’s other financial needs and Air India’s business strategy.
Workers’ Party MP Kenneth Tiong had said on Facebook on 26th August that he would not support, or expect, any future use of Temasek’s funds to support Air India through Singapore Airlines.
Shanmugam said decisions on investments in Air India should be made by SIA based on its long-term growth and profitability. Temasek, as a shareholder in SIA, would expect the airline to make investment decisions responsibly, he said.
He also said the government should not direct individual investment decisions by Temasek or pressure companies over where they invest. According to him, political involvement in individual investment decisions could weaken commercial discipline and eventually leave Singaporeans bearing the cost.
Temasek is responsible to the government for the overall performance of its portfolio, but individual investment decisions are made by the company and its management.
Shanmugam also pointed to Temasek’s investments in India, noting that India accounts for 7 % of its country exposure and has been its best-performing market over the past decade. He cited investments including the sale of a stake in an Indian joint venture to Schneider Electric for more than S$8 billion and the valuation of Manipal Health Enterprises at more than S$11 billion after its public listing.
On Tiong’s comments, Shanmugam said neither an MP nor a minister should replace the commercial judgment of SIA’s management and board. Asked whether Tiong’s remarks were racist or xenophobic, he said that would depend on Tiong’s intention and meaning.
Singapore leaders condemn racism
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong also urged Singaporeans to stand together regardless of race, language or religion. He described the racist comments directed at the Indian community after the Nepal floods as deeply troubling and warned against using the Air India investment issue to fuel anti-Indian resentment.
Lee said such situations required compassion and solidarity and called on Singaporeans to stand by one another.
