Singapore Blocks Foreign Facebook Posts Before May Election

Singaporean authorities have ordered Meta to block local access to several Facebook posts made by foreigners ahead of the country's May 3 national election, citing new election rules barring foreign online election advertising. The Infocomm Media Development Authority acted after posts by Iskandar Abdul Samad and Mohamed Sukri Omar, both Malaysian politicians, and Zulfikar bin Mohamad Shariff, an Australian who renounced his Singaporean citizenship, were deemed to promote or prejudice the electoral standing of political parties or candidates. These posts included support for the opposition Workers’ Party and accusations that Malay-Muslim Members of Parliament failed to represent the interests of the Muslim community. Officials said the content risked influencing voters along racial and religious lines and threatened Singapore's multi-racial harmony. The government emphasized its commitment to preventing foreign interference in domestic politics, stating the posts were a direct challenge to the nation’s secular and inclusive system. Zulfikar, previously detained for promoting terrorism, responded by criticizing the takedown as evidence of government insecurity.