{
  "id": 7088755,
  "title": "Keep widening who counts as ‘our own’, Lawrence Wong tells Singaporeans amid racial tensions over airline, Nepal crisis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/keep-widening-who-counts-as-our-own-lawrence-wong-tells-singaporeans",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-13T09:14:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/09/13/keep-widening-who-counts-as-our-own-lawrence-wong-tells-singaporeans-amid-racial-tensions-over-airline-nepal-crisis/235060"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong cautioned on September 13 that widening the definition of \"our own\" is crucial to preventing social and racial rifts, as economic challenges deepen divisions. Wong referenced racist remarks made online regarding Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India and the Nepal-Tibet disaster. He highlighted how global societies are becoming more fragmented and polarized, driven by economic pressures that leave individuals feeling marginalized and frustrated. Wong emphasized that these divisions become more entrenched when they feed into questions of identity and belonging, leading to \"us versus them\" thinking.\n\nAddressing cost pressures and job concerns, Wong stressed that social cohesion ultimately relies on communities taking initiative to build trust among themselves. At the Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim League's (SKML) 85th anniversary dinner, Wong acknowledged that Singapore is not immune to tensions between foreigners and citizens, between local-born and naturalized Singaporeans, and along racial and religious lines. He praised SKML for expanding its outreach beyond the Indian Muslim community while maintaining its roots, noting collaborations with organizations such as Muis, Mendaki, and Sinda on issues like digital literacy and scam awareness.\n\nWong reiterated the sentiment that \"our own\" means Singaporeans, regardless of race, language, or religion, drawing from Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam's statement that police are investigating this principle. Wong concluded by emphasizing that all Singaporeans, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, are part of the same country and home.",
  "summary": "SINGAPORE, Sept 13 — Economic challenges can deepen social and racial divisions, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warn...",
  "key_points": [
    "Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warns widening 'our own' definition to prevent social rifts",
    "Racist remarks on Singapore Airlines' Air India investment and Nepal disaster cited",
    "Wong stresses community trust-building to address economic divisions and identity issues"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}