SINGAPORE: Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh raised serious concerns on 5 June about the role of online anonymity in distorting political discourse in Singapore.
In his Facebook post, Singh, who is also the Workers’ Party chief, warned that anonymous actors are shaping narratives through seemingly organic comments and posts, blurring the line between genuine public sentiment and orchestrated messaging.
He shared a screenshot of a post from the pro-PAP Facebook page Singapore Matters, which identified and labelled certain commenters—such as “Pap Lawwong” and “Bill Ng”—as “opposition supporters.”
Singh questioned the authenticity of these individuals, highlighting their sparse online presence and suggesting they may be fabricated personas.
“Hypothetically speaking, he/she may even be a Singapore/SG Matters admin pretending to be pro-opposition so as to serve the narrative of the folks at Singapore/SG Matters, such is the ‘protection’ online anonymity affords,” Singh wrote.
He also referenced a post by freelance journalist Kirsten Han, who pointed to a separate group of equally anonymous and questionable individuals appearing to support the PAP. These comments were originally published on The Online Citizen, an alternative media outlet.
Singh calls for inclusive discourse to preserve cohesion
According to Singh, the nature of these comments made it evident that thought and intention had gone into crafting them, with the goal of reinforcing a particular narrative.
“This is the world we live in,” Singh observed, asserting that propaganda is an enduring tactic employed by both states and political parties to influence minds and control narratives.
“So do political parties, usually through third parties, for plausible deniability. One cannot exclude any political party, or their proxies, from the game,” he added.
Despite these concerns, Singh reiterated that Singapore’s political diversity should be recognised as a strength rather than a liability.
He described it as a “safety valve” critical to maintaining social cohesion in a multi-ethnic society.
He urged all political actors to take responsibility in fostering an inclusive space for public discourse, warning that the failure to do so could deepen divisions within society.
“Acknowledging and accommodating this diversity will become even more crucial in the years to come, if we are to remain a cohesive, and not a divided society. And that calls for responsibility from all parties,” Singh stated.
While noting that many Singaporeans are sincere in their online expressions, Singh acknowledged that others are not.
“And then, there are those who know this reality only too well; and take advantage of it. Does Singapore or SG truly matter?” he asked pointedly.
Lee Hsien Yang highlights ‘astroturfing’ in support of Singh’s concerns on online manipulation
Singh’s post received nearly 900 likes and over 90 shares. Among those who reshared it was Lee Hsien Yang, son of the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Lee cited a definition of “astroturfing”—described as “the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public.”
AFP Fact Check flagged Singapore Matters for spreading false quote about WP candidate
The discussion over online manipulation recalls a recent incident involving Singapore Matters and Workers’ Party candidate Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar.
In May, the page published a post falsely claiming that Alia had said the “Israel-Palestine conflict is more important than bread and butter issues.” The quote, paired with her image, circulated shortly before Cooling-Off Day.
As campaign and speech regulations restrict responses during that period, neither Alia nor the Workers’ Party had the opportunity to publicly refute the misinformation.
AFP’s fact-checking service debunked the claim on 5 May, confirming that the quote was never made during Alia’s campaign events.
Singapore Matters issued a clarification on 20 May, acknowledging that the post was based on a video with inaccurate subtitles. They described the update as “long overdue” and removed the post following an internal review.
In their clarification, they stated that the video reflected “the general sentiment” of Alia’s comments, even though the wording was not verbatim. They affirmed their editorial commitment to transparency and said they removed the post accordingly.
However, the clarification drew criticism for its timing and tone.
On 21 May, Workers’ Party member Jackson Au criticised both the post and the lack of response from mainstream media and regulatory bodies. He characterised Singapore Matters’ statement as a “sorry, not sorry” gesture.
Au pointed out the disparity in how quickly opposition figures are censured for misinformation compared to the delayed accountability for government-affiliated platforms.
Au and Alia were part of the WP team that contested in Punggol GRC against the People’s Action Party (PAP) slate led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong during the 3 May poll. Their teammates included Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh and Alexis Dang.
The PAP team won the contest with 55.17% of the vote, defeating the WP team, which garnered 44.83%.
The post Pritam Singh highlights how online anonymity is used to manipulate political narratives appeared first on The Online Citizen.
