SINGAPORE - Singapore's parliament passed the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill and accompanying constitutional amendments on Tuesday.

Key provisions in the bill include a "Restraining Order" regime, a community-based approach to addressing racial incidents, and safeguards to prevent race-based entities from becoming tools of foreign influence.

Under the new law, the minister for home affairs will have the authority to issue Restraining Orders against individuals involved in the communication, production, or distribution of content that threatens racial harmony.

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Once issued, the order must be reviewed by a newly established Presidential Council for Racial and Religious Harmony, which will make a recommendation to the president. The president, considering both the council's recommendation and the cabinet's advice, has the power to cancel, confirm, or vary the order.

During Tuesday's debate, the opposition Workers' Party raised concerns about the president's involvement, arguing that parliamentary and public oversight of the minister's decisions should suffice.

In response, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said the government's view is that the parliament and the public are essential checks on the minister's power, but that there is also considerable value in having an additional layer of check through the council and the president.

"It is appropriate for the president, who is directly elected by the people to act as a check on this power that can be exercised by the minister," he said, adding that "in all of this, this is a question of judgement."

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The bill was first mooted by then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2021. In his National Day Rally speech that year, Lee announced plans for legislation on racial harmony to consolidate existing powers, enhance Singapore's ability to address racial harmony threats, and reaffirm the equal importance of racial and religious harmony in society.

The Ministry of Home Affairs introduced the bill for its first reading in the parliament on Jan 7.

Singapore is home to a multi-ethnic population, with the latest census in 2020 showing that the city-state's resident population comprises 74.3 percent Chinese, 13.5 percent Malays, and 9.0 percent Indians.