The Singapore Parliament passed a law Monday known as the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act (FICA) after a 10-hour session in the Singapore Parliament. The bill was first raised three years ago, and it was signed into law after three weeks of it being tabled.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said: “This Bill is intended to address a serious threat that concerns our national security and sovereignty . . . And these are important to ensure that Singaporeans continue to make our own choices on how we should govern our country and live our lives.”

FICA is aimed at reducing foreign meddling in domestic politics through hostile information campaigns and the use of local proxies. Multiple members of parliament fielded concerns and raised criticism during the debate, but the ruling People’s Action Party’s supermajority vote gave FICA passage.

Certain proposed amendments to the bill were accepted by the government, which included an expansion of defined political persons to include a member of the executive committee, and an obligatory publication of designations of politically significant individuals. Additional provisions allowing appeals to the court and the incorporation of greater checks and balances were struck down.

Shanmugam stated that FICA is a more calibrated approach for the internet age, and that he hopes that Singapore can shift to a more trusting, yet protected, nation. He argued that the risk of foreign interference has always been a threat, and that appeals should be heard by an independent tribunal, rather than the courts.

In response to protecting highly sensitive information, and the effort he has faced in trying to enhance Singapore’s capabilities, Shanmugam said: “Singapore believes in the law, so we give ourselves legal powers. But in reality the kind of threats we face, the kind of adversaries and the resources they have in terms of manpower, are far greater than what we have . . . Our people haven’t even begun to realise what the problem is, and the nature of the problem.”