In 2021, Singapore enacted the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, known as FICA. On paper, it aims to protect Singaporean politics from foreign interference with two sets of provisions. The first provision targets information campaigns. This provision empowers the government to shut down organisations deemed to communicate “on behalf of a foreign principal” with the aim of manipulating Singapore’s domestic political discourse. The second provision concerns measures to counter local proxies or politically significant persons (known as PSPs). Under this provision, personalities suspected of being foreign agents can be monitored. The bill has raised several concerns, primarily due to its vague and broad definition of what constitutes foreign interference, which may be used to suffocate the country’s civic space and curb critical political engagement. In this podcast episode, Jolovan Wham discusses the impacts and developments of FICA after its introduction in 2021.

Jolovan Wham is a social worker and activist who works on issues concerning migrant workers, the death penalty, and civil and political rights.