Singapore takes ‘clear and strong stand’ against being ‘used as a platform’ for Indonesia’s presidential election

A former Indonesian official suggested in a YouTube podcast that Singapore, China and the US were seeking to interfere with Indonesia’s election

Analysts said Singapore’s statement served as a warning to the 250,000 Indonesians living there not to ‘conduct political campaigning or fundraising’ on foreign soil

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A worker shows a ballot paper for the Indonesian presidential election in Bantul. There are around 250,000 Indonesians in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:03pm, 4 Jan 2024Updated: 5:15pm, 8 Jan 2024

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a statement on Thursday acknowledging allegations that the country was being “used as a platform” for Indonesia’s February election, but said it took a “clear and strong stand” against anyone using the city state to further political agendas overseas and warned that it could revoke the immigration status of those found to be doing so.

In its statement, the MHA did not provide details on the parties circulating these claims, but stressed authorities would “deal firmly” with anyone found using Singapore to further a political agenda overseas.

“The Singapore government takes a clear and strong stand against the importation of politics of other countries into Singapore. Persons visiting, working or living in Singapore should not use Singapore to conduct political campaigning or fundraising to further a political agenda overseas,” it stated.

A motorist rides past banners with pictures of campaigning parliamentary candidates along the street in Jakarta. Photo: EPA-EFE

This Week in Asia understands that these allegations were made on the YouTube channel of Abraham Samad, the former chairman of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission.

In a nearly hour-long video titled Intelligence Leaks: Conspiracy of Three Foreign Countries to Control the 2024 Presidential Election, Samad and Madigu Wowiek Prasantyo, a political analyst, claimed that China, the United States and Singapore were seeking to interfere with Indonesia’s vote.

The MHA’s statement comes weeks after Indonesia’s financial intelligence government agency announced it had uncovered suspicious million-dollar transactions related to the election on February 14.

The transactions, which involved 1 trillion rupiah (US$64.4 million), are linked to thousands of individuals with “various political affiliates”, Singapore broadcaster CNA reported last month.