Singapore –

Chan Man Ping Philip, a 59-year-old Hong Kong-born businessman with close ties to China, falls into one category.

As of this week, he is the first and only person designated as a “politically important person” under Singapore’s foreign interference laws, which provide unique reporting on influential individuals deemed vulnerable to foreign pressure. Require.

Mr Tan, who is heavily involved in Singapore’s real estate industry, must now disclose annually any political donations worth more than S$10,000 (about US$7,440) he receives, as well as any foreign ties and immigration benefits. He can appeal the decision.

Announcing the move on Monday, the Home Ministry described Chan’s activities as “aimed at achieving political ends in Singapore”. The report also said he “demonstrated a tendency to be susceptible to influence by foreign actors and a willingness to advance their interests.”

In December 2023, Singapore’s Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act added provisions related to “politically important figures”. The law applies this title not only to public officials, etc., but also to other persons who carry out activities for political purposes.

Singapore has not identified which country’s interests Tan is accused of promoting, but analysts and media have viewed the 59-year-old’s past comments, activities and interactions as clues.

Mr. Chan is a Singaporean citizen and former president of the Hong Kong-Singapore Chamber of Commerce. He was also invited to Beijing last year to attend China’s most important annual political event, the Two Sessions, according to local media reports. He is one of the 30 “overseas Chinese representatives” invited by the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

According to the Straits Times, Jackie Chan said in an interview with Chinese media in March last year: “As an overseas Chinese, we have the responsibility to tell Chinese stories well and spread and inherit excellent traditional Chinese culture overseas.”

“Attending these (CPPCC) meetings may arouse the interest of the authorities, but that is not a problem in itself, it is more the way he comments on the need to support China,” S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies told VOA .

Mr Chen is the founder of China Link Education Consultancy, which provides learning programs aimed at “developing a better understanding and appreciation of China”.

While the ministry said its decision was “in the public interest,” it has not released specific details about Chen’s activities.

“It’s not uncommon to tell China’s stories, a lot of people do it, but depending on who you are, some perspectives are more important and influential than others,” He said.

The ministry said the law was needed to counter foreign interference in domestic politics, claiming the city-state was “particularly vulnerable to evolving threats”.

“this [law] Ben Chester Cheong, a law lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said: “This is not unique to Singapore. Other countries also have anti-foreign interference laws.”

“This may not have been widely publicized, but they achieved the same result. The national security threat is real and a serious problem for any country,” he told VOA.

Critics of the law point to its broad scope and worry it could be used to stifle dissent. Amnesty International described it as a “brutal attack on the rights to freedom of expression and association”.

Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at Singapore Management University, told VOA that being designated as a politically exposed person “does not mean that such a person becomes a criminal.” “He can still carry out his trade, profession and other social activities as before, although he must comply with the countermeasures imposed on him.

“But as a designated PSP, it puts others on notice that such a person is likely acting at the behest of a foreign entity,” he added.

Chan declined VOA’s interview request but told local media that he would “deal directly with the authorities” and had “full trust and confidence in the Singaporean government.”

His China ties have previously attracted the attention of Singaporean authorities.

In 2019, The Straits Times reported that Chan facilitated a rally to discuss Hong Kong’s anti-government protests at a restaurant he owned, where people chanted “Support the Hong Kong police, protect Hong Kong, and justice will prevail.” Police warning. “.

Such meetings are severely restricted in Singapore, and the organizer of the event, a Hong Kong restaurateur, was deported.

Chan also serves as chairman of the Kowloon Club, an organization that helps new immigrants, most of them from Hong Kong, adjust to life in Singapore. The club did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr Chan moved to Singapore from Hong Kong in 1990 and has been involved in the Southeast Asian country’s real estate industry for a long time.

He is currently the Managing Director of Wenhui Investment and CEO of C&H Properties. He also founded Mutual Benefits Realty, which provides services to wealthy Chinese who want to invest in Singapore real estate.

The Chinese Embassy in Singapore did not respond to VOA’s request for comment on Singapore’s decision to target Chen under foreign interference laws. The two countries have close ties and pledged further cooperation last August.

“I don’t think this will have any lasting impact on Singapore’s relationship with Beijing. They remain very strong, deep and dynamic,” said Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University and an expert on Chinese foreign policy.

Luo told VOA: “China’s low-key response is very telling. Singaporean officials did not directly name China.”