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Govt will step in when efforts failDate : 6 March 2010 BUDGET DEBATE: ON RELIGIOUS TENSIONThe Straits Times - Govt will step in when efforts fail 06 March 2010 Conflict should be resolved via other means first By Rachel Chang IDEALLY, moves by the authorities to salve inter-religious tensions should be few and far between. This is because the long-term solution to religious disputes is mutual understanding and trust among different groups and their leaders, Law Minister K. Shanmugam said in Parliament yesterday. When incidents of inter-communal conflict arise, common sense, moral suasion and community efforts should be the first port of call for resolution. It is only when such efforts are not enough that the authorities will step in, said Mr Shanmugam, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs. He was responding to a call from MP Ong Seh Hong (Marine Parade GRC) for the Government to send a 'stronger and clearer signal for every breach'. Speaking during the debate on the Home Affairs Ministry's plans for the coming financial year, Dr Ong had lamented that despite stringent attempts to foster religious tolerance, 'we still see people pushing beyond the OB markers'. He brought up Pastor Rony Tan, whose remarks disparaging certain beliefs associated with Buddhism and Taoism prompted an encounter with the Internal Security Department. 'While I declare my interest as a practising Buddhist, I am not singling out any particular faith or anyone. I am concerned why, despite our clarity on the boundary for promoting one's religion... we continue to see people pushing the boundary in the name of religion?' He said that breaches by religious leaders should be met with an even stronger response from the authorities, as they have a far greater sphere of influence than ordinary citizens. Mr Shanmugam said that the Government of Singapore is secular, and that secular law is supreme in the country. But when incidents of conflict do arise, 'our approach towards resolving such disagreements is that they should be mediated or resolved on the ground through common sense, and moral suasion using the collective efforts of the community, grassroots and religious leaders.' When these do not suffice, then the authorities will step in. 'I do not think that one will doubt the will and resolve of the Government to deal with these issues quickly and effectively,' he noted. Dr Ong had also suggested that religious clerics undergo a compulsory course on religious harmony. Mr Shanmugam said that this would be a matter for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to consider. (With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com) Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH. budget debateThe Straits Times - Ignoring racial differences 'won't make them go away' 06 March 2010 By Rachel Chang ACCORDING to Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, there are 91 options in all for the race category on the identity card. These include specifications like 'Thai' and 'Filipino'. So why not 'Singaporean'? Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) suggested it as a new category in Parliament yesterday. The policy to allow double-barrelled race classifications does not go far enough, she said. What if two double-barrelled Singaporeans have a child? At some point, race classifications become 'a very artificial means of human classification, made more for the convenience of the state than for one's personal identity', she said. The 'Singaporean' option should thus be given to those of mixed-ethnicity, and in fact open to anyone. A broader concern she had was that the choice of racial classification becomes a 'cost-benefit analysis' for individuals, especially in situations where racial quotas exist. But Law Minister K. Shanmugam, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, found the suggestion unrealistic. 'Ethnic and cultural identities...are not going to disappear by doing away with it in our NRIC or providing an option for people to avoid stating their ethnicity,' he countered. He cited France, where 'race-blind' policies had failed to ensure racial harmony. Inter-ethnic tensions had in fact been inflamed by being shoved under the rug. Mr Shanmugam said Singapore's diversity is a strength: 'Witness our ability to span across Asia and take part in the rise of China, India and parts of South-east Asia.' While he emphasised that the Singaporean identity should come before racial and ethnic identities, he said race was a central tenet and fact of society. 'While race does not always equate to culture, it most often does. Policy has to be based on the norm and not the exceptions,' he said. Standing her ground, Ms Ng disputed the suggestion that a 'Singaporean' classification is far-fetched. Culture is not the same as biology, she said. While the latter is fixed, the former is not. She cited the Peranakans. 'They were originally from China and settled in the Straits (territories in Singapore and Malaysia) for a long time. There were inter-marriages, they imbibed Malay culture...and they assimilated into Western culture and spoke English. They formed their own culture, and today they are a very distinct racial group from the Chinese.' Similarly for the Filipinos, she said, who are made up of several different ethnic groups. 'They are also a mixed tribe. But when we look at them in the IC, we call them Filipinos,' she said. (With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com) Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH. BUDGET DEBATE: ON CYBER OFFENCESThe Straits Times - Internet not a haven where anything goes, warns minister 06 March 2010 THE Government has taken a light-touch approach in regulating the Internet, but it is not a realm where the law is suspended. Those who take advantage of the anonymity of the Internet to do harm to others or to the community will face action by the authorities, said Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam in Parliament yesterday. He was responding to concerns expressed by MP Mohd Maliki Osman (Sembawang GRC) about emerging signs of the negative impact of the Internet. Dr Maliki had highlighted three areas of concern: individuals making offensive remarks against other ethnic groups, cases of adults preying sexually on young Internet users, and bomb hoaxes. Last month, three Chinese youths were arrested for inflammatory remarks in a Facebook group against Indians. They were subsequently let off without charge, after a caution. Dr Maliki bemoaned those who 'hide behind pseudonyms and false identities on the Internet', and asked if the Government had plans to further criminalise irresponsible Internet behaviour. Mr Shanmugam said the Government takes 'a very serious view' of Internet offences. Singapore's approach to regulating the Internet is lighter than other countries like France, where laws prohibit the broadcasting of images of certain types of violent crime, including rape and severe beatings. 'While Singapore does not have such a law, we will monitor developments and review our practices and law when necessary,' he said. The bottom line: 'There must be accountability for actions in the Internet as well as the physical world.' RACHEL CHANG (With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com) Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH. TODAY - Too early to consider listing race as 'Singaporean' on ICs 06 March 2010 by Ong Dai Lin SINGAPORE - With the trend of mixed marriages on the rise in Singapore, should Singaporeans be allowed to list their race as "Singaporean" on their identity cards instead of having to choose a dominant race? Responding to Member of Parliament Irene Ng's comment that some Singaporeans may find it "artificial" to chose a dominant race on their identity cards, Second Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said it is premature to assume so. "It is too soon to say that it (inter-marriages) is creating a new racial category and, therefore, people would want to call themselves Singaporeans under the rubric of race. "It seems to me a leap which is at present not justified by facts," Mr Shanmugam said. "But if it develops along those lines, some future governments, I'm sure, will consider that." He said the ideas of ethnicity and cultural identities "are not going to disappear by doing away with it" on identity cards or provide an option for people to avoid stating their ethnicity. On the issue of maintaining religious harmony, Mr Shanmugam said Singapore's approach to resolving religious conflicts is mediation through "common sense and moral suasion" by the community, grassroots and religious leaders. When such efforts fail, "the authorities will step in to deal with the problem", said Mr Shanmugam. Referring to MP Ong Seh Hong's suggestion for a "stronger and clearer signal" to be sent for every breach, Mr Shanmugam said: "Ideally, such action by the authorities should be few and far between." "The long-term solution to religious disputes must reside in mutual understanding and trust among the different groups and their leaders." He also said that while Singapore has taken a "light touch" approach regarding the Internet, the Government takes a "very serious view of those who take advantage of the anonymity offered by the Internet to do harm to others". "The Internet cannot be a realm where the law is suspended and does not apply," said Mr Shanmugam, who added that Singapore will review its practices and laws about the Internet when necessary, MANPOWER CONCERNS Touching on the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) plans for the coming financial year, Mr Shanmugam said it will allocate more manpower for frontline policing and key operational roles like investigation and intelligence. However, he added, the long-term solution to increasing the Home Team's crime combat capabilities cannot be by adding manpower indefinitely. "Instead, our resources must be allocated to areas that best optimise their training and capabilities. And this must be to combat crime and not to do pest control like catching snakes." Strategies that the MHA will adopt include making use of technology, partnering the private sector to augment the security force and collaborating with community partners.ONG DAI LIN (With thanks to TODAYonline.com) Note : No reproduction or downloading of this article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from TODAY. |
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