New Immigrants and Their Impact on the Religious Landscape in Singapore

The following question stood in the name of Mr Alex Yam –

To ask the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) if he can give an update on any changes to the religious landscape in Singapore due to the arrival of new immigrants over the years; and (b) whether the Ministry is monitoring the religious practices of new immigrants to avoid any conflict with our multi-cultural multi-religious society.

Mdm Speaker, Singapore's religious landscape is diverse, reflecting our broader multi-racial and multi-cultural society. Over the years, our religious landscape has evolved and will continue to do so. But this is due to many factors, and cannot be linked to immigration alone.

In MCCY, we have regular dialogues with our religious leaders, for example, through the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony which I chair. The National Steering Committee (NSC) brings together the leaders of the main religious groups in Singapore, as well as key community leaders and I have been engaging them. Talking to the religious leaders, my sense is that the new immigrants within their own religious groups are generally able to integrate well.

At the community level, we also have various platforms to ensure that new citizens understand the importance of racial and religious harmony in Singapore. For example, the milestone programmes that new citizens go through help them to appreciate our culture and heritage, and the importance of respect for those of different faiths. The Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) also seek to build local networks of trust for our religious and community leaders. These networks help to promote engagement across

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different religious groups at the local level. They create opportunities for our people, including new immigrants, to interact, foster ties, and widen the common ground we all share together.