GE2025: Foreign conflict should not turn into conflict between Singaporeans, says Teo Chee Hean (2025)

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SINGAPORE - Even as emotions run high, concern over the conflict in Gaza should not turn into conflict between Singaporeans, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Speaking at a rally at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on April 26, SM Teo said the Government’s position on the situation was clear, and that it had condemned the illegal use of force against innocent civilians from all sides.

“We support a two-state solution, which includes the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he said, adding that Singapore had voted for this at the United Nations.

SM Teo, who entered politics in 1992 and was anchor minister for Pasir Ris-PunggolGRC, is among 20 PAP MPs who are stepping down. He was speaking at the PAP’s Punggol rally.

Speaking in both English and Malay, SM Teo said he had explained the issues involved as well as Singapore’s principled stand “quietly and behind closed doors” to many groups here, including Malay-Muslim groups, to create greater understanding and avoid creating conflict and friction.

Many individuals and organisations across different races and religions, including those in Pasir Ris and Punggol, had also donated to support victims in Gaza, he added.

SM Teo noted that Mr Gerald Giam – one of the WP candidates contesting Aljunied GRC – had previously served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, in his capacity as an MP, also travelled with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan as part of a Singaporean delegation to meet with Palestinian and Israeli leaders in 2024.

“So I hope that MrGerald Giam will also take the time to explain this to his own colleagues, so that in the heat of this general election, we do not inadvertently inflame emotions among Singaporeans, and so that we can focus on the real issues, the real bread-and-butter issues and the needs of Singaporeans,” he said.

In its manifesto, the WP calls for Singapore to formally recognise the state of Palestine, before negotiations for a two-state solution with Israel are concluded.

A four-member WP team – comprising senior counsel Harpreet Singh, ad tech firm senior director Alexis Dang, legal counsel Alia Mattar and corporate affairs senior manager JacksonAu – is contesting the newly formed Punggol GRC in this general election.

The group representation constituencywas created by carving out estates in Punggol from the existing Pasir Ris-PunggolGRC, and merging them with those in Punggol West SMC, following the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report on March 11.

The WP faces a PAP team led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, which also includes Senior Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and InformationJanil Puthucheary, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling and National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling.

Sorrow over the tragedy in Gaza should not turn into anger and conflict here, especially as the conflict does not involve Singaporeans here, said SM Teo.

“Instead, let us channel our sorrow into compassion, our anger into understanding and our desire to hit out into actions to help out,” he said.

Singapore does not want foreigners to interfere with its local politics, SM Teo added.

“Similarly, we also must be very careful not to import the attitudes and the quarrels elsewhere – and especially in Singapore’s neighbourhood – into Singapore, and let these divide our society,” he said.

Such issues should not be exploited to divide people here, he stressed.

“If each community places its own special interests above all and above those of other communities, we will create friction, and there will be pushback, and this will cause the unravelling of our community harmony in Singapore.

“And we must not let that happen in Singapore,” he said.

“We must not let that happen in Punggol. So let us choose wisely, choose to build unity and not let the ideas of those who seek to divide enter here into Punggol,” he said, adding that DPM Gan was leading the PAP team to “make Punggol even better”.

SM Teo announced his retirement from politics after 33 years on Nomination Day on April 23.

His comments come after the Government blocked access to Facebook posts by two Malaysian politicians and a former Internal Security Act detainee for attempting to interfere in the ongoing election.

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