On 24 June 2025, Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh appeared on the YouTube podcast Keluar Sekejap, co-hosted by Khairy Jamaluddin, a former Malaysian health minister, and Shahril Hamdan, a former leader from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
While the conversation touched on wide-ranging political issues, Petir, a publication affiliated with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), published an article criticising Singh’s choice to appear on a foreign platform instead of a local one.
It questioned why the Workers’ Party (WP) leader gave a post-election interview to a Malaysian podcast, suggesting it was inappropriate for domestic political discourse to be conducted overseas.
In its 30 June article, Petir asserted that “politics should stop at the water’s edge”, warning against discussing Singapore’s internal affairs on foreign platforms.
The publication cited sensitivities in Singapore–Malaysia relations and concerns about national sovereignty as reasons for its stance.
During the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Singh had responded to previous criticism from Khairy, who had suggested in May that the WP lacked sufficient ambition to seriously challenge the PAP, noting the party’s goal of securing only 30 per cent of parliamentary seats.
Singh used the opportunity to share candid views on the political landscape in Singapore.
He identified systemic obstacles that opposition parties face—such as aggressive gerrymandering and institutional barriers—while also addressing topics including the Raeesah Khan incident, bilateral ties with Malaysia, and the Gaza conflict.
Singh earlier explained podcast participation
In a Facebook post on 28 June, Singh explained that he had been on a short break with his family at Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia.
While stopping by Kuala Lumpur to visit friends and relatives, he took the opportunity to appear on Khairy’s podcast to respond to earlier remarks made by the hosts about the WP’s General Election 2025 campaign strategy.
Singh expressed his appreciation to Khairy and Shahril Hamdan for accepting his invitation and providing a platform to share his views.
Renewed attacks over religious controversies
The Petir article went further, reviving a previous controversy involving Noor Deros, a Malaysian religious figure known for his extreme views.
It alleged that the WP had taken Deros’s demands seriously, despite the party not publicly detailing what had transpired during their engagement.
It also accused Singh of remaining silent during the general election campaign while PAS politicians voiced support for WP candidates—until the Government raised concerns about foreign involvement.
However, Singh had already addressed the issue during the campaign, firmly denying any agreement with Deros.
He maintained that the WP “would not succeed as a political party if it played the race and religion card”.
Notably, Noor himself in a 26 April Facebook post also clarified that his comments had been misinterpreted. Writing in Malay, he confirmed that the WP had not made any promises to him.
Harpreet Singh also singled out
The Petir piece further criticised WP member Harpreet Singh Nehal, accusing him of misrepresenting the PAP’s position on a minority Prime Minister during his appearance on the “Yah Lah But” podcast.
Harpreet, who contested in Punggol GRC in GE2025, had already disputed Petir’s claims in April, encouraging the public to review his original comments in full.
On the podcast, he had rejected the “PAP Lite” label often applied to the WP and highlighted key policy differences, including his criticism of past PAP statements suggesting Singaporeans were not ready for a non-Chinese Prime Minister.
He argued that such views contradict the ideal of meritocracy and cited the WP’s own multiracial leadership transition as a demonstration of its commitment to diversity.
Petir published a follow-up article on 20 April defending its stance, citing statements from PAP leaders such as Heng Swee Keat, Lawrence Wong, K Shanmugam, and Lee Hsien Loong to support the party’s claim that it has always supported minority leadership.
Harpreet, however, maintained that his remarks were focused on the implications of specific statements—not individuals—and urged the public to examine his comments in full context.
Concerns over foreign influence and national sovereignty
Petir continued its criticism by questioning Singh’s judgment and consistency in upholding national principles.
“Does Singh think it appropriate for outsiders to interfere in our domestic politics if it benefits the WP?” the article asked, referencing Singapore’s history of racial tension in the 1960s.
It also stressed the importance of safeguarding national interests by refraining from using foreign media to shape local opinion.
“Although Singapore and Malaysia share close ties, both nations have been careful to avoid interfering in each other’s politics,” the piece argued, adding, “Politics should stop at the water’s edge. And Singapore’s affairs are for Singaporeans to decide.”
The article appeared under Petir’s “Perspectives” section and did not identify its author. The website also does not list the name of a chief editor.
PAP’s silence on “Critical Spectator” questioned
While Petir criticised Singh for participating in a foreign-hosted podcast, critics have earlier pointed out the PAP’s continued silence on foreign influencers who have weighed in on Singapore’s politics.
On 22 May, lawyer Yeoh Lian Chuan questioned whether PM Lawrence Wong and the PAP leadership would condemn racially charged remarks made by Polish blogger Michael Petraeus, widely known as “Critical Spectator”.
Petraeus had suggested that the WP had sidelined Muslim voters by appointing Eileen Chong as a Non-Constituency MP to appeal to Mandarin-speaking voters, claiming tha this strategic shift was influenced by Terry Xu of The Online Citizen (TOC), who had previously advocated for greater outreach to older Chinese-speaking voters and new citizens from China.
In his op-ed, Xu argued that the WP would benefit more from appointing Chong as an NCMP, given the current lack of a strong Mandarin speaker among the party’s parliamentary representatives and the opportunity to further its efforts toward gender diversity.
The controversy gained traction when the post was “liked” by Ho Ching, spouse of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Yeoh later revealed that a comment he posted on Wong’s Facebook page—requesting a firmer stance—was hidden.
He expressed disappointment at Wong’s earlier statements during a 26 April press conference, where Wong had reiterated that “the outcome of elections are for Singaporeans only to decide”.
Despite the government’s emphasis on rejecting foreign influence, Yeoh argued that its response to Petraeus lacked consistency and clarity.
He added that he had written to his MP, Minister of State Alvin Tan, urging the government to adopt a “principled and consistent stance” on all forms of foreign involvement.
No action taken after reports of alleged foreign interference by Petraeus during GE2020
In July 2020, TOC editor Terry Xu filed a police report against Critical Spectator over posts allegedly constituting foreign interference during the 2020 General Election.
Xu argued that Petraeus, as a foreigner, should not be permitted to influence Singapore’s political discourse—particularly by publishing content that praised the ruling PAP while attacking opposition parties.
He cited Section 83(1)(d) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, which states: “No person who is not a citizen of Singapore shall take part in any election activity.”
Xu also referenced an Elections Department (ELD) advisory issued on 20 April 2020, which instructed political parties to “lodge a police report immediately” and inform the ELD if they detected any signs of foreign interference in the election.
Separately, a Singaporean named Ng raised similar concerns to the ELD, questioning whether Petraeus’ activities breached election rules.
While the ELD acknowledged that foreigners are prohibited from engaging in election activities and stated that it would look into the matter, no public action was subsequently taken in response to the complaints against Petraeus.
His Facebook page was briefly taken down in July 2020 but was later reinstated following the conclusion of the General Election.
The post PAP attacks Pritam Singh for Malaysian podcast interview, says ‘politics should stop at water’s edge’ appeared first on The Online Citizen.
