Question:Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how the Government assesses the current state of racial and religious relations in Singapore; (b) whether recent incidents overseas such as the Israel-Hamas conflict and political violence in the US have widened social divides or heightened sensitivities locally; and (c) what measures are in place to prevent external actors and foreign issues from causing fissures to emerge within Singapore society.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:
1. Different segments of our society may feel differently about,
and identify with different sides in external developments and conflicts. Nevertheless,
we assess that racial and religious relations in Singapore remain generally healthy, but
we do not take this for granted.
2. The Israel-Hamas conflict, in particular, is an issue that many Singaporeans
across racial and religious groups feel strongly about. While all of us share a deep
concern about the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, there are differing and strong
opinions on blame and how to move things forward for Israel and Palestine. This is
why the Government has taken a careful approach in managing public discussions, to avoid polarisation of our society on the issue and damage to our cohesion and
harmony.
3. While developments including political violence in the US have not divided
Singaporeans, it is still of concern, because all of us consume a large amount of news
from overseas including the US. If we are not careful, over time, what we see
happening elsewhere can become normalised here, and seep into our DNA and
political discourse. We could then see similar sharp and uncompromising divides
among Singaporeans over politics.
4. That is why the Government takes every threat to our social cohesion seriously,
whether from abroad or local. There are provisions in the Penal Code, Maintenance of
Religious Harmony Act, Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, Foreign Interference
(Countermeasures) Act, Online Criminal Harms Act, and Broadcasting Act, to help us
manage such threats.
5. The Government also works actively to strengthen our social harmony by
building trust and understanding across our racial and religious communities. For
example, the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony brings
together apex religious leaders. Similarly, the Racial and Religious Harmony Circles
supports inter-faith and inter-ethnic initiatives, such as cross-cultural dialogues, across
different constituencies.
