Singapore Prime Minister Voices worry about Religious Extremism ��

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, April 06, 2002

Singapore Prime Minister Voices worry about Religious Extremism ��

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Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong told the Parliament Friday that his country faces serious security threat from terrorism and Islamic militancy and what he is more concerned about is religious activism and extremism.

The prime minister made the remarks at the close of the parliamentary debate on Singapore President S.R. Nathan's address to Parliament.

As the last speaker during the five-day debate which began on Monday, Goh took topics on the lifting of party whip in the parliament, collective ministerial responsibility, Islamic militancy, relations with Malaysia and declining fertility in his country.

In his address, Goh emphasized that Singapore has to deal with a more volatile and less accommodating political environment in the region and the more serious problem Singapore faces is the threat from terrorism and Islamic militancy in the region.

"Singapore was very nearly blown up," he said, referring to thefour tonnes of ammonium nitrate, 1.2 tonnes of TNT and fuses Jemaah Islamiyah group had already acquired for the explosives.

He also revealed that a Singaporean Jemaah Islamiyah fugitive, Mas Selamat Kastari and his four accomplices, who are believed to have fled to Thailand, were suspected to be planning to hijack an aircraft from Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand and crash it into Changi Airport, Singapore.

Commenting on the trend that Malay-Moslems in Singapore had turned to religion to counter the threat that their culture and values might be eroded in the face of the global cultural onslaught, Goh said, "If Singaporeans who are more religious remain engaged with mainstream secular society, there is no problem."

"But if they opt out, this could fracture our social cohesion,"he underlined.

Goh Stressed that extremism comes at the expense of inter-racial and inter-religious interaction and is even more dangerous when the practitioners campaign and compel others to follow their view.

He pointed out that political and religious leaders in other countries are also concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism, quoting leaders of the two largest Moslem organizations in Indonesia as saying at a press conference that the image of Islam had been politicized by certain groups for their vested interest and failure to take stern measures against radicals would pave theway for the birth of another Taliban nation.

"My worry is that some extremist groups will exploit the growing Islamic consciousness in Singapore and in the region to advance their religious or political objectives through radical means," he said.

"All radical Islamic groups in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have objectives to form a pan-regional Islamic state comprising southern Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Philippines and subscribe to the goal of uniting the global Islamic community which is what Al-Qaeda advocates." he added.

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