SINGAPORE: Former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin called Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) “immature” and “juvenile” for its response to Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh’s appearance on his podcast earlier this year, and said that the party “needs to grow up”.
He also said in an episode of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap, released on YouTube on Jul 29, that he and co-host Shahril Hamdan, previously UMNO’s information chief, have both been interviewed by Singaporean media on Malaysia’s internal politics too.
Workers’ Party leader Singh had spoken to the duo in a video released on Jun 24. It was his most in-depth interview since the General Election, in which the PAP retained power with 65.57 per cent of the vote.
During the interview, which lasted more than one-and-a-half hours, Mr Singh addressed a wide range of topics, including the WP’s electoral strategy, and the intersection of race, religion and politics.
It drew a response from the PAP, which questioned Mr Singh’s intent on going on the Malaysian podcast, and that “politics should stop at the water’s edge”.
In the latest episode, Mr Khairy and Mr Shahril were discussing whether to include Singapore among the stops for their overseas live shows. While it is a popular option based on their “engagement data”, the “not-so-pleasant experience recently” surrounding Mr Singh’s appearance on their show has turned them off.
“When Pritam Singh appeared on KS (Keluar Sekejap), at first, there wasn’t much of an issue. But I think, about a week after that, there was an article written, if I’m not mistaken, on PAP’s own portal. This PAP portal belongs to Singapore’s ruling party. It stated, and I suppose, accused Pritam Singh’s appearance of being akin to interference in Singapore’s internal politics,” said Mr Khairy.
“Its main target was Pritam Singh. Why did Pritam Singh go on a Malaysian podcast to talk about Singapore? And after that, it said this was like an interference in Singapore’s internal politics and that politics should stop at ‘the Water’s Edge’. Meaning, don’t you talk about our politics.”
Mr Khairy said he thought it was “such an immature take”.
APPEARANCE ON SINGAPORE MEDIA
He noted that he and Mr Shahril have been interviewed by Singapore news outlets CNA and The Straits Times on Malaysia’s internal politics, including when he was invited two weeks back to be a commentator virtually for a study conducted on UMNO by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies think-tank, where he was a visiting fellow.
“So I don’t understand, when they want to talk about other people’s politics, it’s fine … But when it happens to you, when Pritam comes here to talk about the Singaporean election, suddenly it’s, ‘Oh, foreign interference’,” said Mr Khairy.
“I think I have a lot of friends there, but PAP needs to grow up.”
His co-host, Mr Shahril, said that he has also spoken about Malaysian politics in Singapore on academic platforms, and noted that having an extensive analysis of its neighbouring countries is one of Singapore’s strengths.
“Perhaps in a moment that was less self-aware, maybe a part of the establishment, a small part perhaps, felt they could use that argument to voice their dissatisfaction that an opposition party leader could perform and shine so well on our podcast,” he said of Mr Singh’s appearance.
“I think that was just hopefully one small moment. When I asked friends in Singapore, including those who are strong supporters of the establishment, most of them didn’t see it the way that article did. To be fair, I don’t think that’s the majority view. It’s just a particular kind of view.”
Mr Khairy noted that “it’s the view of the ruling party”, and said that until the “PAP stops being juvenile on this issue”, the duo would not come to Singapore as part of their overseas tour for their podcast live shows.
Mr Shahril added that the duo typically banter and crack jokes on their podcast when discussing heavy topics, and that in Singapore, “if there are restrictions, or the perception of them, it won’t be natural”.
CNA has reached out to the PAP for comment.
POLITICS STOP AT THE WATER’S EDGE
The PAP had said on Jul 3 that Mr Singh’s decision to speak about Singapore’s politics on a Malaysian podcast “raises serious questions” as to why he chose to address the topic “on foreign soil to a foreign audience”.
“Strikingly, he chose not a local media outlet, but a podcast hosted by Malaysians and recorded in Malaysia to share his views on our domestic political landscape,” the party said in a statement.
The PAP also challenged Mr Singh’s claim that his party does not “score political points based on race or religion”.
The party added that while Singapore and Malaysia share close ties, they have long refrained from commenting on each other’s politics and from using each other’s media to influence public opinion, especially after the racial unrest of the 1960s.
“As a sovereign nation, we must be clear: Politics should stop at the water’s edge,” it said.
“Singapore’s affairs are for Singaporeans to decide, based on what is best for our national interests.”
In response, the WP said that Mr Singh’s podcast appearance “had no detrimental impact whatsoever on Singapore’s national interests”, adding that public reception in Singapore to the podcast has been positive.
“It exemplified how a non-government Singaporean politician can speak fairly and frankly about Singapore and the Singapore government, without denouncing either. This particular point continues to be well-received by many Singaporeans,” it said.
PAP leaders routinely give interviews and share their views on domestic matters to foreign media outlets, it noted.
In response to the WP’s statement, the PAP said that while ministers do engage with foreign media, they discuss a wide range of topics, “be it on international and regional affairs or domestic matters”, compared to Mr Singh’s interview, which “focused almost entirely on Singapore’s internal politics”.
Mr Singh has also declined invitations from Singaporean podcasters, it added.
Noting that the WP has continued to brush aside serious concerns about its engagement with Noor Deros, a self-styled religious teacher in Malaysia known for “views that are at odds with Singapore’s commitment to multiracialism and religious harmony”, as well as public endorsements made by Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) politicians in support of its candidates, the PAP said that “many important questions raised remain unanswered”.
