Malaysia Chronicle
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Muslims here have done a great deal to strengthen harmony and social integration in the country.
Mr Lee added that he would encourage the community's leaders to continue with the good work.
He was responding to reactions from the Malay-Muslim community to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's comments about them in his latest book, "Hard Truths, To keep Singapore Going.
Mr Lee's response came a day after Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim explained that Singapore is a secular country that respects and protects the rights of Muslims to practise their own religion and that this is fundamental to Singapore's identity.
The social and religious norms of Muslims today have changed from what they were 50 years ago said the Prime Minister.
"If you compare the society today with what it was 50 years ago and watch the trends during that period, then indeed the social and religious norms have changed, the way people dress, consciousness of religious requirements, customs, strictness of observance, all these have shifted progressively over time.
"These are trends we recognise, but at the same time we ought to be careful not to let them evolve so that differences in food and dress and customs and so on, keep us apart or reduce our common space.
"I think Singapore Muslims have been conscious of this and have made a special effort to try and bridge the links between them and the other communities," Mr Lee said.
In particular, he noted that Muslims have made special efforts to integrate with other communities here.
"Muslim women may wear a tudung (head dress), but they participate in activities of other communities, they shake hands with me, they take pictures with me, we crowd together and we are comfortable with one another. And Muslims may eat 'halal' food, but in many work places, when they go out for lunch, they are quite comfortable to go out together".
Thus, Mr Lee said his perspectives of the Muslim community are not quite the same as those expressed by Minister Mentor Lee.
"MM was giving his personal views in the book; they are based on his experience watching Singapore society evolve over now more than 50 years since the 1950s and also looking at other societies around the world.
"Particularly multi racial societies where there are Muslims, either minority or majority...but all facing challenges having to integrate into one nation and one community and the difficulties and problems which have arisen in different countries and and the risks which we face in Singapore if we are not conscious of them.
"But my own perspectives on how things are in Singapore based on my interaction with the Malay community, the mosque and religious leaders and the grassroots leaders, is not quite the same as MM's."
Referring to a recent event to honour former Mufti Syed Isa Semait's contributions to Singapore, Mr Lee noted that there were leaders of different faiths who were present.
"We have inter-faith efforts where you visit one another's religious places and you understand one another's religious places and you understand one another's customs and doctrines and at the leaders' level, I think we have established close and comfortable easy relationships between the religious leaders of the different groups."
Mr Lee has previously touched on the issue of religion.
He spoke about it extensively during his National Day Rally speech two years ago where Mr Lee explained the heightened religiosity and the risks of religion dividing the people. Mr Lee also spoke about the efforts to strengthen racial and religious harmony in Singapore.
He acknowledges that this will not be the last time sensitive issues will be discussed.
"Race, language and religion are sensitive issues with Singapore. They are realities which we have managed quite successfully. We continue to manage them and continue to make progress.
"When we discuss them it is quite understandable that there is a certain degree, there is some awkwardness and discomfort because whichever group is spoken about will feel why are we being spotlighted again.
"Let's take it calmly, sit back, understand the progress we have made but at the same time consider carefully where our weaknesses might be and what the risks might be in future and what changes we need to make going forward. That would be a rational approach. This discussion is a continuing one and this time the subject has come up, let's take it as an impetus to us and improve the work we have done."
And when the General Election due by February 2012 takes place, Mr Lee said he is confident the Malay-Muslim community will vote for the party which looks after them and will strengthen religious and racial harmony in Singapore.
When asked if he had identified any Malay candidates for the forthcoming hustings, the Prime Minister replied that while he had a few, he wasn't planning to introduce them on Sunday.
Mr Lee added that he would encourage the community's leaders to continue with the good work.
He was responding to reactions from the Malay-Muslim community to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's comments about them in his latest book, "Hard Truths, To keep Singapore Going.
Mr Lee's response came a day after Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim explained that Singapore is a secular country that respects and protects the rights of Muslims to practise their own religion and that this is fundamental to Singapore's identity.
The social and religious norms of Muslims today have changed from what they were 50 years ago said the Prime Minister.
"If you compare the society today with what it was 50 years ago and watch the trends during that period, then indeed the social and religious norms have changed, the way people dress, consciousness of religious requirements, customs, strictness of observance, all these have shifted progressively over time.
"These are trends we recognise, but at the same time we ought to be careful not to let them evolve so that differences in food and dress and customs and so on, keep us apart or reduce our common space.
"I think Singapore Muslims have been conscious of this and have made a special effort to try and bridge the links between them and the other communities," Mr Lee said.
In particular, he noted that Muslims have made special efforts to integrate with other communities here.
"Muslim women may wear a tudung (head dress), but they participate in activities of other communities, they shake hands with me, they take pictures with me, we crowd together and we are comfortable with one another. And Muslims may eat 'halal' food, but in many work places, when they go out for lunch, they are quite comfortable to go out together".
Thus, Mr Lee said his perspectives of the Muslim community are not quite the same as those expressed by Minister Mentor Lee.
"MM was giving his personal views in the book; they are based on his experience watching Singapore society evolve over now more than 50 years since the 1950s and also looking at other societies around the world.
"Particularly multi racial societies where there are Muslims, either minority or majority...but all facing challenges having to integrate into one nation and one community and the difficulties and problems which have arisen in different countries and and the risks which we face in Singapore if we are not conscious of them.
"But my own perspectives on how things are in Singapore based on my interaction with the Malay community, the mosque and religious leaders and the grassroots leaders, is not quite the same as MM's."
Referring to a recent event to honour former Mufti Syed Isa Semait's contributions to Singapore, Mr Lee noted that there were leaders of different faiths who were present.
"We have inter-faith efforts where you visit one another's religious places and you understand one another's religious places and you understand one another's customs and doctrines and at the leaders' level, I think we have established close and comfortable easy relationships between the religious leaders of the different groups."
Mr Lee has previously touched on the issue of religion.
He spoke about it extensively during his National Day Rally speech two years ago where Mr Lee explained the heightened religiosity and the risks of religion dividing the people. Mr Lee also spoke about the efforts to strengthen racial and religious harmony in Singapore.
He acknowledges that this will not be the last time sensitive issues will be discussed.
"Race, language and religion are sensitive issues with Singapore. They are realities which we have managed quite successfully. We continue to manage them and continue to make progress.
"When we discuss them it is quite understandable that there is a certain degree, there is some awkwardness and discomfort because whichever group is spoken about will feel why are we being spotlighted again.
"Let's take it calmly, sit back, understand the progress we have made but at the same time consider carefully where our weaknesses might be and what the risks might be in future and what changes we need to make going forward. That would be a rational approach. This discussion is a continuing one and this time the subject has come up, let's take it as an impetus to us and improve the work we have done."
And when the General Election due by February 2012 takes place, Mr Lee said he is confident the Malay-Muslim community will vote for the party which looks after them and will strengthen religious and racial harmony in Singapore.
When asked if he had identified any Malay candidates for the forthcoming hustings, the Prime Minister replied that while he had a few, he wasn't planning to introduce them on Sunday.
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