SEOUL — The anxiety and alarm Singaporeans experienced after last Sunday’s Little India riot is understandable, but it would be unhelpful if views are expressed in an unrestrained or xenophobic manner, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

He added that further measures would be taken after this weekend for the long-term security of the area.

Speaking to reporters as he wrapped up an official visit to South Korea, Mr Lee said the international community and investors are watching closely how Singapore and its residents react, in the wake of the nation’s worst outbreak of mass violence in more than 40 years.

“I think there has been a lot of interest internationally, because it is such an unusual thing to happen in Singapore,” he said in response to a reporter’s question on whether Singapore’s reputation has been hit by the riot.

“Certainly, the investors are watching. Even on this trip in Korea, one or two of the Korean businesspeople, who have experienced Singapore, have asked me about this. They were very surprised and wanted to have an interpretation (of the situation): What do I think? What caused it? What is the Singapore Government going to do about it?

“So, it’s quite understandable that the media would have reported this as significant news. I think, all the more, we have to be very proper in our response as a government, and Singaporeans also have to be very responsible and measured in our reaction as a people.”

Mr Lee’s comments came as the authorities yesterday announced a series of “cooling-off” measures in addition to the alcohol ban in Little India this weekend. Beyond these interim measures, more could be in store when the situation stabilises. “Serangoon Road is crowded every weekend and we want to make sure everything is orderly and safe next weekend and thereafter,” Mr Lee said. “We’ve decided this weekend, no alcohol, and we’ll work out some interim arrangements for the period after that, until such a time that we can come to firmer conclusions and make more permanent arrangements.”

Yesterday, another four Indian nationals, aged between 24 and 45, were charged with rioting, bringing the total number brought before the courts to 31 men.

Mr Lee said the Government has to deal with the matter very firmly and make clear rioting is unacceptable, but “we have to be fair to the persons who are not involved; even the persons who are involved, there has to be a due process of law”.

While Singaporeans have taken news of the riot “peacefully, calmly”, Mr Lee said they are quite shocked because they have not witnessed such an incident in recent memory. Still, he called for restraint among Singaporeans. “Whether online or anywhere else, we have to exercise some restraint. The anxiety and the alarm are quite understandable. But if we express ourselves in unrestrained, unreserved terms and, sometimes, xenophobic terms even — on the Internet, you’ve seen quite a lot of those — I don’t think that is helpful,” Mr Lee said. Of the more than one million foreign workers here, about 400 were involved in the riot, he noted.

“I think the people who were involved would have to be treated severely. But the population at large, the other foreign workers who are here, who are making a living here, who are making a contribution to our economy, who had nothing to do with this I think it would be quite unfair for Singaporeans to look at them all and say, ‘They’re all a problem, we cannot accept them.’ I think that’s not correct and that’s not wise,” said Mr Lee.