PUBLISHED ONSeptember 05, 2026 12:34 PMBYSean LerWorkers' Party (WP) MP Kenneth Tiong on Saturday (Sept 5) stated his position on racism, saying he condemns such comments.
Earlier talking to reporters, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said he had asked the police to look into racist and xenophobic online comments about the Nepal-Tibet disaster and Singapore Airlines' (SIA) investment in Air India.
"I will say this — the comments are shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable," added Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs.
In a Facebook post published at 7pm on Saturday, Tiong said that he "wholeheartedly agrees" with the Senior Minister that racism has no place in Singapore's society.
"The comments about the Singaporeans missing in Nepal are shameful, and so are the attacks on anyone's motives because of their ethnicity. I condemn them without reservation. Our hearts go out to the victims of the Nepal disaster and to the families waiting for news."
Other than derogatory comments made about the missing Singaporeans, Shanmugam pointed out that anti-Indian sentiment had also developed after Air India reportedly sought an additional $1.5 billion in fresh equity from its owners, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.
"(They) have also been attacked for their ethnicity in vile, nasty terms," Shanmugam said.
"It has been said that because the CEO is of Indian ethnicity, he would pay Air India. In the eyes of these people, the CEO's sin is that he is of Indian ethnicity, even though he is as Singaporean as any of us...That is nasty and libellous."
Turning to his statement on Air India, Tiong said that with citizenship binding Singaporeans to the country, they must be able to discuss questions of national interest without fear or favour.
He added that it is "unfortunate" that his questions about the Air India deal had became entangled with racist comments that Tiong said he condemned.
"My concerns were, and are, purely commercial."
On Tiong's views regarding the national carrier's investment, Shanmugam said the MP is entitled to his views, like any other Singaporean.
"But neither his views, nor that of any minister, or any other MP, should substitute for the commercial judgment of Singapore Airlines' (SIA) management and board of directors — boards which have knowledgeable and independent members, and management which has professionals whose primary responsibility is to consider and make these decisions."
He was then asked by a reporter whether Tiong's post had crossed the racist or xenophobic lines.
"I think you'd best ask him. You'd have to ask him what he intended and what he meant," Shanmugam replied.
He also said this of Tiong's statement that no one "owes Air India a living": "I think he ought to do his homework and look at SIA's letter and the facts that I put out today, and ask if he is being responsible."
The first-term Aljunied MP pointed to SIA's share of loss of over $800 million as the Indian carrier lost more than $3.5 billion.
He acknowledged that SIA's financial position and Temasek's backing meant the national carrier could afford to contribute the fresh equity, but that the question lies in how many more of such requests would be made — and what happens when SIA can no longer do so.
Tiong also noted that Temasek had backstopped SIA's recapitalisation during Covid-19 and that Parliament went on to approve "hundreds of millions in wages and aviation support".
"That was the right call then. But it means the line between SIA's money and Singaporeans' money holds only until SIA runs out of it."
Summarising his response, Tiong said that it is therefore only prudent for Singaporeans to ask what happens if the Air India deal goes bad.
"Asking whether the reserves will underwrite a loss is not directing an investment. It is what Parliament exists to do," he stated.
Tiong had on Aug 24 filed a parliamentary question on the matter.
"Singaporeans are best served when we can hold two things at once: zero tolerance for racism, and hard questions about money. We should not let the two get mixed up. If we do, both causes suffer," he added.
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