Radicalisation threat now more complex, building trust remains key to S’pore’s cohesion: PM Wong

SINGAPORE - Twenty years after the Harmony Centre was opened to counter misconceptions about Islam in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, the challenges to Singapore’s cohesion have evolved.

But the fundamental task of building trust at the individual level remains the same and is as important as ever, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at a gala dinner to mark the 20th anniversary of the interfaith hub, which is located in An-Nahdhah Mosque.

The threat posed by Islamist terrorism has not disappeared, he noted, as groups like ISIS continue to recruit supporters, spread propaganda and plot attacks around the world, with Singapore still seen as an attractive target.

At the same time, the radicalisation threat has become more complex. The city state is seeing more cases of self-radicalised individuals, many of them young and not all of them motivated by Islamist extremism, PM Wong said at the event at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

For instance, one case involved a Protestant Christian youth who had planned to carry out attacks on mosques. There were also two young men who referred to themselves as “East Asian supremacists”, and another who identified as a white supremacist despite being of Chinese ethnicity.

These cases show that extremist influences are becoming more diverse, and that anyone, regardless of age, race, or religion, can be susceptible, said PM Wong.

Singapore must guard against people retreating into separate worlds and gradually losing their sense of connection with the wider community, he added.

Developments overseas can also strain cohesion at home, especially when questions of religion and identity become entwined with politics, he said, citing the conflict in Gaza and the wider Israeli-Palestinian issue.

“We should not let conflicts elsewhere turn fellow Singaporeans against one another,” he said. “Above all, we must continue to guard against racial and religious intolerance in all its forms.”

Recent months have showed how inflammatory comments can spread online, sometimes by people who believe that anonymity shields them from responsibility. The Government will continue to take action against such behaviour, said the Prime Minister.

The Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, which came into force in September, strengthens Singapore’s legal framework for protecting racial harmony and provides safeguards against foreign influence.

“But laws can only set the boundaries – they cannot by themselves create friendship and trust between people,” he said. “That depends on all of us.”

At the dinner, which was attended by around 450 guests including religious and community leaders, PM Wong launched an interfaith engagement toolkit developed by Harmony Centre.

The toolkit includes a religious literacy guide covering 10 faiths practised in Singapore, alongside practical guidance on visiting places of worship, dietary practices, religious festivals, funerals and appropriate ways of addressing religious leaders. It can be found on the MUIS website.

Called JIRAN, it stands for Joining In, Respecting All Neighbours. Jiran is the Malay word for neighbour.

PM Wong noted that while harmony is about living peacefully alongside one another, neighbourliness asks something more of people – that they build friendships across differences and look out for one another, especially when times are difficult.

The toolkit furthers this work, providing a practical way to take interfaith engagement beyond formal dialogues and events into people’s everyday lives and communities.

“Ultimately, harmony is strongest when it is lived in the way we speak to one another, the way we respond when prejudice or intolerance arises, and the way we look out for those around us,” he said.

The event also saw faith leaders affirm a shared Charter on Neighbourliness that expresses a collective commitment to strengthen relationships across religious differences.

Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir said building peace and harmony is a work in progress, and that religious leaders here felt it was important that they contribute to this effort for future generations by emphasising the importance of peace, harmony and social cohesion.

Hindu Advisory Board chairman K. Sengkuttuvan told reporters that the toolkit, which is intended as a resource for community leaders and others involved in interfaith engagement, can help translate the “kampung spirit” in a tangible way.

In his speech, PM Wong said Singapore must continue to bring people together, not just to tolerate differences but to build mutual respect and genuine friendships.

“This is the spirit we must continue to nurture in Singapore – where each of us can hold firmly to our own faith and convictions, while respecting that of others,” he said.

“Where our differences do not pull us apart, but enrich our shared life; and where we always look out for one another as neighbours and fellow Singaporeans.”

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.