THREAT OF TERRORISM

Order read for Resumption of Debate on Question [20th January 2003],

"That this House (a) acknowledges that the terrorist threat to Singapore is real and serious; (b) supports the firm actions the Government has taken against the threat to the security of Singapore posed by the Jemaah Islamiyah group and other militant and extremist groups in the region; and (c) endorses the recommendations put forth in the White Paper on The Jemaah Islamiyah Arrests and the Threat of Terrorism, contained in Paper Cmd. 2 of 2003, to counter the terrorist threat by (i) enhancing the security measures; (ii) policing the spread of terrorist and extremist ideology; and (iii) strengthening our social cohesion and religious harmony.". - [Mr Wong Kan Seng].

Question again proposed.

Mr A. Nithiah Nandan (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate.

The Government's release of the White Paper on Jemaah Islamiyah arrests and the threat of terrorism is timely and well-intended. It is important for all Singaporeans, regardless of their race, language or religion, to understand the extent and depth of the security threat facing our country. This threat deeply impacts on our racial harmony and, more importantly, undermines our very survival and existence as a peaceful, stable and thriving nation.

Sir, when we attained our independence in 1965, very few people outside Singapore believed that we had a chance to survive. Even though we attained independence by chance, we never left our survival to chance. And not only did we succeed, but we prospered. For more than 30 years, Singaporeans of different races, such as Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians, rallied together in unity and toiled to build this great nation of ours. We have thrived and prospered against a backdrop of social and racial harmony. Today, Singapore's achievements are acknowledged world-wide. Millions from all over the world come to our country yearly to visit, work or study. They do so with confidence that Singapore is a safe and peaceful place. At the same time, thousands of companies from all over the world have invested billions of dollars in our economy with trust and confidence.

All these have translated into jobs for Singaporeans which, in turn, have generated growth, progress and stability for our people and country. Workers in Singapore, comprising the different races and religion, are determined and committed in continuing our efforts in nation-building as one united people. In short, our social stability has been a fundamental pillar of our growth. Today, we learn that the pillar - and, in every sense, Singapore - is threatened by terrorism.

Sir, on behalf of the workers, I strongly support the firm actions taken by the Government against the threat of terrorism posed by JI and other militant extremist groups in the region. I also endorse the recommendations in the White Paper.

Sir, the security agencies of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence have done a good job in keeping our homeland safe and secure for Singaporeans of all races and religions. But the security of our nation, be it internal or external, cannot be solely left to the security agencies alone or, worse still, to chance. As an open and multi-racial society, all Singaporeans must always be vigilant against external adverse influences. We must forever be mindful that any threat to our security is a threat to workers' livelihood and well-being.

Sir, our country is a very small nation without any natural resources, except for our people. A threat to Singapore is, thus, a threat to our people. We have never left our survival in the past to chance, and there is no reason to leave our future to chance. We should never allow the acts of the few to destroy the efforts of the many Singaporeans. Neither should we target a particular community for the acts of a few, be it in the employment scene or at the inter-community level. More importantly, we must never be complacent or be indifferent when it comes to the security of our homeland. In doing so, it would arguably just fall short of betrayal.

Sir, our Prime Minister expressed concern about inter-racial and inter-religious relations at a dialogue session on the 28th January 2002. I quote what he said then:

"A minor incident could show up into a major confrontation between the races and religions. We must prevent this."

The Prime Minister is precisely right. We must be vigilant and must never allow a few to ignite the spark that will set off the fire.

Sir, allow me to share a personal experience. In 1984, I attended a leadership programme in an Asian country. From the day I arrived in that country and for the next two weeks while I was there, I saw people of different religions going about their daily lives in the country. It was calm and peaceful. On the 15th day, there was a serious incident caused by a few people. Immediately, the peace and unity broke down. It totally stunned me. I saw racial fights between two different communities, resulting in deaths, loss of homes and properties. I, too, almost fell victim to the situation. There was an attack on the hotel where I stayed, and I was hit by broken glass. My head was covered with glass splinters. But, fortunately, big pieces of glass and stone missed me. I was lucky. But the many innocent people in the streets and in their homes were not so fortunate. Till this day, whenever I recall that incident, I remember the images of chaos and I still feel very sad.

Sir, we must never allow such incidents to ever happen in our country. The best ways to achieve this objective are:

1. Further strengthen inter-racial and inter-religious relations at all levels, starting from the schools, community and places of work.

2. All Singaporeans must exercise strong vigilance against extremist religious teachings.

3. We must be alert to suspicious or clandestine activities, and inform the authorities, if they come across any.

Sir, I call upon Singaporeans of all races and religions to rally behind our Government to keep our homeland safe and secure. The greatest gift we can give to our children and future generation of Singaporeans is to have a homeland which is safe and secure from all threats of terrorism.

Sir, on this note, I support the motion.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Encik Yatiman Yusof): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the motion in the name of the Minister for Home Affairs.

Before I begin my speech, I would like to make two points of clarification. Yesterday, the hon. Member for my GRC, Mr Sin Boon Ann, talked about the need for the Muslim community here to practise moderation. I sense his pessimism. I would like to give an assurance that the majority of the Muslims in this country are moderate. The word "moderate" is quite relative in meaning. It is also the same as the word `fundamentalist'. What has been accepted by the Muslims as moderate may not be moderate for some others. As an example, we take a look at Turkey. Many in their Muslim community feel that the Turkish people are not only moderate, but too moderate. Since the Mustafa Kemal Attaturk era, Turkey had taken actions to erode its religious and Arabic image and to promote secularism. However, until today, it has not been able to bring down the psychological barriers Western leaders have on them and has not been accepted as a part of Europe. Therefore, the meaning of "moderate" in this context does not mean to practise it moderately but practising it in a way that would be seen as moderate by others. This is the message which I understand to be what Mr Sin intended.

I am concerned about this view. To me, there must be acceptance by all quarters with respect to being moderate. The religious followers here could practise their religion but they should also take into account the common good of the country as a whole. In this respect, it would not narrow the common space.

Secondly, Mr Sin said that many Muslims are now converging in mosques and there are fewer of them in the community centres. I would like to stress that this phenomenon of growing religiosity is not only happening to Muslims. The Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and, in fact, Taoist followers are also going in increasing numbers to churches and temples. This is a universal phenomenon. I believe, with the firm action taken by the People's Association, there are more Muslims who are active in grassroots bodies.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I will now address this White Paper. The world is no longer the same after the horrendous incident of September 11, 2001. Many regard this as a cliche. But when the Twin Towers in New York collapsed, bringing down thousands of innocent lives, and the Pentagon was attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists on the same day, the words not only make our hair stand on ends but also make us nervous. In fact, it has changed the views of the world forever. It is an incident which jolted us. It means that there is no place on earth that is safe from terrorist acts.

The same is the case following the detention of members of the JI militant group and the statement that the mastermind behind this activity is in Indonesia. There are also voices refuting the existence of these threats and the presence of terrorists in their country. A senior Indonesia leader in fact said proudly that there were no terrorists in Indonesia. If anyone wanted to arrest terrorists, they should arrest him.

But when the bomb blasts killed many in Bali on 12th October last year, then we heard the admission that terrorists existed in the country. I think it was rather late. But for Singapore, the blasts were another shock that the terrorist threats had already arrived in front of our doorstep.

If our security agencies were not efficient and proactive in arresting the members of the JI, and if there had not been the concerned Muslim who informed the authorities of the person who was suspected of doing something suspicious, then it is very likely that Singapore would have suffered the consequences.

Mr Speaker, we all know this frightening fact - that Singapore was chosen as a terrorist target, but the planned attack was postponed.

We can sigh a relief because we had been able to avert the disaster. But this relief is temporary. The threat still exists and we cannot be caught off-guard.

Mr Speaker, Sir, why do I recollect briefly the series of these terrorist incidents in discussing the Government's White Paper on the JI? There are three reasons. Firstly, the terrorist threat is global. Its roots are found outside Singapore, in Afghanistan or elsewhere. But the branch roots and hair roots can and have spread into Singapore. Second, in Southeast Asia, there are already local movements, politically or militarily, in several countries, for example, the MILF in Mindanao, PULO in Southern Thailand, GAM in Aceh. They are potentials that can be exploited by the Al-Qaeda to form its operations networks. The White Paper reveals how the MILF camp had been used to train some Singaporeans on terrorist operations. Third, the terrorist group acts in the name of Islam. This can have wide implications which are not easy to fathom on the multi-racial society in Singapore.

Mr Speaker, the reactions of the Muslim community to the arrests of the JI members are clear, unanimous and comprehensive. You may have read and heard through the local media the reactions and views of Muslim political and organisation leaders and Islamic religious teachers. However, I have to stress in this House that the Muslims unanimously and unequivocally reject the actions of the JI members. We reject in total that the JI members' actions had anything to do with Islam because Islam forbids such acts. We are shocked and cannot accept the statement of one of the JI members now in detention that when he told a panel interviewing him that those who disagreed with the JI's actions were "infidels". Who is he to pass such a judgement? Rational thinking people will know about the thinking of that JI member.

Mr Speaker, at the same time, we do not want the entire community to be affected because of the actions of a few. We know that when Singapore faced the Communists' attacks in the fifties and sixties, all Chinese middle and high school students were viewed as potential Communists. When Indonesia launched its Confrontation, a significant number of Malays of Indonesian origin had their houses raided, especially those who received frequent visits from their relatives in Indonesia. My family in Lorong Sinaran also experienced this when our house was raided at 3.00 am.

Recently, after the attack of the Chechen separatists at the theatre in Moscow, the attitude of Russians towards Muslims in their country changed. This has been stressed upon by the Minister for Home Affairs. The Muslims became a suspected people. In fact, following the Bali bomb blasts, Hindus who form the majority there looked on the Muslims with suspicion. Hence, Muslim Singaporeans greatly welcome the statement that the Government's action against the JI and its publication of the White Paper on the JI are not directed at the Muslims. It is a security issue. Full stop. In fact, we are also assured when leaders of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Chinese Clan Associations expressed the same view. However, I agree with the concern on its impact on the Malay/Muslim workers, as mentioned by Mr Othman Haron Eusofe and other members who had spoken earlier. We hope the same assurances could be extended to the workplace, factories, offices or everywhere else.

Mr Speaker, if we can make an analogy of the JI as "mud-covered buffaloes which smear others that come into contact with them", then we have already separated these "wild buffaloes" to their own pen. But the question is not as simple as we may think. As our Prime Minister has said, it is a complex matter. In the final analysis, the action of individual Muslims and the Muslim community at large will be taken into account. In fact, some regard this as the deciding factor.

Looking ahead, what should we do? In my view, this is the question that we should give adequate attention. The White Paper serves as the starting point for us to take the next step.

In this matter, the White Paper is very important because of several reasons. First, it makes us aware of the fact that the fault lines in our multi-racial and multi-religious society can grow bigger as a result of the irresponsible action of a few people. Second, it shows that Singapore is vulnerable to destructive foreign influences if we are not careful and vigilant. Third, the way we conduct our religious education needs to be reassessed and it is important for us to create a safety net to prevent negative influences from undermining stability in our society.

Mr Speaker, some may think that we have the Religious Harmony Act and the Presidential Council on Minority Rights. Are these not enough, they asked? In my view, the Act and the Presidential Council deal with the religious issues from different angles or platforms. We need to address it from the social perspective. For this reason, we support the setting up of the Inter-Racial Confidence Circles as proposed by the Prime Minister.

From the social aspect, the White Paper provides an opportunity for us to reassess our attitude on racial ties in Singapore. It will open a bigger space for us to discuss the religious issues which were deemed sensitive previously to talk about and which many felt better to avoid or sweep them under the carpet than facing the issues openly and with candour. A new attitude is important if we want to break the cocoon of prejudice. The open and mature discussion can expand and deepen mutual understanding and trust among us. This is an important factor if we want to build a strong and united country.

Compared to other multi-racial countries, we have moved far ahead in social engineering. We are not shy to admit that our policy is aimed at closing the racial gap. We practise racial quota in every HDB block, neighbourhood and housing estate. Our children go to the same schools and attend the same classes as the children of the other communities. Our sons do National Service with the other young men from the other communities. We have multi-racial grassroots bodies. We eat at food centres which cater to the various communities and sit down at the same table even though the food is not the same. We even celebrate Racial Harmony Day every year.

However, all these steps have yet to produce the desired level of cohesion and mutual trust. Perhaps, it takes a longer time to achieve it. Maybe the various efforts made are not strong enough to bring about a meeting of minds and the adoption of common attitudes. The White Paper actually challenges us to make a paradigm shift in our attitudes and minds.

It also calls on us to be more on guard against globalisation and IT revolution as they have been used by groups such as Al-Qaeda to achieve their own objectives. There are many websites which advocate various issues and views and people who visit these websites who cannot differentiate between the good and the bad can be influenced by them, especially those that discuss issues emotionally and in a confrontational manner. They can divide the people. It is a fact that writers always see an issue from their own experience and perspectives but argue it as a global issue and this can mislead readers whose contexts of life are different. This is very dangerous. For Singaporeans, including the Muslims, which have a limited social history, they need to be concerned about such a possibility.

It reminds me of a local newspaper report on a youth who complained about his failure in a job interview but was seen wearing a T-shirt carrying the picture of Osama bin Laden. I do not know the background of the publication of the report but it has made many people form their own opinions and conclusions. The youth has only himself to blame for not getting sympathy from the members of the public.

Mr Speaker, I agree with the recommendation that the question of regulating local Muslim religious teachers or missionaries as well as those from overseas be left to the Muslim community. First, it reflects the Government's confidence in the capability of the community to tackle the issue. Second, it is in line with the policy of religious freedom in the Republic as long as it takes into account the common good of the Singapore multi-racial society. Third, it gives opportunity to the community to carry out its common responsibility in deciding what is suitable for it. Fourth, it challenges our Muslim scholars, intellectuals and Muslim organisation leaders to achieve consensus and unity among themselves. Such a unity is vital in preparing the Singapore society and the Muslims here to face various challenges from inside and outside. What we will and will not do will be observed closely by investors and prospective investors. They want to know whether we are able to control and manage problems well. If it is proved that there are signs of cracks in our unity, they will not hesitate to leave and relocate their investments to other countries. So is the case with local investors.

Mr Speaker, social unity is an important pillar that can guarantee Singapore's survival and well-being. We need to defend and strengthen it at whatever price. With this conviction, I support the motion tabled by the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng.

The Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Community Development and Sports (Mr Chan Soo Sen): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, like my Parliamentary colleagues, I support the motion standing in the name of the Minister for Home Affairs.

To counter terrorism, we have to be united as one people, not only by enhancing our security means, but also by strengthening our social cohesion. This is to send a clear signal to our investors and also to ensure our survival as a nation.

Singapore is a multi-racial society. Our main communities came from the two ancient civilisations in Asia. Because of our bilingual policy and our policy of seeking similarities among differences, we have succeeded in maintaining our traditional values. For this reason, the history of the fatherland of our ancestors and the events happening therein would have considerable impact on us. This applies not only to the Chinese community, but also the Malay community, and the Indian community as well.

Take the Chinese community and the Muslim community, for example. 1,000 years ago, the two most powerful civilisations in the world were the Chinese civilisation and the Muslim civilisation. History of these civilisations continues to be taught in our schools, from where we derived our traditional values. Beautiful poetries we learn and appreciate came from the Tang Dynasty in China. Algebra, trigonometry, and geometry that we learn in school are products from the ancient Muslim world.

However, in the 19th century, the Chinese civilisation and the Muslim civilisation began to go down the hill. The fortunes of the Chinese society and the Muslim society began to turn from bad to worse. That was because they were too complacent with their development and failed to keep pace with technological and industrial revolutions in the west. They did not strive for geographical and scientific discoveries. As a result, both China and the Muslim world were faced with a lot of problems, both internally and externally.

In China, since the Opium War in 1840, whenever they were at war with foreign countries, it ended as the clear loser. So, when the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, Mao Zedong declared that the Chinese people had "stood up"! This had created a great impact on the Chinese people, both within and outside China. During the Korean War in the 1950s, the Chinese army won a battle against a foreign army, for the first time in more than a century. This created a great impact on the overseas Chinese. For this reason, many Chinese people in South-east Asia appeared to be sympathetic with the Malayan Communist Party, which enjoyed the peak of their activities then.

What I must say is that not all Malayan Chinese and Singapore Chinese at that time supported the Malayan Communist Party. In fact, most people opposed the activities of the MCP. But because of our historical baggage and our historical links, most students in the Chinese schools were curious about what the Communists were doing in China. For this reason, just as was mentioned by my colleagues just now, many people suspected that all the students in the Chinese schools were Communists. During that period of time, I was studying in a Chinese school. But I can state categorically that I have never been a Communist. But in my young heart, I was very curious about the development of China.

I remember that in the 70s, as a student in London, I went to Chinatown, and the first thing I did was to purchase a copy of Mao Zedong's quotations and to see what was in them. Although I found the terminology and phrases used were very impressive, I was not converted. I think if there were some Communists around to convince and brainwash the young university students, many would have been converted to Communism.

Why am I telling this story? Because there was, in fact, similar and parallel development in the Muslim world too. Since the Ottoman Empire collapsed during the First World War, people in the Muslim world were beginning to feel that everything was not going their way. Everything seemed to be going against them. As the Minister for Home Affairs mentioned yesterday, events in the Middle East after 1948 had caused the people to feel that the world was rather unfair to them.

Then came the revolution in Iran in 1979. This is somewhat similar to the 1949 Communist revolution in China. The Iran Revolution had significant impact on the Muslim community at that time, because the people saw it as a great change. This country which used Muslim teaching as the way to govern the nation became the role model for the Muslim world. I believe the Muslim community in Malaysia must have the same feeling as the Chinese community in Singapore in 1949.

The arrest of JI members must have been a tremendous shock to the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore. This was particularly so after the second arrest. However, the leaders and members of the Malay/Muslim community here were very clear in their mind that these sabotage activities of the JI must be condemned, and they did just that! They made it very clear that the JI does not represent the Malay/Muslim community here. My colleague, Mayor Othman Haron Eusofe, had openly said that he was very angry over this incident. We all know our Mayor Othman. He is not a person who would get very angry easily. But this event made him very angry. This, I feel, is an exemplary representative of our Malay/Muslim community in Singapore.

There is, fortunately, a great difference between the JI and our brothers and sisters in the Malay/Muslim community. Otherwise, our social cohesion and religious harmony would have been undermined - and this is exactly what the terrorists wanted. This is, in fact, a psychological warfare. They want to make us feel insecure, to feel threatened. Had we fallen into their trap, they would have succeeded and we would be the losers. We do not want to be losers. We want to be the winners. We do not want them to win. So, we must be united and stick to the spirit and principle of the White Paper, to be even more united as a people.

Now, let us look at the situation in China and the relationship between China and the Chinese community here. The feeling is quite different from that in the 50s and 60s. No one will suspect that I am a Communist now. Why? Because since 1976, China has adopted the economic reform and open-door policy. The Chinese leaders realised that economic development, modernising its defence capability and raising the standard of living of their people should be their main targets. At the same time, they also began to realise that pursuing the old route of Communism would lead them nowhere near the attainment of these targets. The reform and open-door policy has resulted in the severance of their relationship with the Communist groups in Southeast Asia. As a result, in the eyes of the Chinese people in Southeast Asia, the Communist Party has disappeared into thin air.

The Chinese community in Singapore has also advanced with the time. We have clearly stated that we have no link whatsoever with the underground Malayan Communist Party. We focused on how to raise the educational level of our people so that when our economy took off in the 60s, 70s and 80s, we could rise to the occasion and enjoy a better standard of living. Through our bilingual policy, through our clan associations, we maintain our traditional culture and values. For example, the dragon dance, the lion dance, the traditional Hokkien music, nanying and the various traditional dialect operas, are being promoted and developed among the Chinese community. The Chinese community has also cooperated with the other communities to jointly build up our nation.

However, we cannot expect life to go on plain sailing all the time without some trouble. There are bound to be some sensitive issues among us. For example, just over a year ago, there was this blunder in an official literature of a certain Government agency whereby the "Festival of the Hungry Ghosts" was mistakenly translated as the "Festival of Hungarian Ghosts", causing an uproar among the Chinese community. Years ago, when there was this anti-Chinese campaign in Indonesia, the Chinese community here acted rather vigorously, showing not only sympathy but also support for the victims there. More recently, people were again raising the Nantah issue. There are indeed certain sensitive issues among our communities. However, we are able to look at the big picture. When there are sensitive issues, we deal with them through the proper channel, rationally and professionally, such as having dialogue sessions where the issues are analysed, discussed and explained. We do not use the Malayan Communist Party way of threatening the people and exerting pressure on our people.

My sincere hope and wish is that our brothers and sisters in the Malay community would cooperate with the other communities here and build up better relationship among us. We accept the fact that there are still sensitive issues which have to be resolved, but let us do it rationally and professionally through the proper channels.

The new economy has brought with it many challenges and opportunities. We have to be forward-looking and seize the opportunities that are open to us. To do that, we have to raise our educational standard, our technological level, and upgrade our skills. We should not look for solutions from terrorist activities, because there is no way out from there. I think we should do what the mainland Chinese are doing. We must have economic reform and adopt the open-door policy. We must be forward-looking. We must cooperate with one another. Go regional, go global, to attain our target.

Of course, some people are afraid that economic prosperity would affect the pursuit for religious growth. Actually, there is no conflict between economic prosperity and religious fervour. In the new economy, we are faced with great challenges and intense competition. It is inevitable that we may have losses and defeats from time and time. Very often, we will be extremely stressed up and pressurised. This is when we may want to seek solace from our religious beliefs. Being pious and fervently pursue good values through our religion is, after all, not a bad thing!

I hope that our Singapore Malay/Muslim community would likewise work hard to raise their educational standard and economic standing. I must say the other communities in Singapore are ever ready and eager to support one another. I can remember that soon after the September 11 event, we held a farewell party for our Muslim brothers who were going for their haj. In Joo Chiat, there are not many Malays. On that occasion, we had only some 20 to 30 Muslim brothers going for their pilgrimage. Yet, some 300 grassroots leaders and supporters turned up to bid them farewell. I asked them why they were turning up in such a large number. They said, "Oh, we want to show our support for our Muslim friends." So, deep in our hearts, we are still brothers and sisters. Let us continue to be good brothers and sisters. Let us maintain the good relationship among us. Then, we will be able to find more common space among us. We will continue to cooperate, to stand united for a better future for our country.

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon (Jurong): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, having heard the speeches of my parliamentary colleagues, I am glad that we are able to discuss so candidly this issue of how to counter terrorism. No doubt, the question of religion is always a very sensitive issue. As the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng, has said, we want to be frank and open in our discussion of this issue, and I hope that we will all try to be as objective as we can.

The release of this White Paper has led me to ask this question: "What kind of Singapore do Singaporeans want?" The significance of the White Paper lies in what kind of Singapore do we want. There are two kinds of response from our people to this White Paper. On the one hand, there are people who feel that the firm actions taken by the Government against the JI members are appropriate and that our security agencies should be applauded for a job well done. On the other hand, as mentioned by Professor Chin yesterday, there are some Singaporeans who are simply indifferent to the whole matter.

On the campaign to counter terrorism, the Government has been positive and thorough. However, the fight against terrorism is international in scope and long-term in nature. As reported by the Home Affairs Minister to this House, the Government has taken various measures to counter the threat to our security posed by the JI group. What the Members in this House should do is to promote mutual trust and confidence among the various ethnic groups in Singapore. Apart from strengthening our security, this White Paper also seeks to enhance our awareness of the terrorism threat so as to prevent any terrorist act from taking place in Singapore, thereby restoring the foreign investors' confidence in Singapore. This is also to ensure that such acts of terrorism will not undermine our racial harmony that has been built up over the years.

There has been terrorism since time immemorial, but the September 11 incident and the Bali bombing have made us more keenly aware of the fact that the threat is right in front of our doorstep. Therefore, we cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot compromise our resolve to fight terrorism. You may think that if you avoid visiting countries where terrorist acts are likely to take place, nothing will happen to you. Some may ask what could a small country like Singapore do in the gigantic fight against terrorism. However, one must not forget disaster may strike even if you are sitting right in your sitting room at home. Terrorism is insidious and ubiquitous. Though Singapore is small, we have to be prepared. Like a hedgehog, we must have the capability to defend ourselves. Otherwise, the bombing that took place in Bali could well take place in some corner in Singapore.

Therefore, we have to work together with other countries in the fight against terrorism, as suggested by our colleague, Dr Ong Chit Chung. We should work together with our neighbouring countries to fight terrorism.

I would like to ask one question. Now that the Government has made great effort in this regard, what contributions can individuals, grassroots organisations and religious bodies make? Since the release of the White Paper, we are glad to see Malay MPs and Muslim organisations making immediate and positive response on the White Paper. They condemn such terrorist acts and express their support for Government's policy on counter-terrorism. They will not allow any individual or organisation to engage in terrorist activities under the name of Islam.

We applaud them for this correct attitude. I am pleased to note that the Deputy Mufti would form a committee comprising representatives from the various mainstream Muslim organisations. This committee, after consulting the views of local Muslim scholars and religious teachers, would formulate a code of conduct for the local Muslims to follow in their daily life to comply with their religious laws. They would also ask the religious teachers to explain to the public certain Islamic terminology, so that terms such as jihad, etc. are not misused to glorify violent activities. We welcome the setting up of such a committee.

Likewise, the other religious bodies might want to do the same - to formulate certain code of conduct for their followers, and to educate their people so that they can have a better understanding of one another's culture and religion.

We cannot avoid the reality that the threat posed by the JI group has generated a negative impact on Singapore, even though its earlier plot has been foiled. It may well shake our confidence and the confidence of the potential foreign investors. This is especially so since the bombing incident in Bali. This incident has forced our Muslim brothers to be constantly defensive about their religion. It has also caused members of the other ethnic groups to look at the Muslims in a suspicious light. Many Muslims in Singapore are attributing their retrenchment and inability to find jobs to discrimination from employers against their race.

So, how do we consolidate the racial harmony that we have achieved so far? Many foreign leaders and visitors to Singapore have praised us for being an international model of racial harmony. I asked the CEO of a MNC what he thought about Singapore's progress in achieving racial harmony. He replied that he was impressed by what we had done, and that very few countries in the world can claim to have people from different racial and religious groups working at the same place, studying in the same school and shopping at the same shopping mall and eating in the same hawker centre, while at the same time retaining their own cultures and faiths. I am very glad to hear such an endorsement from a MNC official.

We see churches, temples and mosques located in the same housing estate. How are we going to seek unity in diversity? We cannot force other people to behave like us. We have to respect the differences of other races. Singapore is not a theocratic state. It is a secular state. Our racial and religious harmony is not to be taken for granted. Hence, we have to nurture it and consolidate it. We cannot allow a few religious fanatics to undermine it in the name of religion.

We respect the religious freedom of the various groups and we respect their religious values. But things that touch on national interest, such as defence, education and internal security, must be looked at from the perspective of national interest. On this, I believe the various racial groups have the same consensus. Hence, we shall all view the White Paper rationally and with a mature outlook.

But what is more important is that we have to be exemplary in our behaviour, especially as Members of Parliament. We have to try and understand the customs and religions of other racial groups. We must also have good communication skills.

How do people strengthen their psychological defence and strengthen their confidence? This is very important.

While the fight against terrorism should be undertaken by the Government, we, the people, should be vigilant at all times and not to harbour suspicions against each other. We have to strengthen the people's psychological defence. Grassroots organisations in the various constituencies have been conducting mutual visits for believers of the different faiths. Many religious bodies such as the Muslim organisations, the Buddhist organisations and the Taoist organisations have also come together to raise funds and carry out social welfare work, for the common good of our society. We also encourage our younger generation to value their own ethnic cultural heritage.

The Southwest CDC is now actively working on a fashion show and a food fair to be participated by the various racial groups, showcasing the cultural development of the various ethnic groups. Through these activities, it is hoped that there would be better understanding of the customs and cultures of the various ethnic groups. This is particularly useful and necessary for our younger generation of Singaporeans. The various religious groups should take the initiative to communicate with each other.

Many Members have spoken about the moderate faction among the Muslims. In fact, the concept of moderation is not confined to the Islam faith but to all other religious groups too. Therefore, the nine major religious groups in Singapore should come together to generate a common code of conduct which is acceptable by all the moderate followers. But most of the moderate followers are silent in nature. They should come out and speak their minds so as to isolate the few militant and extremist groups. If the moderate group can enlarge its influence, it would be better for our future.

From the history of civilisation, we can find many examples of religions being naturalised. These are Buddhism in Thailand and Japan, Islam in China, and Hinduism in Bali, where they have integrated with the native cultures. The four main racial groups and nine major religions in Singapore must try to adapt to our local circumstances and forge a distinctive multi-racial culture.

Different people have different views on this issue, but the views must be presented and discussed frankly and openly. I suggest that grassroots organisations, and even the schools, should hold discussions on the White Paper. Our National Education channel should be used to educate the public on the significance of the White Paper, so that they can have a better understanding of this issue and rebuild their confidence. This will help to build up confidence and mutual respect.

What kind of Singapore do we want? Our ultimate object is to build up a secular and democratic society based on meritocracy, regardless of race, language or religion. This is my aspiration for Singapore.

Sir, I support the motion.

Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 3.25 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended at 3.05 pm until 3.25 pm. Sitting resumed at 3.25 pm