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Singapore Says Malays and Their Rights Not Threatened
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| Muslims in Singapore denounce terrorism |
Report By Kazi Mahmood
SINGAPORE, Jan. 7 (IslamOnline) - The Government of Singapore went on a damage control exercise Monday, assuring the public -- Muslims in particular -- that there was no need to panic, as the arrests of 15 people there have disrupted a terrorist network, IslamOnline correspondent in Singapore reported.
There is no information of any imminent attack, the government said, adding that the rights of Malay-Muslims in the country were not under threat following the recent developments.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Tony Tan, said Sunday, 6 January, that the arrests of 15 people in an “anti-terrorism sweep” will not change the government's policy of allowing Muslim Singaporeans to join the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), whether as regulars or national servicemen.
Tan said that Singapore could not afford to practice discrimination against any race or depart from the principle of meritocracy, which is the bedrock of social cohesion there.
“For SAF, meritocracy means that so long as the person is committed to Singapore, dedicated to SAF and capable of doing his job, he'll have a role to play,” he said.
Tan said the SAF had a rigorous screening system to safeguard national security.
He added that some of the 15 persons recently arrested by the Internal Security Department (ISD) were national servicemen holding junior positions, mainly in the support vocations of the armed forces.
“We have to face facts and SAF manages the realities of race and religion carefully and sensitively,” he said.
In 2000, Malays, grouped under the Association of Malay Professionals (AMP), sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister of Singapore urging for larger roles for Malays in the Military.
They argued that Malay-Muslims do not hold important posts in the army and that it was unfair that they were treated this way.
The AMP also argued that Malays in the country needed to be given their own communal leadership, departing from the traditional appointments made by the ruling government on who would represent the Malays in the Cabinet.
Singapore’s veteran politician, Lee Kuan Yew, lambasted the AMP. He criticized it for attempting to marginalize the Malays in a multi-cultural society.
He urged the AMP to reconsider its requests and to accept the fact that in a largely Chinese environment, the Malays were lucky to have proper representations in the cabinet.
In agreement with the move by the Singapore government to arrest the Muslim activists under the strict and infamous Internal Security Act (ISA), Malay Muslim leaders have urged Singapore Muslims to remain calm.
Muslim Affairs Minister, Abdullah Tarmugi, on Saturday urged Muslims to show that they did not support terrorism, and non-Muslims to distinguish between the network's activities and Islam.
Tarmugi described the arrests at “our doorsteps” as a wake-up call to Singaporeans that terrorism was a worldwide phenomenon.
Zainul Abidin Rasheed, mayor of the North-east Community Development Council, urged all Muslim and non-Muslim Singaporeans to “stand strong and united” against terrorism and extremism both at home and worldwide.
Minister of State for Community Development and Sports, Yaacob Ibrahim, voiced the same concerns as Tarmugi.
“We know that this will bring about a change in the perception of other communities towards us, so it's important to show others we are loyal to the country and prove that we do not condone such terrorist activities.”
He added that the Malay-Muslim community must be firm against those who pursue their own narrow interests that threaten national security.
“We should support efforts to extinguish extremism within our midst and protect the interests of the vast majority of Muslims and also of our fellow Singaporeans.”
Mendaki chief, Rozlan Giri, freshly appointed to the post by Tarmugi, called on the community to remain calm and objective.
“We should not be defensive about things," he said. "Law enforcement agencies are there to protect you whether you are a Malay-Muslim or a non-Malay-Muslim.”
Investigations show that the so-called terrorist group had been allegedly targeting mainly United States assets in Singapore, the authorities said. Officials of the Home Affairs Ministry (MHA) added the targets included the U.S. embassy and U.S. commercial entities.
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