Stay out, Singapore tells Malaysia after Merlion Park protests
(TMI) – Singapore has warned Malaysian lawmakers against interfering in the republic’s affairs in the wake of appeals to show leniency towards its citizens who face being barred from the country for taking part in illegal protests earlier this month.
Several opposition MPs had last week sent a memorandum via the Singapore High Commission here asking the republic’s government to “exercise restraint and give those arrested a second chance” to 21 Malaysians arrested for violating the Lion City’s laws on illegal assembly when they held two demonstrations protesting Malaysia’s 13th general elections at the iconic Merlion Park on May 8 and 11.
“Singapore does not interfere in the domestic matters of other countries. In turn, Singapore will not tolerate outside forces interfering in our internal affairs,” Singapore’s home affairs ministry and foreign affairs ministry said in a joint statement posted on the latter ministry’s website.
The two Singapore ministries said they were responding to the petition and reminded the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers that some of the 21 Merlion Park protestors had “deliberately ignored repeated warnings that the protests were illegal, and that foreigners should not import the differences that they may have over issues in their countries into Singapore.”
“They broke Singapore laws, and have to be dealt with accordingly,” the statement said.
The Singapore government also reminded the Malaysian lawmakers that “their actions to involve foreign parties are attempts to seek special treatment and to further politicise what is essentially a domestic law and order issue in Singapore.”
Last week, a group of PR parliamentarians, including re-elected Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and the new MP for Kulai, Teo Nie Ching, had pleaded with Singapore authorities on behalf of the affected Malaysians, some who had their work permit there revoked as punishment for breaking the law.
