In his article on Mar 13, Mr Cheng wrote about a group known as the Monday of Palestine Solidarity, whose people have been accused of disrupting PAP Meet-The-People Sessions.
” I would like to partner them to relocate to Gaza, expenses paid by me. But only if they always come up,” said Mr Cheng.
” I am offering business school to the officials. And to their 928 enthusiasts, you get them some running shoes each. Take a gradual climb. “
While speaking to reporters on Wednesday on the latest cases being handled under the Internal Security Act, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam was asked about Mr Cheng’s article.
Mr Shanmugam said that his opinions on Israel and Palestine are” quickly unique” from those that Mr Cheng has expressed.
“Mr Calvin Cheng feedback on a variety of things – I don’t see all of them. Those that I come across: I may say some I agree with, and some I obviously disagree with, ” he said.
“His views on Palestine and Israel, I may state are very different from mine. I have a pretty sharply different perspective on Israel-Palestine from Mr Calvin Cheng. ”
“ I previously said in November 2023 that Israel’s actions are illegal and oppressive to Palestinians, and that remains my view, ” he added.
Mr Shanmugam declined to comment further as a police record has been made against Mr Cheng over his remarks on Israel and Palestine while Mr Cheng has said that he has commenced legal proceedings over complaints that have been made against him following the article.
In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Mr Cheng said that Mr Jufrie Mahmood, a former president of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, had filed a police report alleging that Mr Cheng is an Islamophobe.
Mr Cheng added that Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam and activist Martyn See had expressed related views to Mr Jufrie and that The Online Citizen and a Mohamed Khair had republished these opinions.
Refuting complaints that have been made against him, Mr Cheng said:” I have sought legal counsel from Senior Counsel and have been advised that these statements are very disparaging of me.
” I have instructed my professionals to create to Mohamed Khair, Jufrie Mahmood, Martyn See, Kenneth Jeyeretnam and The Online Citizen, to need them to rescind the comments they have made and sorry. “