Foreign firms told to be ‘careful’ about advocating LGBT issues in Singapore amid Pelosi’s call to back sexual minority rights

The Ministry of Home Affairs said ‘these are matters for Singaporeans to discuss and come to a consensus on how to move forward’
The government response came after the US House speaker urged businesses in Singapore to support the LGBT community there

Singapore

TODAY

Published: 2:31pm, 4 Aug 2022

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The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday reminded foreign businesses in Singapore that while they are free to promote diversity in their companies, they “should be careful about advocacy on issues in the city state that could be socially divisive”.

This includes issues such as how sexual orientation should be dealt with in public policy.

“These are matters for Singaporeans to discuss and come to a consensus on how to move forward,” said MHA, in response to media queries.

MHA’s statement comes in the wake of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Singapore, which marked the first leg of her Asia tour, which culminated in a visit to Taiwan that was protested against by China.

Following her Singapore visit, she released a statement stating that her congressional delegation had met leaders of the business community and “asked for their support for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community in Singapore” as more American businesses are establishing and adding offices in the republic.

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Her statement did not identify the business leaders that the delegation met. TODAY has reached out to Pelosi and the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore for comment.

There are around 5,500 US businesses in Singapore, The US is also Singapore’s largest foreign investor, with its foreign direct investment stock of US$315 billion last year exceeding US investments in China.

In 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement reminding the US embassy in Singapore that foreign missions here are not to “interfere in domestic social and political matters”, after the embassy had co-hosted a webinar with non-profit organisation Oogachaga – which works with LGBTQ individuals.