PM Lee I dont agree with MM Lee on muslim integration

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Muslims have done much to integrate, says PM
He says his perspective on the matter differs from MM's
By Zakir Hussain , POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

A resident greeting PM Lee and Yio Chu Kang MP Seng Han Thong (on PM?s left) at a wet market and food centre in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 during Mr Lee's visit to the constituency yesterday morning. PM Lee said that while religion had become an important part of the lives of Muslims and others here, tremendous progress had also been made in bringing the different communities closer. --ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

THE Prime Minister yesterday spelt out the Government's view on the progress made by Singapore's Muslims in integrating with other communities, saying that his perspective on the matter differed from Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's.

The Muslim community in Singapore has made great efforts to integrate with other communities, and to help make Singapore one of the most harmonious and successful multi-religious societies in the world, PM Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday. 'Muslims are a valued and respected community, who have done a good deal to strengthen our harmony and social cohesion,' he said.

He also encouraged community leaders to keep on expanding the common space while upholding their respective religious beliefs.

PM Lee was speaking to reporters at Yio Chu Kang Community Club, where he presented oranges and food items to 100 needy residents ahead of Chinese New Year.

He is an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, which borders Yio Chu Kang constituency.

His comments came in the wake of remarks on Muslims and Islam by MM Lee, made in a new book Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths To Keep Singapore Going.

PM Lee noted that his own perspective on the subject was 'not quite the same' as MM Lee's.

The latter's views stemmed from his experience having watched how Singapore and other multiracial societies had evolved since the 1950s.

'My own perspective on how things are in Singapore, based on my interaction with the Malay community...is not quite the same as MM's,' said PM Lee.

Religion had become an important part of the lives of Muslims and others in Singapore, he noted, but tremendous progress had also been made in bringing different communities closer.

He cited how Muslims dress differently and are more conscious of religious requirements today than they were 50 years ago.

'We recognise these changing norms. But at the same time, we ought to be careful not to let them evolve so that differences in food, dress, customs and so on keep us apart or reduce our common space,' he said.

'Singapore Muslims have been conscious of this and have made that special effort to try and bridge the links between them and the other communities.'

Such efforts, he said, helped Singapore deal with sensitive issues such as extremism in a manner that strengthened trust among people rather than drove them apart, and they must continue.

MM Lee's remarks in the book were in response to questions on the state of multiracialism in Singapore.

He said: 'I have to speak candidly to be of value, but I do not want to offend the Muslim community. I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came, and if you asked me for my observations, the other communities have easier integration - friends, inter-marriages and so on - than Muslims.'

He also said: 'Muslims socially do not cause any trouble, but they are distinct and separate.'

Asked what Muslims could do to integrate, he said: 'Be less strict on Islamic observances and say, 'Okay, I'll eat with you'.'

The remarks drew expressions of regret from a number of Muslim groups, and calls for the Government to clarify whether it shared those views.

The Muslim Missionary Society (Jamiyah) pointed out that Muslims were already mixing with others in workplaces, HDB estates, community centres and schools. Leaders of various religious groups also shared a close relationship.

PM Lee noted this point, adding that many races and religions co-exist harmoniously in Singapore, with give and take, respect and regard for one another.

'I hope we all continue to do this, and I think we can do this without being any less Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or whatever,' he said.

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim made a similar point on Saturday when he noted that Muslims here can be both religious and patriotic at the same time, and have indeed been working with fellow Singaporeans to integrate and help in nation-building.

While acknowledging that religion is a more salient feature of Singapore today than 50 years ago, PM Lee noted that the Singapore identity is also much stronger today.

Asked how Singaporeans should react if a similar issue crops up again, he said some degree of awkwardness and discomfort was understandable.

He said: 'This is a discussion which is a continuing one...Let's take it as an impetus to us to strengthen and improve the work we've done.'

As for whether the episode might have an impact at the general election (GE), he said: 'I hope the community will consider this in a positive light, and from the discussions some good will come.

'And I hope that when the GE comes, they will vote for the party which looks after them, and which will strengthen religious and racial harmony in Singapore.'

Mr Sakdun Sardi, 46, executive chairman of the Al-Muttaqin Mosque whose worshippers took part in yesterday's event, welcomed PM Lee's reassurance on the matter, which had sparked some unease in the Muslim community.

'I'm glad that he said you do not have to be less Muslim to be a good citizen,' he said. 'We should move on.'

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THIS is an edited extract from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on the integration of the Muslim community in Singapore.

He was speaking to reporters at Yio Chu Kang Community Club.

PM: MM Lee was giving his personal views, based on his experience looking at Singapore evolve over more than 50 years and other multiracial societies which face challenges of having to integrate into one united nation.

My own perspective, based on my interaction with the Malay community, grassroots leaders, and mosque and religious leaders, is not quite the same as MM's.

It's true that religion is an important part of the Singapore Malay identity and the lives of Muslims in Singapore, and more so than 50 years ago. It's a worldwide trend and we are part of it.

But at the same time, the Muslim community has made great efforts to integrate with other communities and with Singapore society, to join the mainstream. We have made tremendous progress in making Singapore more integrated, in bringing the different communities closer together. So let's continue to move forward together and carry on making progress. We are always work in progress, the job's never done.

In Singapore, many races and religions co-exist harmoniously. It's something which every school child learns. But what makes it possible is that there's give and take, compromise, accommodation, practical arrangements, and respect and regard for one another.

I hope we continue to do this, and I think we can do this without being any less Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or whatever. Many of us hold our religions very dearly, but at the same time we know we have to get along with our neighbours who may be of different faiths, and we have to give and take.

I believe Singapore Malays strive to be both good Muslims and good Singaporeans. The Singapore Malay community has chosen a path different from that in neighbouring countries, Malaysia and Indonesia. We've taken a progressive view of Islam within the context of Singapore, and we are proud of our distinct identity as Singapore Muslims.

This has been recognised and commended by distinguished Islamic scholars, like Sheikh Tantawi who was the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar in Egypt, and the grand mufti of Syria Ahmad Bader Eddin Hassoun.

People from Muslim communities around the region have also come to Singapore to study how Muslims live and work here, to see how we are able to contribute as a successful community within a multiracial society. They visit Muis, mosques, learn about the Mosque Building Fund, they see how we live and work together, and they know that our people live as good Muslims and good citizens.

The Government fully supports the objective of the Singapore Muslim community to build a Masyarakat Melayu Cemerlang - an outstanding Malay-Muslim community.

Compared to 50 years ago, social and religious norms have changed. The way people dress, the consciousness of religious requirements, the customs, the strictness of the observance - all these have shifted progressively over the years. We recognise these changing norms. But at the same time, we ought to be careful not to let them evolve so that differences in food, dress, customs and so on keep us apart or reduce our common space.

Singapore Muslims have been conscious of this and have made special effort to bridge the links between them and other communities. For example, Muslim women may wear tudungs, but they participate in activities with other communities. They shake hands with me happily, take pictures with me; we crowd together, we're quite comfortable with one another.

In many workplaces, Muslims are quite comfortable to lunch with non-Muslims. They eat their own halal food, but sit together with non-Muslims, and interact socially.

Muslims have also made efforts to join grassroots events. Al-Muttaqin Mosque and Yio Chu Kang constituency groups have joint events, such as brisk walk groups and 'Ali Baba' exercise groups.

We have inter-faith efforts where we visit one another's religious places to understand customs, ideas and doctrines. At the leaders' level, we've established comfortable and easy relationships. I just attended Shaikh Syed Isa's dinner - he retired after 38 years as Mufti. I was very happy to go because he made a very considerable contribution as Mufti, not only leading the Muslim community but also working with the other communities to strengthen ties. At his function there were nuns, Buddhist monks, Hindu religious leaders, Christian leaders. They referred to Shaikh Syed Isa fondly as Syed, they were almost on first-name terms. With these relationships among the leaders, you can have a meeting of minds, deal with difficult and sensitive problems, and have confidence to manage them.

We've been tested seriously in the past decade - 9/11, the Jemaah Islamiah group, self-radicalised extremists. We have been able to deal with them openly but sensitively, and as a result, strengthen the trust among our people rather than allow these challenges to split us.

You can also see it in the way Singapore Malay-Muslims respond when challenged or criticised - they take pride in and defend our system. They know where they stand and are not ashamed to say it. They support the Singapore Government and the policies that benefit the Malay community, because they know this is a government which is on their side, wants them to succeed, is fair and trying its best to bring the communities together.

Religion is more salient today than 50 years ago, not only for Muslims but also for other religious groups. However, our Singapore identity is also much stronger than 50 years ago. People led different lives then. A few at the top maybe went to the same schools, but in the broader community, there were Malay schools, Chinese schools, Tamil schools, English schools. The Malays lived in Geylang Serai, the Indians in Naval Base or Farrer Park, the Chinese in Chinatown. Today we are integrated in our schools, workplaces, in national service, in HDB estates.

Two years ago, I talked about religion at the National Day Rally. I explained the trend of heightened religiosity, what the risks were, how we've made progress strengthening racial and religious harmony, what the Government's attitude towards the trend was, and what the ground rules were for religion in Singapore.

My position is unchanged. I think we can safely say that Singapore is one of the most harmonious and successful multicultural and multi-religious societies in the world.

And in this society, Muslims are a valued and respected community, who have done a good deal to strengthen our harmony and social cohesion. I encourage our Muslim community and religious leaders to continue the good work. The work is not done. I think it will never be done. But we have to keep on doing it.

This will not be the last time an issue like this comes up. Whenever something like this comes up, what's your advice to Singaporeans?

RACE, language and religion are sensitive issues. When we discuss them, it's understandable for there to be a certain degree of awkwardness and discomfort, because whichever group is being spoken about will feel, 'Why are we being spotlighted again?'

When I made the National Day Rally speech two years ago, there were Christians who felt, 'Why are we talking about Christianity and the resurgence of Christian groups?' When we speak about Muslims, the Muslims in Singapore naturally feel, 'Why are we being discussed?' Or for that matter when we talk about the Chinese language, the Chinese community is particularly sensitive about it. It's understandable.

But let's take it calmly, understand the progress we have made, but at the same time consider carefully where our weaknesses might be, what the risks might be in future, and what changes we need to make.

Do you think this will have an impact on the general election (GE)?

I HOPE that the Muslim community will consider this in a positive light, and that from the discussions some good will come. I also hope that when the GE comes, they will vote for the party which looks after them, and which will strengthen religious and racial harmony in Singapore.