Singapore Foreign Minister among MPs who received letters with ‘distasteful’ photos, threats

The letters were sent to recipients’ workplaces and warned of “threatening consequences” if they did not contact the e-mail addresses provided. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH via The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE (Bernama): Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is among several members of parliament (MPs) who have received letters containing fake distasteful images and threats.

Balakrishnan and fellow Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency (GRC) MP Edward Chia, as well as Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng, today posted on their social media pages on the matter, stating that they had filed police reports.

"This conduct is deplorable and totally contrary to the values and good practices that we are trying to inculcate in our society.

"We have filed police reports and will take appropriate legal action," Balakrishnan said through a post on his Facebook (FB) page today.

Meanwhile, Chia called on everyone to unite as a community to combat these acts.

"With readily available tools, anyone can create deepfake content within minutes. This can pose a threat to our social fabric. Unchecked, this can affect our public standing and those we love," he said in a post on FB.

Tan, on the same social media platform, said he does not want to speculate on the identity of the perpetrators and the timing of the incident.

"But let me say this: We are not afraid and we will not let anyone intimidate us or deter us from doing our job."

The Straits Times reported on Friday, quoting the police, that more than 70 people received letters of extortion containing manipulated photographs of themselves in lewd poses in March and April.

The letters were sent to the recipients’ workplaces and they warned of "threatening consequences” if they did not contact the e-mail addresses provided, the daily reported. - Bernama