As society evolves, so will the way Singapore manages sensitive matters of race and religion, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on July 24.
Over the past decades, the Government has been able to use a lighter touch, and allow wider scope for public discussion on such matters, he said at a dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS).
“But these matters, in my view, will never cease to be sensitive. It is most unlikely that we will ever reach the point where a guiding hand is no longer necessary,” he added.
SM Lee said this was his reply to a question he is asked now and then: If it is time yet for the Government to let go on matters relating to race and religion, and let the people decide what is acceptable or not.
The experience of other multi-religious countries with much longer histories than Singapore shows how ethnic and religious tensions can quickly flare up even after generations of living peacefully together, and permanently divide the society, he said. “That must never happen to us.”
Citing the Israel-Hamas war and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, he said these external troubles can trigger tensions in Singapore.
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“When conflicts happen elsewhere, Singaporeans who happen to share the same faith with one group or another, will naturally tend to identify and sympathise more with their co-religionists involved in these conflicts,” he noted at the event held at The Barracks Hotel Sentosa.
“It is a completely understandable human reaction, however much we remind ourselves that these are not our quarrels, and we should not get ourselves involved,” he added.
“Despite our best efforts to remain detached, foreign troubles can trigger tensions in our society. That is why the Government has remained vigilant – holding the ring, setting and enforcing the rules, leading by example, upholding multi-racial and multi-religious values.”
SM Lee said he was grateful to all the groups and individuals who have helped to create an oasis of peace and harmony in Singapore, which stands out in a troubled world.
“It is something rare, precious, but also fragile – something we must all continue working hard at, patiently and resolutely, to protect and cultivate it year after year, generation after generation,” he said.
Speaking at the event, NCCS president Lu Guan Hoe said one of the council’s early priorities when it was founded in 1974 was to build understanding among churches of different denominations, which have different traditions and forms of worship.
“Thanks to this unity, NCCS can embrace the expanded role of representing Christians in the public square, a work that we started doing more than a decade ago.”
Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, NCCS’ general secretary, said the meetings with other religious leaders two to three times every year, under the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony, help to build trust between different faith groups.
He cited the case of a Christian teenager influenced by far-right extremist ideology who planned attacks on two mosques in Singapore in 2021.
After the boy was detained under the Internal Security Act, NCCS leaders visited the mosques and spoke to Muslim leaders to rebuild trust between the faiths.
Despite the many problems elsewhere, Singapore has managed to maintain its religious harmony, SM Lee said, citing a recent study by the Pew Research Centre that said the Republic’s religious diversity is “remarkable on the global scale”, and that it had “high levels of inter-religious tolerance and acceptance on multiple measures”.
This is due to decades of concerted effort to emphasise racial and religious harmony, equal treatment and freedom of religion for all, he said.
SM Lee commended how NCCS and member churches have built bridges with communities of other faiths over the years, for instance, through participating in Racial and Religious Harmony Circles, where they exchange experiences with other religious groups in their neighbourhoods.
But he said unity and cohesion in Singapore will always be a work in progress, and urged NCCS and other religious groups to work together with one another and with the Government in this ongoing task.
“I encourage NCCS and member church leaders to continue your good work, and guide your members to practise your faith in a manner that strengthens our multiracial and multi-religious society, and encourages friendship among people of different faiths.”
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
