Singapore has issued a warning against public display of symbols that would be linked to the Hamas-Israel war without official permission, adding that those convicted may fined 500 Singapore dollars ($370) or face up to six months in prison or both.
The law applies to all foreign national emblems, including flags and banners of any state. Travelers who wear such apparel can be denied entry into Singapore.
The government said, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), that the conflict was an “emotive issue” that could disrupt national peace, according to The Straits Times, a daily newspaper in Singapore.
The newspaper quoted the ministry as saying: “In particular, promoting or supporting terrorism through the display of apparel or paraphernalia that carries logos of terrorist or militant groups, such as Hamas or its military wing Al-Qassam Brigades, will not be condoned.”
The statement from the ministry further said that those wanting to provide aid to the people affected in the ongoing war can do so through authorized fund-raising activities and donation drives.
Singapore’s parliament on Monday unanimously denounced the violence against innocent civilians in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war, emphasizing that the country cannot allow external conflicts to disrupt racial and religious harmony in Singapore, The Straits Times report added.
Israel has been relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the October 7 attack by Hamas militants that killed 1,400 Israelis and saw more than 200 others taken as hostages by the militant group. Since then, Israel has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, with more than half of them being women and children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
