Masagos says remarks by former NMP Calvin Cheng were hurtful to Malay/Muslims, threaten social harmony

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in a Berita Harian podcast interview on April 9. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

Hariz Baharudin

UPDATED Apr 10, 2025, 05:00 AM

Thanks for sharing!

SINGAPORE - Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli has said that remarks by former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng that he would pay to send certain individuals from Singapore to Gaza if they do not return are unacceptable and deeply hurtful.

Left unaddressed, such statements can divide society and lead to a loss of trust among Singaporeans, Mr Masagos said on April 9.

During a Berita Harian podcast interview, the minister said Mr Cheng’s criticism of two social activists was hurtful to Malay/Muslims here, given that the community holds respect and good manners in high regard.

The way the former NMP had framed his comments had crossed a line, said Mr Masagos, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development.

Mr Cheng made the comments in a March 13 Facebook post about activists from a group called Monday of Palestine Solidarity, which had asked people concerned about the issue of Palestine to raise the matter with their MPs. On March 12, some activists from the group