SINGAPORE – Around the world, religion and ethnicity are being used to divide societies – and Singapore is not immune to these pressures, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam on Oct 10.
That is why the religious harmony Singapore enjoys should not be taken for granted, said Mr Shanmugam at the Parish of Christ Church’s 85th anniversary and fund-raising dinner.
Through social media and the internet, Singaporeans are more exposed to happenings around the world, he noted, including religious tensions.
Still, Singapore has maintained “a very precious peace” which must be preserved for future generations, said Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Home Affairs.
“It’s incumbent on all of us as Singaporeans to continue the work, so that our next generations can continue to inherit a Singapore that has this kind of religious and racial harmony,” he said.
He outlined three principles that have helped Singapore build religious harmony.
First, while the state is secular, “we recognise that religion is a very powerful force”, he said.
“We don’t bring religion into politics or politics into religion in a very obvious way,” he said.
“At the same time, because of the power of religion, we recognise the good work that can be done,” said Mr Shanmugam, citing efforts by churches and other religious establishments in the community, including helping prisoners reintegrate into society from a life of crime.
A person’s religious beliefs and values will inevitably inform their political views, and the way they engage with society, he added.
The challenge is when someone’s religious principles may be incompatible with another person’s religious principles, he pointed out.
“If we allow a free play in politics, then the bigger groups will be the ones which will win out, and the smaller groups will then have to resort to violence, as we see elsewhere,” said Mr Shanmugam.
Hence, society has to keep to a “framework of secular values” so that everyone feels equal rather than whose religion is superior, he added.
“We don’t want that argument in politics.”
Second, Mr Shanmugam said, is the principle of equality among religions.
“Simply because if we say one religious principle overrides the other, you know what happens,” he told the audience.
It is the same reason English is Singapore’s primary language, even though 74 per cent of the population is Chinese, Mr Shanmugam said.
In other countries that have an ethnic majority, there is only one official language – that of the majority, he added, citing the examples of France and Malaysia, among others.
He added: “It’s different in Singapore because with English, we all feel equal.”
Third, Singapore has created a common space, regardless of race and religion, and people of different religions respect one another’s beliefs and practices.
“We back these principles up with law, so that if red lines are crossed, we move in with policy and with enforcement,” said Mr Shanmugam, adding that this has allowed the country to achieve a “very high degree of tolerance and harmony”.
But while such laws keep the peace, they cannot create harmony, or a feeling of brotherhood, he added.
That is why community and religious leaders play a crucial role, he said, telling the audience: “You set the tone… You show by example how faith can strengthen both individuals and the whole of society.”
Goodwill is built when individual communities reach out in service of others, Mr Shanmugam said, and doing so deepens understanding and builds “tremendous social infrastructure”.
He added: “Infrastructure is not just buildings and roads. Infrastructure is the bonds we have across races, across religions and within communities, and that infrastructure can only be built by trust, by reaching out, by helping each other, and religious institutions play a tremendously important role in that.”
Hence, the commitment to safeguard religious harmony was launched in 2019 to foster shared values across religions, said Mr Shanmugam.
“That is also why we built harmony circles in every constituency,” he said, referring to sessions where leaders meet and build trust in peacetime.
“So that if ever something happens, there is a huge reservoir of goodwill that has been built up, like a bank you can draw upon, and they can come in and help when called upon.”
He noted that Parish of Christ Church has done this through the Moulmein-Cairnhill Harmony Circle and wider community partnerships.
“Every bridge is important, every block is important, every act is important. Each time we do this, we build a further act of kindness, consideration, and we build the social infrastructure,” he said.
