SINGAPORE, Feb 26 — Singaporean businessman Philip Chan Man Ping has been designated as a politically significant person under the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act (Fica), said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

In a press statement on Monday (Feb 26), MHA confirmed the 59-year-old’s designation, adding that the Registrar of Foreign and Political Disclosures had “considered the representations Chan had submitted in response to the notice of intended designation” previously issued to him on Feb 2.

Mr Chan is the first person to be issued a “notice of intended designation” since Fica came into force in December last year.

MHA said it “remains of the view that Chan should be designated as a (politically significant person), as Chan’s activities are directed towards a political end in Singapore”, adding that it is in the public interest for countermeasures under Fica to be applied to Mr Chan.

Mr Chan was notified of the designation on Monday, and it takes effect on the same day.

As a designated politically significant person, Mr Chan is required to disclose certain information to the Registrar of Foreign and Political Disclosures yearly.

These include political donations of S$10,000 or more that he receives and accepts, foreign affiliations, and migration benefits.

“These are transparency requirements to help detect foreign interference,” the MHA said, adding that Mr Chan has a right to appeal to the Minister for Home Affairs against the Registrar’s decision.

When asked by TODAY on Monday if he intends to appeal, Mr Chan declined to comment.

MHA had previously said that Mr Chan “has shown susceptibility to be influenced by foreign actors and willingness to advance their interests”.

He has stated in previous articles and interviews that he came to Singapore from Hong Kong in 1990. Singapore’s Chinese language daily Lianhe Zaobao has published 25 articles by Mr Chan under his Chinese name from 2016 to 2019.

He was patron of the Punggol Park Community Centre Management Committee since January 2014 and a patron of the Bukit Timah Community Club Management Committee since September 2014.

Apart from that, he was also patron of Kampong Chai Chee Citizens’ Consultative Committee and Bukit Timah Community Club Management Committee. Mr Chan has since stepped down from all his grassroots appointments.

Under Fica, a defined politically significant person is one who is subject to the “most stringent countermeasures” given the person’s direct involvement in Singapore’s political processes.

This would comprise political parties, political office-holders, Members of Parliament, central executive committee members of political parties, and election candidates and their election agents.

Fica also empowers a competent authority to designate individuals and organisations as politically significant persons if the relevant conditions are met.

Its latest provisions to counteract foreign interference done through domestic proxies took effect on Dec 29 last year.

As of Dec 29 last year, two non-governmental organisations, Think Centre and Maruah, have been designated as politically significant persons. — TODAY