The Ministry of Home AffairsMHA) has confirmed that two Singaporean influenc were advised by the regarding their content related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Social media influencer Cam Asrori shared her experience of being questioned by Singapore authorities after posting about attending a pro-Palestine protest in Japan. Her post received approximately 1.3 million views on Instagram and 2 million views on TikTok.
Camira, 29, was stopped at Tuas Checkpoint when she was returning from Kuala Lumpur. Authorities asked to see her social media posts on the Israel-Hamas conflict and informed her that the main issue was her posting from the pro-Palestine protest in Japan. The officers told her that her post encourages Singaporeans to protest overseas and may jeopardize their safety.
Another influencer, Dahlia Mohd, commented on Camira’s Instagram post that she was also questioned by the authorities after a complaint was made against her posts and fundraiser to help Palestinians in Gaza. Dahlia crowdfunded humanitarian aid for the people of Palestine by sending the raised funds through Malaysian non-governmental organization Cinta Gaza Malaysia between Nov. 7 and Dec. 31, 2023.
MHA explained that Camira was advised against encouraging Singaporeans to protest overseas, while Dahlia was advised to verify the organizations or charities to which she donates and to ensure she donates to officially verified ones. This is to ensure that the donation does not end up becoming financial support for terrorist groups. MHA warned that Singapore citizens who directly or indirectly collect assets despite having reasonable grounds to believe that the assets will be used for carrying out any terrorist act will be charged under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act.
This incident highlights the importance of being cautious when posting content related to sensitive issues and donating to charities or organizations. Authorities advise individuals to verify the legitimacy of such organizations to ensure that their actions do not support terrorist activities or scams.