Assessing Current State of Racial and Religious Relations in Singapore

Mr Alex Yam asked 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.

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.

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.

While developments, including political violence in the United States (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.

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.

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.