The activist group MPS Palestine has responded to allegations made by the People’s Action Party (PAP) and Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam, rejecting accusations that they have been “disrupting” Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS).
In a statement published on 15 March 2025, the group clarified their stance, rebutting claims that they engage in heckling, aggression, or disorderly conduct at MPS events.
MPS Palestine asserted that they did not orchestrate the 12 March MPS visit involving Shanmugam and two activists, emphasising that the subject of discussion that night was the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), not Palestine.
They also reinforced their position that they are a loose collective of everyday Singaporeans, and that individuals are free to act in their own personal capacity.
“We did not plan the MPS visit for 12th March. The subject of discussion concerned POFMA and not Palestine,” they stated.
They also took issue with the PAP’s characterisation of their engagement with MPs as disruptive, saying:
“It is irresponsible for PAP to characterise citizens who wish to speak to their MPs about concerns and causes close to their heart as ‘disruptive’.”
MPS Palestine defended their approach to MPS sessions, saying they had always waited patiently for their turn to speak with MPs about Singapore’s role in Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
They argued that raising political issues should be normalised at MPS sessions, rather than dismissed as an inconvenience.
“At the MPS sessions we have been to, we have patiently waited our turn to ask our elected MPs important questions at the top of many Singaporeans’ minds about our country’s role in Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” the statement read.
Defending Political Discourse at MPS Sessions
MPS Palestine countered the idea that MPS should only be used for municipal or social welfare issues, reiterating that political discussions are a valid part of parliamentary engagement.
“We believe that all elected representatives, regardless of party affiliation, should be held accountable by their electorate about important issues, be it Palestine or POFMA.”
This directly challenges the PAP’s claim in its 13 March statement via its party newsletter, Petir, that MPS events should not be used for advocacy or protests.
The PAP had accused the group of targeting more than 10 MPS sessions across constituencies, allegedly disrupting queue systems, acting aggressively, and displaying rude gestures.
In response, MPS Palestine dismissed these accusations as misrepresentations, calling on the government to stop framing political engagement as “disruptive” behaviour.
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Condemning the Minister’s Public Video
A significant part of MPS Palestine’s statement was focused on Shanmugam’s decision to publish a video of the two activists who confronted him, exposing them to doxxing and online harassment.
They strongly condemned this act, highlighting how it contradicted Shanmugam’s own claims that discussions at MPS sessions are confidential:
“We condemn Minister Shanmugam’s act of publishing the video of the two women on his Facebook page, where their names were mentioned, leaving them vulnerable to doxxing.”
“This is contradictory to his claim that discussions at MPS are confidential.”
Since the release of the video, the activists involved have faced online abuse, threats, and personal attacks, raising concerns over the government’s approach to citizen engagement.
Activists Push Back Against Allegations
The two women at the centre of the 12 March incident have also spoken out, rejecting the framing of their interaction with Shanmugam.
They denied being part of a coordinated disruption and instead accused Shanmugam of creating a hostile environment by surrounding them with PAP volunteers and security personnel and filming them without their consent.
One of the activists described feeling targeted and intimidated, stating:
“Anyone would have felt disturbed to be surrounded and filmed by multiple people, but we felt especially vulnerable as women.”
They also questioned the double standard in recording, as Shanmugam had demanded that they inform him before recording, yet his volunteers were filming them without consent.
Furthermore, they have called on Shanmugam to release the full, unedited video of the exchange, arguing that the seven-minute clip shared on Facebook does not accurately reflect the full interaction, which lasted over an hour.
“Well, in that case, we would like to invite Shanmugam to release the full, unedited videos and audio recordings of us. We truly have a clear conscience.”
They maintain that the video’s selective editing distorts the context, portraying them as deliberate disruptors, when they insist they had waited their turn and approached in good faith.
TOC understands that while the minister shared a seven-minute clip of the exchange, the full discussion between the activists and Shanmugam lasted from 8:15 PM to 9:45 PM—far longer than what was publicly shown.
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