Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy – November 6, 2009

Managing Religious Harmony in Singapore

It is a privilege for me to make this presentation to you, the future leaders of respective countries who are enrolled here in this prestigious institution to study public policy. I trust your time here has been enriching and you are being well-equipped to provide leadership in your home countries in these challenging times.

I am reminded of this iconic figure of the Statue of Liberty in New York and its inscription:

Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
The wretched refuse of your teeming shores
Send these. – Emma Lazarus


We have at the mouth of Singapore River our own mythical Merlion this appeal:

Give me your geeks, your geniuses
Your PhD’s yearning for US research grants
The rich cream of your teeming shore
Oh pray do send these. Quick

Are you aware that you are the geeks and the geniuses and the rich cream from your countries. One of you may yet become the Prime Minister in the future.

It is recorded that the founding fathers, no mothers, of modern Singapore are Toh Chin Chye, Goh Keng Swee and Ong Pang Boon who are from Malaysia. S. Rajaratnam was from Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Devan Nair came from Kerala, India. Only Lee Kuan Yew was born in Singapore.

The Chief Minister from Penang, Malaysia observed recently that 40% of the specialist doctors working in government hospitals in Singapore are from Malaysia. To attract them back to Malaysia would de-stabilize the country. Most Malaysians like me are unwilling to renounce their citizenship while working and staying here as Permanent Residents.
Singapore’s early beginning was a tiny Malay fishing village. A small indigenous Orang Laut (People of the sea) also lived along the nearby coast, rivers and on smaller islands. Since the 5th century CE, businessmen travelling between China and India have been using this island for trade. Later, Singapore became a trading outpost of the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya, which had its centre in Palembang, Sumatra, and influenced the region from the 7th to the 10th centuries.
In the 13th century, Srivijaya was overshadowed by the rise of Islam, and Singapore was brought under the influence of the Muslim empire of Malacca. Malacca, situated on the western coast of present-day Peninsula Malaysia, rapidly developed into a thriving free port and commercial centre.
In 1819, the British East India Company, led by Sir Stamford Raffles, established a trading post on the island, which was used as a port along the spice route. In 1824, the island was bought by the British East India Company and became a British colony.
Singapore has always been a nation of immigrants and continue to do so in attracting foreign talents like you. The people who immigrated here brought along with their gods and goddesses and spirits in their boats and housed them in shrines, mosques, temples and churches. They were the business entrepreneurs who came to trade and ordinary labourers indentured to work from the crowded and poorer countries around us. This situation continues till today but under tighter immigration controls. Places of worship for the Muslims, Buddhist, Hindus and Christian religions. The Christian religion came on the heels of the British colonial power and other European commercial interests. Later the Americans entered the scene and helped in the spread of Christianity.

Their religious footprints are left with these historic heritage church buildings like St. Andrew’s Cathedral related to the Church of England, the Armenian Orthodox Church, Wesley Methodist Church, English & Scottish Presbyterians on Prinsep Street. Initially Christian clergymen serve as Chaplains to the colonial officers and the expatriate Europeans. Later they reached out to the local population. The promotion of English education furthered the growth of the Christian Churches..

The Jewish presence was evident too and we have even a Jewish quarter along Mount Sophia Road where there remains some buildings marked prominently by the Star of David.

In checking the current population statistics of 2009 we find:
Singapore is a multi-religious country in a population of 4.99 million, of whom 3.73 million are Singaporean citizens and permanent residents (termed "Singapore Residents"). There are 3.2 million citizens. Around 51% of resident Singaporeans (excluding significant numbers of visitors and migrant workers) practice Buddhism and Taoism. Muslims constitute 15%, of whom Malays account for the majority with a substantial number of Indian Muslims and Chinese Muslims. About 14%, mostly Chinese, Eurasians, and Indians, practice Christianity - a broad classification including Catholicism, Protestantism and other denominations. Smaller minorities practice Sikhism, Hinduism and others, according to the 2000 census.
About 15% of the population declared no religious affiliation. The secular core in our society does not come from this group alone but from people of different faith communities who refrained or restrained from expressing religious views overtly in the public sphere.

Singapore is extremely conscious that it is a small country with limited natural resources and depend much upon human resource. The pre-occupation of our leaders is on economic development and we are prepared to trade off other social and cultural considerations. We are perceived to be Singapore incorporated and open for business. Therefore we have to grow our economy and control and manage other sectors of society.

Singapore jealously guards its secular nature and allows freedom of worship. They observe the separation between the sacred and the secular. It has been commented that Singapore has a highly unusual approach to issues of religious diversity and multiculturalism, adopting a policy of deliberately "managing religions" including Islam in an attempt to achieve orderly and harmonious relations between different racial and religious groups.
Even though we adopt secularism, Singapore does not discriminate against any religion. With the present religious resurgence almost all faith communities are flourishing. They are minding their own religious business. With vigilant watch of the secular government the religions are kept within their own confines of worshipping and teaching their own members about their religious traditions. We need to be mindful that we are not infected with religious fundamentalism from any religious group which seeks to dominate the common space. Hence the war on terrorism and Common Engagement Programme were launched and they were linked to the role of religion in secular Singapore and national security. .
No one religion has attained a position of dominance in Singapore except in the early days of colonialism. Christianity had a special relationship with the British colonial administration. In the struggle to be independent and to be free from the shackles of colonialism the faith communities, in contrast with other colonial countries, were not actively engaged in the fight for national independence.

Since independence in 1965 there is generally no religious conflict among the major faith communities in Singapore. Now and then the issue of proselytisation surfaces in terms of aggressive approaches to secure converts from other religions. Religious activities are conducted in faith-based schools but the question is about participation by students who belong to other religions. These are under control and the state is monitoring whether coercive and intrusive efforts are made to convert. Although the Religious Harmony Act is in place to remind us, no prosecution has really taken place specifically under the Act. Recently two persons were charged and convicted under the Sedition Act and Undesirable Publications Act for circulating fundamentalist Christian Chick Publications that cast a bad light on Islam. The case is under appeal.
Some religious materials and practices are banned in Singapore. The Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, are prohibited from distributing religious materials and are sometimes jailed for their conscientious refusals to serve in the Singaporean military.
Religion here is closely linked with ethnicity. Christianity and Islam cuts across ethnic lines. Singapore history is marred by two religious controversies. The Marie Hertogh case in 1950 over custody of a 13 year old Dutch girl who was adopted by a Malay family, and the overflow of the May 13 racial riots after a national election in Malaysia in 1969. The former was between Islam and Christians and the latter between Malays and primarily the Chinese.
Under the British colonial period there were attempts of integration and assimilation of the different races. We were encouraged to study the English language and imbibe Western culture. They had economic value and offer social mobility. But with globalisation we are moving in the direction of developing a pluralistic society.
May I cautiously move on to the past action of the government against the Christian groups who were involved in questions of social justice in the seventies and eighties. The events related to it are published in three recent publications. They are “Paths Not Taken: Political Pluralism in Postwar Singapore” edited by Michael D Barr &Carl A Trocki and published by National University of Singapore Press 2008; “That we may Dream Again” edited by Fong Hoe Fang and “Our Thoughts are Free” edited by Tan Jing Quee, Teo Soh Lung, & Koh Kay Yew published by Ethos Books 2009.
Lee Kuan Yew in a speech to an Asian Christian Conference in 1967 had recognized the role of religions in the struggle to move society “forward to progress and to a higher level of human life.” He even hoped that the Christian churches might contribute some real leadership to the role of nation building.
The Christian churches took him on his word. In 1969 a Christian ministry to urban industrial workers was developed. The Community Organization method of Saul Alinksy and others in Chicago was adopted. This is the same movement in which President Obama was related to in Chicago. The Jurong Industrial Mission and the Community Centre project in Toa Payoh were launched by the National Council of Churches. They sought to educate workers about their rights and residents about their responsibilities. It was an attempt to participate in nation building.
Soon the work met with government displeasure and the churches succumbed to the pressure and withdrew its endorsement and financial support. This brought their closure in 1973.
In 1987 the government in Operation Spectrum detained 22 religious workers without trial who were accused to engage in a Marxist conspiracy to “overthrow the government and establish a Communist state.” In fact there were mainly Christian students who were concerned with social justice issues and was rendering their services primarily to domestic maids and migrant workers. Some Catholic priests who were part of the Young Workers Movement were involved with the so-called conspiracy had to resign and left the country.
Nine detainees who were released was courageous enough the recant the confessions that had been extracted from them and spoke about the ill-treatment they received under detention and were subsequently re-arrested. All after varying years of detention without trial were released.
I was around and engaged during this critical period. I was a Council member of the National Council of Churches in Singapore and became the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, an ecumenical body forming a network of the NCC and churches in all the countries of Asia with the exception of the Middle Eastern countries but the inclusion of Australia and New Zealand. CCA had its office here and I was responsible in establishing it from 1973 and served for three full terms for a period of 12 years. But two years after I left and in connection with the events of Operation Spectrum the office was de-registered and the foreign staff members expelled from the country. I survived.
When you visited the Harmony Center you were informed it was inaugurated in 2006. Let me first explain that after September 11, the Muslim community was seeking to project a better image of Islam to the society. They then initiated the establishment of such a center for the purpose of disseminating information about Islam and to foster interfaith dialogue. I have participated in their events frequently in my personal capacity. They sensed how crucial it is to promote religious harmony. Leaders of different faiths were at the official inauguration but there should have been more participation from the faith communities in subsequent events. No other faith community has established similar Harmony centers even to serve their own followers to know more about other religions or to have dialogue with people of other faiths. Most of the initiatives on interfaith dialogue come from the Muslims. Islam is a minority religion and the fallout of 9/ll compelled the Muslim community to project a different image, one of peace and moderation rather than violence and extremism. The Muslim community is very interested in interfaith relations and dialogue and must be disappointed with the lukewarm response on a more serious level from all the other faith communities.
Other faith communities do not feel threatened and do not feel that they are being discriminated. They are comfortable in their individual religious zone. There is no siege mentality on the part of the religious communities. Generally there is goodwill among the religions. The faith communities live in splendid isolation, each able to maintain itself without the support of the other. But we cannot allow them to remain in their comfort zones be it in churches, mosques or temples tending only to its own business.
The government through the Ministry of Community Development and Youth & Sports and the Ministry of Home Affairs are encouraging more inter-faith activities through its One People programme and the Common Engagement Programme which deals more with security implications. They face the difficulties of drawing people out of their isolation or comfort zones.
Faith communities tend to be conservative and hold on to traditional beliefs and practices. Unfortunately each community believes it has the monopoly of religious truths and values and the only way to salvation. Hence the need to dialogue on religious issues is not essential and there is no felt need to relate with other faith communities.
In spite of the 60 years of the Inter-Religious Organisation in which I am a Council member for the past fifteen years we have not able to get the full support of current religious leaders particularly from the Protestant faith communities. Yet it was the leadership of the faith communities who founded the organization. The theological orientation shifted across the years and I watched the changes myself from an open liberal or progressive to a more close traditional conservative/fundamentalist and even extremist positions. In Christian circles it is the influence from the Religious Right from the United States. Religions did not attempt to integrate into the peculiar culture of the people and history of Singapore. They remain as foreign imports contrary to what Buddhism has done in China.
Some religious communities seek to inform one another about their faith and avoid issues that divide the communities. On the practical and social level there is much more interaction in the celebration of one another’s religious observances and festivities. They are still careful about the issue of conversion. A few conversions take place but kept under wraps. It seems that self-restriction is in place without too overt an evangelization or conversion programme.
With the increasing religiosity and the resurgence of traditional Asian religions there is the need for re-examination of our religious beliefs and values. With the open access to information more challenges are posed about the role of religion in society. In the period of secularization and the disenchantment with religious institutions serious questions are being asked. At the early stages there was the process of moving religion to the margins and become just a privatized faith with the hope that it will finally wither away. But there is as Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has written persuasively a persistence of faith and religion is coming out enter the common space. The intra debate within each faith community itself has surfaced traditional and progressive divisions.
I personally welcomed this development and acknowledgment of diversity of religious beliefs. The call is to recognize differences and respect them. The process is to engage people who have different views in the expectation of finding common ground for the well-being of our community.
At one time the political leadership proclaimed that if one is to participate in the common space and deal with political issues it can be done only when he or she belongs to a registered political party. But lately with the AWARE saga the space has opened up for political views to be expressed other than from an exclusive political party base. If the profile of the religious population shows that only 15% declared no religious affiliation it is inevitable that the rest are members of their faith communities and are influenced by religious views on social and moral issues. Due to the multi-religious nature of the people it is important that we do not allow one religion to intrude, impose and dominate at the expense of the other religions. Each will have to come to share their views even though they may be different and reach agreement to function for the good of the society. That was the appeal of the Prime Minister in his National Day Rally speech. This is a significant step in the right direction. The fear is about religious fundamentalism, domination and extremism.
In the past there was comparative lack of opportunity for participation in the common space. There is no violent reaction from the faith communities on controversial social issues. Upon request from the State, they sent in their feedback on certain issues like abortion, stem-cell research, national service, birth control, organ donations, sexuality education and casino gambling. The conservative nature of our faith communities at present are against the somewhat progressive secular policy. Most of the time their representations were entertained and shelved and the proposed policy prevails even if it is at odds with the faith communities.
Howeveer a local theologian just recently called on Christians to be realistic about their role vis-a-vis society at large. It is beyond the ability of the Church to transform the world on a macro, societal level. This is something only God can achieve.

As for Christians, they are called merely to be witnesses of God’s justice and love in word and service, according to Dr Roland Chia, a professor of Christian doctrine at Trinity Theological College. Christians should realise that the social and political order is beyond their ability as humans to change and that “political and social engagement is not the quick way to usher in the Kingdom of God on earth”. In the end, the most important form of engagement Christians could engage in is by falling to their knees in prayer.
More than organising political and social movements in a vain attempt to transform the world, Christians should pray for God’s Kingdom to come on earth, the theologian said
On the contrary, people of faith who are committed to diversity and who respect differences should be encouraged not only to pray but to dialogue in seeking common values and working together to foster peace and harmony and ensure a good future for all our people.
More and much more could be done to protect the prevailing racial and religious peace by the religious, secular and political leadership. Much more interactions need to take place between the faith communities in different kinds of involvement. Much more interfaith dialogue and co-operative services are necessary in meeting human need. We are all called to promote and manage religious harmony.