SINGAPORE, Sept. 6 -- Singapore's prime minister, Lawrence Wong, has warned that racist and anti-foreigner abuse online cannot be dismissed as harmless chatter, saying prejudice risks becoming normalised and driving communities apart if left unchecked.

In a Facebook post today, Wong said there would always be people seeking to exploit Singapore's racial and religious differences, but that Singaporeans could choose not to give such views "more space or legitimacy".

"These views do not represent Singapore. But neither can we dismiss them as harmless online chatter," he wrote.

"If such behaviour goes unchecked, it can become normalised, deepen mistrust between communities, and pull us apart."

His comments came after anti-Indian remarks a...