Date : 24 March 2007
National Seminar on the Community Engagement Programme (CEP)
And the Launch of the CEP Web Portal “Singapore United”
Community leaders came together this morning for the National Seminar on the Community Engagement Programme (CEP), one year after the CEP was launched. A portal for CEP, called the Singapore United, was launched as an additional avenue of engagement with the community.
Background
2 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the CEP at a dialogue session with community leaders on 9 February 2006. This was after the London 7/7 bomb attacks, when the Government decided that more integrated and comprehensive efforts should be undertaken to prepare our people to be psychologically and socially resilient.
3 Since its launch, we have seen many encouraging initiatives that were organised by the communities, in response to PM’s call for ownership by the ground. In addition, the government agencies supporting the CEP have also been engaging the community leaders through cluster-level workshops. At these workshops, community leaders were briefed on the national mobilisation framework. Some have started discussing with each other their response plans at the ground level to help manage and mitigate any communal tension that could arise in the aftermath of a crisis, such as a terrorist attack.
National Seminar 2007
4 The national seminar this morning brought together the community leaders from the five CEP clusters for an update on what has been happening on the CEP front at the national level and to share perspectives and ideas on moving forward. Community leaders learnt about the response plans of other clusters. Equally important was the forging of new friendships and renewal of ties at the national seminar.
Launch of Singapore United – portal for CEP
5 The Guest-of-Honour DPM and Minister for Home Affairs, and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee on Community Engagement, Mr Wong Kan Seng, launched Singapore United, a portal for CEP, at today’s seminar. The portal www.singaporeunited.sg offers an on-line platform for engagement with the public and facilitates the sharing of CEP-related information.
6 Key features include the events calendar, maintained and updated by the respective cluster lead agencies, and which gives the public and the community leaders information on upcoming events of interest. Those interested in researching on statements and comments made on CEP, can check out the Newsroom and also the Events calendar for programmes (which would be uploaded if available). Those with ideas and suggestions can contact the respective cluster lead agencies or the CEP Secretariat (in MHA) under the Contact Us section. Or they can email feedback using the form at the Feedback page.
A Singapore United
7 “The Government will facilitate networking among leaders so that they know one another well. It will provide resources, such as publications and videos, to help strengthen knowledge and skills. But in order for the CEP to be sustainable over the long run, the community must take ownership and shape the CEP such that it is their own, for they know their domain best,” said DPM Wong.
8 He added, “Community engagement is always work-in-progress. The job is never finished.”
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
24 March 2007
Reference:
Annex A – Factsheet giving more details on the portal and the national seminar
Annex B – (29 Jan 07) Comments from DPM and Minister for Home Affairs Mr Wong Kan Seng on the Community Engagement Programme
Annex A
Factsheet
Singapore United – the portal for the Community Engagement Programme
Public Space
(1) The portal will have a calendar which lists upcoming, present and past CEP-related events and activities. Members of the public can access the calendar to find out details of the events such as venue, objectives, contact details and even download the entry into their personal mobile calendar systems. Brochures and photos, where available, are included in the events calendar.
(2) Singapore United has archival capabilities where materials and resources can be stored on the portal. Over time, the portal will become an on-line repository for CEP-related information and materials. It will facilitate research in CEP-related matters.
(3) Users can subscribe to the RSS feed which is available for certain pages such as Highlights. The subscriber will then be updated automatically whenever a new article is posted.
Log-in Space (under construction; available to community leaders at a later date)
(4) The log-in space will have a discussion forum for community leaders to share views, ideas and experience on CEP-related issues on a confidential basis. The forum will also facilitate networking among community leaders between and across clusters.
(5) The portal will be able to send out e-mail bulletins to community leaders to keep them informed and updated.
(6) During crisis times, this may be a platform when information will be disseminated and shared with the community leaders.
(1) On Background of the Community Engagement Programme (CEP)
(1) The Community Engagement Programme, launched by PM Lee Hsien Loong at a dialogue session with community leaders on 9 February 2006, seeks to develop strong and deep networks of trust and vigilance among the different racial and religious communities.
(2) While the Government and its emergency forces play an important role in managing a crisis situation, should one arise, the community plays an equally important role in maintaining calm and ensuring that it is business as usual for our society. The CEP therefore aims to coordinate and mobilise the support of various segments of our society to enhance the psychological and social resilience of Singaporeans, helping them to remain calm and confident in the aftermath of a crisis.
(3) The Programme is led by the Ministerial Committee for Community Engagement chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng. The Committee is in turn supported by six government coordinating agencies in their respective clusters. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the overall coordinating agency, with support by the corresponding agencies, as follows:
| Cluster | Supporting Agency |
| Religious groups, ethnic associations and voluntary welfare organisations | Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports |
| Educational Institutions | Ministry of Education |
| Media and the Arts | Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts |
| Businesses and unions | Ministry of Manpower |
| Grassroots organisations | People’s Association |
(4) National Seminar 2007 - Facts and Figures
(1) There were about 500 participants at the seminar.
(2) Participants were given a security update, followed by a briefing on the respective clusters’ response plans.
(3) A/P Ho Peng Kee (Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs) chaired the Panel discussion for the National Seminar. Other panel members were
a. Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State (Health) and (Communication, Information and The Arts);
b. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State (Community Development and Sports);
c. Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State (Education and Manpower); and
d. Mr Zainudin Nordin, Mayor (Central Singapore District), Chairman of OnePeople.sg, and member of the People’s Association Board.
Translation:
Singapore United - the portal for the Community Engagement Programme
新 连 心- 社 区 参与 计 划 网 站
Singapore United - portal bagi Program Mendekati Masyarakat
சிங்கப்பூர் யுனைடட் - சமூக ஈடுபாட்டுத் திட்டதிற்கான இணையத்தளம்
Annex B
(Issued 29 Jan 07)
Comments from DPM and Minister for Home Affairs Mr Wong Kan Seng on the Community Engagement Programme (or CEP)
Facing Terrorism
"When the Jemaah Islamiyah episode arose in late 2001, we had to confront the larger implications of this episode and its potential impact to create mistrust between Muslim and non-Muslim Singaporeans. Our response had to be more than one involving security measures to neutralise the threat.
2 So the Prime Minister and Cabinet members held two dialogues with 1,700 community and grassroot leaders to ensure that the issue, although sensitive, was dealt with transparently; to ensure that we do not allow distortions and misconceptions which may target Islam and our Muslims. The communication continued after the dialogue, as our MPs went down to ground to do the same with their constituents.
3 This political response is not something common in other countries. Some foreign visitors told me they would not have been able to do this in their own countries. We are fortunate to be able to do this because over the years we have built good relations among our communities and between them and the Government.
After London 7/7
4 However after the London incidents in July 2005, we asked ourselves whether we should do more. The threat of extremist terrorism was not going away and increasingly, we see involvement by homegrown elements. We asked ourselves ‘how would our people react after a terrorist attack in Singapore? Especially if the perpetrators were homegrown?’. While we think that our good communal relations built up over the years would stand us in good stead, we also realised that this is not to be taken for granted.
| Extremist rhetoric and sensitive political developments around the world can have a bearing on our people over time. We must prepare our people to be psychologically and socially resilient. |
5 Firstly, we must counter the extremist ideology. In this regard, our Muslim religious leaders have been active to counter the distortions of Islam which extremist and terrorist elements purvey.
6 Secondly, we know that it could be difficult for communities to remain calm and avoid knee-jerk reactions after a crisis has happened. Communities need to trust each other and know what needs to be done before any crisis strikes. A mental and emotional commitment to good relations is important.
But we need to do more – we need to exercise and prepare people to know what to do and what to expect in a crisis. This was the background to the Community Engagement Programme or CEP.
What is CEP
7 The CEP is a long-term effort to strengthen our social cohesion and harmony so that we are better equipped to respond, should there be a terrorist attack in Singapore. It is an extension of our established efforts to involve the community in tackling safety and security issues at the local neighbourhood level, learning specific skills in emergency preparedness such as first aid and response to fires. We want to bring together Singaporeans from different communities, to take part in response plans dealing with potential communal tensions after an incident, e.g a terrorist bomb explosion.
8 In the dialogue sessions and discussions, we have received good feedback and views. One recurrent view is that:
| in order for the CEP to be self-sustaining, it needs to be facilitated by Government but driven from bottom-up. People and groups need to take ownership of initiatives. | |
| This is something experienced grassroots leaders and activists tell me as well. |
Ground knows Domain Best
9 Hence one of the things we want to avoid is creating new layers of organizations and structures. The Government can facilitate and offer support and resources to help the process along. People on the ground know their own domains best.
10 There have been ground-up initiatives, whether at the community or neighbourhoold levels, eg the Yuhua CEP workshop and forum on religions for community leaders from Chua Chu Kang, Kim Keat and Yew Tee. To take ownership of CEP, the groups and their leaders will have to come up with their own ideas and activities. To be sustainable, it would need to ride on what they are currently doing.
Inter-Communal Relations
11 We cannot take for granted the good inter-communal relations built up over the years. We should build on our strengths, and initiate dialogue and organise activities to deepen the trust and understanding.
12 This cannot be done by the Government alone. While the Government can facilitate and offer support and resources to help the process along, bottom-up initiatives to promote inter-faith understanding and bring people of different races and religions together are necessary.
13 On the ground, there have recently been a number of dialogues focused on building inter-faith dialogues, eg one by ISEAS (“How to fight Extremism through interfaith dialogue and interfaith cooperation”, 19 Jan) and another by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and Peace Matters (“Promoting peace: the role of interfaith and intrafaith dialogue”, 27 Jan). The Harmony Centre, together with the MUIS Academy and the Hartford Seminary, recently had its first interfaith training programme.
Building on Existing Activities
14 We want to avoid creating new layers of organisations and structures, wherever possible. Instead, we want to tap existing organisations and their activities. For instance, if a grassroots group is planning an emergency exercise,
| the organisers should not just look at the operational issues of evacuation, rescue and so on, but also look at how to address any adverse communal fall-out. They may also organise themselves to watch out for and report ground sentiments like misconceptions or rumours which undermine racial/religious relations and actively work with the authorities to keep communal calm on the ground. |
15 We want to establish ties and build rapport among the various communities and facilitate better understanding of each other’s cultures, beliefs and practices. We want the leaders to get to know one another well. This is to help minimize the possibility of racial or religious misunderstanding, and the resultant communal tension. However,
| for the CEP to be sustainable in the long run, the community must take ownership and shape the CEP such that it is their plan and not the government’s edict. |
16 So every effort from the ground is good. What we don’t want is a situation where in a crisis, community leaders who have to work together to diffuse communal tensions are seeing each other or talking to each other for the first time!
Facilitation of Networking
17 The Government will facilitate networking among leaders so that they know one another well. We hope that this networking will lead to a situation where in a crisis, the leaders will respond not as strangers calling each other, but of people who have met, discussed and exercised plans together; people who can pick up the phone and discuss how they can cooperate and help calm the ground.
18 We will continue this invaluable communication and dialogue process. The five cluster lead agencies have started engaging their respective community leaders at workshops and seminars. On 13 Jan, for instance, MCYS held a CEP workshop with the IRCC groups. Other cluster leads have or will be organising their workshops too. The various groups have to consider what they need and what they plan to do. In late March, we will have a national seminar that brings all the clusters together. Outside of these workshops and seminars, the dialogues should continue, as the community leaders communicate with their cluster lead agencies and vice versa.
| Community engagement is always work-in-progress. The job is never finished. |
Security Reflex and Resources for Empowerment
19 The Government will also provide the leadership and resources to empower groups and organisations on the ground to develop a security reflex and crisis mitigation competencies relevant to their area of natural interest and knowledge.
20 To this end, our SCDF and Police are expanding their emergency training resources to support development of such competencies within communities; likewise other agencies will grow their programmes whether in training for counselling or in how to draw up contingency and continuity plans.
21 There are other initiatives in the pipeline, the details of which will be announced in due course:
Reaching out to the Foreign Residents
22 We should find ways to also address the foreign resident constituency in the country. In this regard, MOM has been looking at the issue of engaging foreign workers under the CEP. One of our Police divisions (J division) has also piloted a programme to establish a liaison channel to reach out to groups of foreign workers living in common dormitories [1]. The SCDF has also done so for fire safety in such dorms with some success [2]. For immigrants who have become Permanent Residents or citizens, we will engage them like we do with all Singaporeans.
23 For example, Singaporeans can start by inviting those foreigners who are working here for a dialogue to understand them better. Over time, mutual confidence trust and confidence will be built up. In times of crisis, they can help each other.”
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
29 January 2007
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[1] Singapore Police Force: “The objective of the Foreign National Crime Prevention Ambassador Project is to promote crime prevention awareness amongst the current foreign community through the appointment of foreign nationals as ambassadors to their fellow foreign nationals. The project started out as a pilot project in Feb 06 by Nanyang Neighbourhood Police Centre with SCAL Dormitories, where ambassadors were trained by NPC Officers to spread the crime prevention message. With the success of the trial which allowed messages to be more effectively conveyed to their fellow foreign nationals, the scheme will be extended to other NPCs in Jurong Police Division and new ambassadors from various nationalities residing at major dormitories will be appointed in a ceremony in late February/early March.”
[2] Singapore Civil Defence Force: “The cluster lead agencies have started engaging their respective community leaders at workshops and seminars. Engagement of workers, including foreign workers, will be one area that the cluster led by MOM will look into. It is work-in-progress, as the job of community engagement is never finished.”