Singapore invokes foreign interference law against businessman Philip Chan, indicating readiness to curb intervention despite concerns of China’s ‘backlash’ – analyst

A close aide to Mr Chan, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the news shocked many in the business community and called for authorities to “draw the line” on what actions amount to furthering government interests. emphasized. Another country.

Is “Country X”, which is not named in Singapore’s foreign interference law, actually China?

This week’s Asia investigation found that a person with the same last name as Chan holds a Hong Kong identity card, is a director of two companies, including China Link Group (HK) Limited, and belongs to a company with a registered address in Hong Kong. It has also become clear that center.

A ground floor unit in an upscale residential area of ​​Kowloon Tong is also said to be associated with Philip Chan Manping’s name.

Analysts interviewed by Asia This Week indicated Singapore was prepared to take action against foreign actors despite a possible “backlash”, but Mr Chan said He suggested he was just one of many people potentially acting under the influence of other countries in the hub. .

Chong Jia Ian, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, said: “I think the Singaporean authorities are mindful of, or perhaps fear, a backlash, so don’t explicitly mention the modern People’s Republic of China in this case.” ”, referring to the People’s Republic. China.

“In the discussions leading up to and surrounding the passage of FICA, there seems to be less hesitancy to talk about the United States or Malaysia.”

Although Mr. Chan appears to be a “one-off incident with a FICA notification directly involving a foreign power,” there is no officially designated list of organizations or contact information for their income, assets, donations, or lobbying activities. Other foreign contacts are difficult to find in Singapore. There are disclosure requirements, he added.

Nydia Giou, managing director of Bower Group Asia in Singapore, said Mr Chan’s case is a “standard” for determining what conduct constitutes a politically important person promoting foreign interests. He said that there is a high possibility that this will set a precedent.

“There’s a feeling in the business community that some of these things need to be more clear because of all these multilateral relationships.” [between China and Singapore],” a colleague of Mr Chan’s told Asia magazine this week, calling his actions “not unusual” and “harmless.”

Without clear boundaries, businessmen with ties to other countries would feel like they had to walk on eggshells for fear of running afoul of foreign interference laws, he said. the official said.

“[Singapore] It’s such an international market and people are interacting, but where do you draw the line? So far, not much has been revealed, and it’s going to have so many implications, so people will pay close attention to what the outcome will be. ”

When This Week in Asia called Chan on Friday night, he said he would respond to the authorities and the notice next week, but declined to comment further.

Any political party, official or member of parliament involved in Singapore’s political process may fall into the defined category of “politically important person”.

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“Swan on the Lake”

This is the first time the anti-foreign interference law has been applied by the city-state since it came into force in October 2021, but Singapore has detained spies working for other countries.

In 2020, a 39-year-old man who spied in the United States for China was arrested by the Department of Home Affairs and Security and sentenced to 14 months in prison for espionage in the United States.

Mr Chan’s case, which was revealed on Friday night, dominated headlines and put a spotlight on China’s alleged political interference in Singapore, analysts said.

“I think it’s important that there is a clear spotlight on China’s alleged political interference in Singapore,” NUS’s Chong said.

“While there was clearly a relatively recent past, the Philip Chan case suggests that the situation continues. There are also protests elsewhere in Europe, North America, Oceania and Asia. This is not surprising as there are indications of such actions by individuals and groups aligned with government forces, “the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.

NUS political scientist Bilveer Singh said Mr Zhang drew a lot of attention to himself because he was seen as defending China’s interests in a very public way.

“He decided to act like a swan on a lake,” Singh said. “I think the government had to take action because this is also a warning to others who may be defending their activities.” [the interests of] USA or other countries. It is also for the reliability of FICA and the whole mechanism. ”

“If the government does nothing, it will be seen as condoning this kind of behavior,” he said, adding that neutrality has always been a key pillar of Singapore’s foreign policy and the government strives to maintain that image. emphasized.

According to the report, a video of the event shows Chan and about 10 other participants shouting in Cantonese, “Support the Hong Kong police, protect Hong Kong. Justice will prevail.” has been done.

From 2011 to 2019, Chan wrote about 30 articles for Lianhe Caobao, Singapore’s largest Chinese-language newspaper, mainly in his capacity as chairman of the non-profit organization Kowloon Club, according to the paper’s editor. Mr Goh Shin Teck said. .

“Mr. Chan’s writings often included his personal reflections and insights gained through his real estate profession, as well as immigration issues such as the assimilation of new immigrants into local society.” Mr. Goh answered the question.

Mr. Chan, who is also chairman of the Hong Kong-Singapore Business Association, said in an interview with Chinese media outlet Hua Ren Toutiao that although his articles were published in Lianhe Caobao, their influence was still “limited,” and he said that his influence among overseas Chinese people remained “limited.” He called for greater unity among the Tell the story of China well.

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He was also the patron of the Kampung Chai Kyi Citizen Consultative Committee and the Bukit Timah Community Club Management Committee, which are run by government statutory committees.

The People’s Association told Asia this week that Mr Chan has since stepped down from all grassroots appointments.

One member, who spoke to This Week in Asia on condition of anonymity, said many people were surprised by the news but were “scared” that the press might have something to do with them.

Once designated as a “politically important person,” Mr. Chan, in addition to declaring his foreign affiliations and immigration benefits, must report to authorities any political contributions he has received worth more than S$10,000 (US$7,439). Must be published annually.

He has 14 days from February 2 to submit a written opinion to the Registrar and, if he is designated as a “politically important person”, he can appeal the decision to the Home Secretary.

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BowerGroupAsia’s Ngiow said it was important to maintain transparency in the appeals process going forward.

She said: “Given the concerns of overreach expressed by both opposition parties and party supporters in Parliament during the introduction of the bill, if Mr Chan decides to challenge his designation as a person of political importance. , it will be important to ensure transparency throughout the process.”

Mr Chan said in previous interviews with other news sites that he moved to Singapore in 1990, shortly after the Singapore government relaxed permanent residency rules to attract skilled workers from Hong Kong a year earlier. .

He is the managing director of real estate companies Wen Wei Investments, Mutual Benefit Realty, and C&H Properties, and the founder of China Link Education Consulting.

The Hong Kong-Singapore Business Association, of which Mr Chan is chairman, facilitates networking between businesspeople in both cities and is part of 47 other associations from 36 countries.

Additional reporting by Kahon Chan