April 3, 2025
SINGAPORE – Facebook parent company Meta is investigating unauthorised activity on the Facebook page of Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
The account was found to have “liked” a Facebook post by former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng, which proposed sending a group of activists to Gaza, as long as they never returned. The post was put up on March 13.
The minister’s press secretary said on April 2 that a report has been filed with Meta over the unauthorised activity. “Meta is investigating,” she added.
In a post early on April 2, Dr Balakrishnan said he did not “like” the post. He added that he did not share the views put forth by Mr Cheng and that he had taken measures to “enhance account security”.
Mr Cheng had said in the March 13 post that he would sponsor members of Monday of Palestine Solidarity to relocate to Gaza.
“I am offering business class to the leaders. And to their 928 followers, can buy them some walking shoes each. Take a slow hike,” he said, with the caveat that they never come back to Singapore.
His post has since drawn 1,100 reactions as at April 2, with 770 comments.
Although it is no longer found on the list of reactions, Dr Balakrishnan’s official Facebook page had previously “liked” the post, evidenced by a screen recording that was put up on Instagram.
Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Digital Development and Information, had also “liked” the post.
Mr Tan later said he had done so accidentally, after Monday of Palestine Solidarity questioned him about it on one of his Instagram posts. He then “unliked” Mr Cheng’s Facebook post.
Screenshots of him responding to the group were put up on its Instagram account on March 27.
Meanwhile, Mr Cheng said in a Facebook post on April 2 that he will be taking legal action over defamatory statements made against him.
These include statements made by former Singapore Democratic Party chairman Jufrie Mahmood, who had filed a police report against him, as well as Reform Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam and online publication The Online Citizen.
The statements accuse Mr Cheng of being an Islamophobe, with Mr Jufrie filing a police report on March 28, describing Mr Cheng as a “danger to our precious racial and religious harmony”.
In the police report, it is alleged that Mr Cheng’s Facebook post made a “threat on the lives of anyone that is against the ongoing genocide”, adding that a one-way trip to Gaza would imply instant death.
Mr Cheng, however, said his post was made in response to the actions of the activists from the Monday of Palestine Solidarity group, and specifically aimed at the ones who showed up at Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam’s Meet-the-People Session on March 12.
- Aqil Hamzah is a journalist covering breaking news at The Straits Times, with interests in crime and technology.