has a history of involvement in the domestic politics of sovereign countries". ACRA cited how the OSEA application proposed to organise "Democracy Classroom" sessions, workshops and events in Singapore. On 1 May 2018, Select Committee chairman Charles Chong noted that Thum and Philip Kreager – both trustees of Oxford's Project Southeast Asia – were directors of OSEA-UK on the British government's company registry. Meeting with Mahathir Mohamad On 30 August 2018, Thum, Tan Wah Piow and others met Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, and asked him to take a lead role in promoting democracy in Southeast Asia. This move received criticism in Singapore, including from Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng and Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, who said that to invite "a foreign politician, to intervene in our domestic politics ... is an absolute no no". Thum by saying "any notion that I am a traitor to my country is ridiculous and unfounded". Thum, Kirsten Han and Jolovan Wham, who also met Mahathir, sent letters of complaint to Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, denouncing the conduct of Seah, who is also a member of the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, for making accusations without substantiation. The trio also urged Charles Chong, the chairperson of the Select Committee, to "take leadership in promoting responsible behaviour and engaging in evidence-based discussion". The Ministry of Home Affairs replied to Thum's letter: "We can have vigorous debates within Singapore about our own affairs. But you cross a red line when you invite foreign powers or foreign leaders into Singapore politics." Police investigation into New Naratif After the 2020 general elections, the Election Department of Singapore filed a police report against New Naratif for allegedly publishing paid election ads, which would be illegal under Singaporean law. New Naratif in response accused the government of intimidation and abusing the Parliamentary Elections Act. Thum, as the general manager, was questioned by police for several hours, and his phone and laptop were seized. See also Media censorship in Singapore Bibliography Living with Myths in Singapore (with Loh Kah Seng and Jack Chia, eds.). Singapore: Ethos Books, 2017. “The Malayan vision of Lim Chin Siong: Unity, Non-Violence, and Popular Sovereignty,“ Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Vol 18, No 3 (2017). ‘The Fundamental Issue is Anti-colonialism, Not Merger’: Singapore’s “Progressive Left”, Operation Coldstore, and the Creation of Malaysia. ARI Working Paper Series 211.