Launch of ‘On Middle Grounds’ programme by Humanity Matters – Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs

Good morning, Chairman of Humanity Matters, Ambassador Ong Keng Yong

Chairman, Presidential Council for Religious Harmony, Justice Chao Hick Tin

Permanent Member, Presidential Council for Minority Rights, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi

And to all of you, ladies and gentlemen,

1. It’s a real pleasure to join you here and to be part of the launch of OMG. Initially, when I saw the programme – I saw it’s the launch of OMG, I thought, “Oh, it’s something quite different from the topic that we have today.” But then I read it closely, and it says On Middle Grounds. And I want to share with you that I thought it’s such a meaningful expression, because something simple – but yet deeply powerful. Because in today’s context, people are often on one side of the other, on the left or on the right, and if you’re not with me, you’re against me.

2. The expression of middle grounds gives us the perfect anecdote to be able to have discussions in an environment that is peaceful, that is respectful, but also without giving up our own position. It says that we stand on middle ground. So I’m very glad to be here.

3. This programme is really about strengthening that special social fabric that holds our special, diverse nation together, –It tells us how to talk about our differences with respect, empathy and understanding.

4. We will have a fireside chat later – without a fire, where we will discuss how external events, and you saw the video earlier, can challenge us as a society, can impact our unity, and impact our politics. My remarks here for the seven or eight minutes or so, are to set some context, to give a framework and share some of my ideas, but hopefully also to spark some food for thought for discussion later on. I really look forward to hearing your views later.

Global Conflicts and Fragile Peace

5. The world today feels a lot more unsettled than it has in decades. I think every time we turn up the news, or we flip open the newspapers, we will see that the world is really quite a different place.

6. Across continents, we are witnessing profound shifts, whether it is political, social or economic.

7. We see a loss of faith in globalisation – which is now seen as having an unequal impact on society.

8. Globally, we see declining support for free trade and open markets, particularly from the groups who feel that they have been left behind.

9. In response to this, because when you push, you get a push back, the rise of far-right movements in the western world that prey on fear and on divides and division. They tap into anxieties about identity, immigration, and inequality. These are faultlines that exist particularly in Singapore as a multicultural, very diverse race and religious multicultural society.

10. As a result, rhetoric which was once considered extreme has actually become mainstream in some countries.

11. As divisions on such issues form, political gridlock is becoming the norm in some even advanced democracies – governments are paralysed by partisanship and unable to pass budgets or even agree on the basics of governance.

12. This ultimately hurts the citizens. It hurts the ordinary people, who are struggling already as it is, to make a living and to live in a society that is so fractured

13. All this overall contributes to a world – and you can see that so vividly in the video earlier on, to a world that is fragmented, riddled with anxiety and more polarised than ever.

14. Singapore is a small, open and plural society. We have always been outward looking. It has been in our DNA – to look out, to look forward, to build partnerships, and to collaborate. But this same openness also means that external events will now have an even greater potential to divide and perhaps, to destabilise us. And if truth be told, there will be forces at play who will use these divides deliberately to want to destabilise Singapore.

15. In an interconnected world, such events do not stay distant. The phones, the social media, the internet, bring these events much closer to us than ever before. They reach us through our screens that we have, through the news we read, and even in the conversations with friends or colleagues.

16. We see this most clearly in the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has polarised public opinion and heightened divisions within many societies in the world.

17. Singaporeans are similarly engaged on the conflict. We see strong expressions of sympathy for the people in Palestine, and for good reason. These are deeply humanitarian issues, deeply emotional. When you turn up the news, you see the images, you can’t help but feel the impact, and there are equally strong reactions from those with different views as well. So there’s a push, and a push back.

18. Part of it lies in how the conflict resonates with our own deeper sense of justice and compassion. Many of us identify with that deeply emotive human tragedy that exist. Others feel a religious or perhaps cultural connection. And in today’s digital age, the images we see online about the conflicts – they are raw, they are immediate, they are very visceral, and they stir very powerful emotions.

19. Minister Shanmugam previously spoken about the increased incidence of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic expressions in Singapore since the 7 Oct attacks. And I will speak more, later, about the need for respect and empathy in this regard.

20. We also see how the debates around cancel culture in the world, and around woke politics, for example, have reached our shores. Another example of how it is impossible to stay insulated, and that’s why Singapore, as the video shows, can’t be unspared from what happens around the world. It influences the way we think, and also the way we dialogue and talk about race, about gender, about faith, right here in Singapore.

21. And then there is the adaptation of far-right extremism and white supremacy to our local contexts. It doesn’t happen here – it’s not about our culture here, but somehow it is adapted to fit our culture as well. While Singapore has thankfully been spared large-scale hate crime, white supremacist ideology can easily be framed or recast in a way that can appeal to Asians – using distorted narratives about national pride, defending one’s culture, or fears of racial displacement.

22. Since 2020, we have dealt with four Singaporean youths who subscribed to violent far-right extremist ideologies, under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

23. These examples of global developments bring forth divisive trends into local contexts. It’s not entirely new. It’s happened before.

24. And we can recall earlier threats of destabilisation in our history. Think back to the 60s, 70s and 80s, Singapore faced the communist threat, then with strong roots in China, resulting in labour and student unrests, strikes, protests and very serious riots.

25. Event in the early 2000s, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, we confronted the rise of global jihadist terrorism, including the local Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network – that plots serious attacks in our own city. And many of you would have remembered from the video that there was news about the JI’s planned attacks on our everyday places – our markets, the Yishun MRT station, the airport, and also several embassies in Singapore.

26. And that is a stark reminder, about 20 years ago now – stark reminder that we can never, never take it for granted. But these moments in history underline a constant truth in my view. If we as a society, we don’t learn how to navigate potentially polarising events, they can fracture even the most resilient of societies.

Staying United: Social Cohesion amid Differences

27. The question then for us is – how do we stay united, in the context of the global landscape that we see today, the threat landscape that is evolving, and particularly, for Singapore, as I said earlier, our multiculturalism makeup, which in some ways, creates the faultlines for differences which people outside can exploit. What are some of the things we can do? Well, let me share some of my thoughts with you.

28. First, we must always have a platform and must learn to discuss divisive issues with empathy, and not with animosity. Don’t start with a ‘you and me, there is a divide’ perspective. That’s a frame of mind that we should leave behind. We should focus on what unites us. Earlier on when we were chatting outside, I said actually in Singapore, there’s more that we have in common, even as members of different races or religions, than we have apart or differences. I think we must start and focus on that. We don’t not agree on every issue – that’s not in the nature of a discourse – but we should always endeavour to agree on what serves Singapore and Singaporeans’ interest first.. That, we should always put at the pinnacle of our discussions, because that, in essence, is what finding middle ground means.

29. Finding middle ground is about listening first, and then trying to understand, before trying to persuade the other side to your point of view. Listen first, understand their point of view, and decide, after listening and understanding, if you need to persuade that person to your point of view. It is also about empathising with perspectives which we may not share, may not be common or natural to us, may not be our own intuitive views. How do we do this? Well, we put ourselves in the shoes of others, and we can also learn to agree to disagree respectfully where necessary, and not take offence when someone disagrees with us.

30. It is also about putting our own differences in perspective. We can debate passionately, and we do, about international issues, political ideologies, government policies. But at the end of the day, we must ask ourselves: what truly matters to the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans?

31. There are some core principles which we must be able to agree on while discussing these issues. For example, respect and appreciation for diversity. We may see the world differently, and we do – all of us are made up from our own lived experiences, we are nurtured and cultured in certain ways, which are different. But we must never allow those differences to breed contempt.

32. Second, make a firm commitment to racial and religious harmony. I believe, that this, for Singapore, is non-negotiable. If we don’t make a commitment to the multicultural and multi-religious harmony that we enjoy today, then I think much of what we would like to build will fall on flat ground. It will be tough, because this has been the foundation of Singapore’s peace from the very beginning. Some of you may have seen the Albatross Exhibition, and maybe thought back to the early days, 1960s, where we had difficulties resulting in separation in ’65. And amongst the first words that our founding Prime Minister said is that, this is not a Singapore for different races. I’m paraphrasing him. It’s a Singapore for Singapore and Singaporeans. And that I think, has found its way into our Constitution, and today, it provides the bedrock foundation for many of our core principles.

33. Third, there must be a shared responsibility for the common good It is not the job of one side or the other, not the job of civil society alone, not a job of government alone, but it is in tandem, working together side by side. Every community, every citizen, has a responsibility for maintaining that harmony.

34. When we discuss issues, especially of divisive nature, let us remember: Let us not mirror the divisiveness we see elsewhere. It’s easy to follow, because we see it on social media all the time. You take a stand; you literally take a stand by being different. Let us be the example of what it means to stay united despite our differences.

Implications for Safety and Security in Singapore

35. When tensions abroad seep into our domestic space, as they will, the consequences can be serious. As Ambassador said earlier, we have seen an uptick in youth radicalisation cases in Singapore, where young people are drawn into extremist ideologies after being exposed to violent or divisive content online. You know, everyone has a phone, everyone has access. It is next to impossible, if not impossible, to try to block out sites that carry divisive content, so it will be available.

36. The Internal Security Department’s (ISD) latest annual Threat Assessment, for 2025, flagged the pressing concern of youth radicalisation, which itself mirrors a global trend.

37. Since 2015 to today, there have been 19 self-radicalised youths dealt with under the ISA, with more than two-thirds identified in the last five years. So let me just say that again. Since 2015, which means about 10 years, we’ve had 19 self-radicalised youths – and youths in this context means 20 years or younger, and more than two-thirds of them have been dealt with in the last five years. So we are beginning to see a rising trend of younger people being self-radicalised, and we’ve had to deal with them under the ISA. We will have to think about this as a projection of a trend, if we don’t do something about it down the road.

38. There is also a greater diversity in the types of extremist ideologies that can radicalise, such as individuals who form their own “salad bar” of ideologies. So it’s no longer shaped by one thinking, one school of thought or another; it can be a mish mash. It can be a ‘I pick some from here, some from here, and put it together, and that becomes my own ideology’ – blending various extremist ideologies based on personal preferences.

39. One such individual was issued a Restriction Order by ISD in September last year. This was a 14-year-old Singaporean who supported the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), subscribed to anti-Semitic beliefs espoused in far-right extremism, and identified as an incel. He was heavily influenced by violent extremist content that he had seen and encountered online, spending several hours a day consuming such content. You leave aside the nature of content, you think about a young person who is on TikTok, on social media, spending several hours a day or playing video games – Roblox or other games. It’s not an unusual or atypical description of a young person today. It is quite typical. So it’s really about the nature of the content that they’re consuming and how they digest and appreciate that content.

40. So self-radicalisation is serious threat in Singapore, and it is also a worrying trend worldwide. Two examples, just last October, a man drove his car into pedestrians outside a synagogue during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, before exiting his car to further his attacks with a knife. This was in the city of Manchester.

41. Not forgetting the recent tragic attack at Bondi Beach, Australia by two gunmen as well. If you followed the news, you would know that the brave person who was shot multiple times while trying to stop one of the gunmen, Mr. Ahmed, was notably a Muslim. So it’s the colour and complexion of these attacks. They don’t divide on natural lines. They don’t always divide on lines that you might understand.

42. And therefore, Singapore cannot be immune, as a multicultural society. It is our shared responsibility to stay alert.

43. With no local terror attacks in recent memory, one of the worries we have at MHA is complacency.

44. The strong capability of and high public trust in the security agencies in Singapore have led many Singaporeans to think that the Home Team will deal with, and will be able to naturally prevent, any, or every attack.

45. Recent findings from an MHA survey do show some worrying trends along these lines: Only 52% of the respondents believed that Singapore could be a target of a terror attack. So slightly over half – believe we could be a target for such attacks. And only 38% said they would contact the authorities if their loved ones displayed signs of radicalisation. One of the teachings, one of the points we hope to get through in public education, is that the earlier we are able to report early signs of self-radicalisation, even amongst family or loved ones, the more likely the intervention will be successful.

46. We went a bit further, and we conducted a social experiment. We, meaning at MHA. We planted a highly suspicious suitcase and car in a public place. So we put a car, we left the boot ajar, we had a suitcase, we had a small wire coming out, we had a bit of smoke and a flashing red light. It should be a red flag, right? But let me tell you, only 17% of the more than 2,500 people who walked past, noticed this. So less than one-fifth of the people who walked past in a few hours noticed this vehicle, and of those who noticed, less than 6% informed the authorities.

47. It’s a stark reminder that we are very complacent. We have grown accustomed to stability and peace in Singapore. I believe the first response, the most powerful response, to such attacks, is the response of the community. So, we do need to strengthen and build this up, because the level of public vigilance in Singapore is not very high.

48. And these statistics do suggest a sense of complacency.

Conclusion

49. This is why, coming to today’s programme, the OMG Programme is very timely and important. It is a step in building societal resilience by bringing together youths, community partners and leaders – leaders of all faiths, religious organisations, together in safe spaces for dialogue. It recognises that social cohesion cannot be mandated, but it must be, and can be, cultivated and built organically. In fact, I must say that has been the Singapore style. We have always not been shy about dealing with really difficult topics. Deeply emotive, highly charged, and I guess very personal. We have never been afraid of dealing with it. But we have always found that it was more important sometimes, to do it on the right platform, because if you do it on the wrong platform, you stand a soapbox in a public space and start to vent your views, and they can be very personal views, one way, and you damage relations with another religion. Remember what I said, when you and you push harder, there will always be pushback. So, it’s never been our style to shy away from difficult topics, but it’s always our way of having these conversations at the right platform. And I think OMG presents that platform. It begins with meaningful conversation, where we listen, we question we understand, we reflect without bias.

50. The programme will also address the impact of the digital space on social cohesion, and the importance of digital literacy for obvious reasons. Earlier when I talked about how young, how much younger youths are radicalised. The other features of this, which is worrying, is how much faster they are radicalised. The last 10 years have seen our people, those who are radicalised, radicalise faster at a faster rate than the prior 10 years. And I believe that it is the digital phone, the digital access, much faster.

51. Our young people – they live online. I think that’s something that we have to come to terms with. In fact, even us as older persons, we hardly deal or can do without our digital devices as well. So we have to accept that we have a very big online presence in our lives, the sense of identity, the sense of community, how we interact with one another, our sense of belonging, will be shaped and influenced by what we see online.

52. Through the activities organised by OMG, I hope it can help the participants can navigate the digital space wisely as well – to learn to tell fact from fiction, to recognise manipulation, and to resist extremism.

53. Let me therefore close with three calls to action for those of you present today.

54. First, be informed and be balanced. Check your sources, understand context, and seek out different and multiple perspectives. Don’t just jump to conclusion with one view – especially when it is a polarised view, when it’s a serious view, and don’t let outrage or emotions sway you in the first instance. I know it’s always easier said than done but always pause for a moment. Have a care. Think about it, because outrage, emotions are the tools by which manipulators also use to shepherd you into a particular view.

55. Second, engage one another with respect. Talk to those who think differently and listen before you respond. We will have differences, and later on in the dialogue, there will be things that you won’t agree with me on, and there will be things I won’t agree with you on. That’s fine. If we can’t have that disagreement, and we feel that we must always agree with one another and force a different persona to come out because we must find consensus, then I think we will never progress to that discussion. So, there will be disagreement, but we must learn how to handle that disagreement and engage with one another with respect. And remember what I said just now, about middle ground. It doesn’t mean you give up your position, it doesn’t mean you lose your position. And empathy does not mean agreement. You might empathise with a person’s view, but you don’t have to agree with it if it crosses your own red lines. But there’s nothing to stop you from empathising with another person’s views.

56. Third, importantly for Singapore – stay united. Whatever happens elsewhere in the world, let me just say, can we keep faith with one another across religious and racial divides in Singapore. I know it’s much harder to do than to say, but looking around the world, the forces that drive people apart, the divide that we have, the faultlines that are being pressed on, accentuated, they will come onto our shores. We will be challenged with it. There will be content online that we will see that will challenge our race assumptions, our religious assumptions, our cohesion as a people. But we must stay united, and we must remember that the unity that we have enjoyed is not automatic. We are not just because we are Singaporeans that we will be united, or that we will be harmonious. We have spent decades building it up bit by bit, through policy, through laws, through everyday actions and through what we see on the ground with civil society. It is built through trust, it is built through openness, conversation and I think and I understand that we have a shared purpose as fellow Singaporeans.

57. In a world divided, may Singapore always be a place where our differences are our strength, and where our middle ground continues to hold firm. that, I think is important.

58. Once again, I congratulate Humanity Matters for the launch of the OMG programme, and I look forward to chatting with you at the fireless fireside chat later on.

59. Thank you.