Impact on Singapore's Social Fabric when Religious Leaders are Trained Overseas

89 Mr Alex Yam asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the impact on Singapore's social fabric when more religious leaders are now being trained overseas; (b) how the Ministry works with religious organisations to ensure Singapore's multicultural values are upheld; and (c) what proactive measures are in place to strengthen social cohesion and safeguarding against the import of divisive foreign ideologies, while respecting individuals’ freedom to seek religious formation.

Mr David Neo: Religious leaders in Singapore play an important role. They promote values like care and compassion and help their congregants navigate contemporary issues in a multicultural and multi-religious society.

It is crucial that religious teachers in Singapore are committed to maintaining social harmony, regardless of whether they are trained locally or abroad.

Hence, we welcome efforts by our religious communities to train religious teachers who are grounded in the Singaporean context, such as through the Trinity Theological College, St Francis Xavier Major Seminary, and the Buddhist College of Singapore. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) also conducts the Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies (PCICS) course to equip returning asatizah with the knowledge and skills to provide religious leadership for the Muslim community and is establishing the Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) to train future asatizah locally.

Programmes are also in place to promote continual social mixing and improve mutual understanding between communities. For instance, our Racial and Religious Harmony Circles organise events and dialogues to build understanding and trust among different racial and religious groups.

We need individuals and communities to continue to build trust and embrace our differences in order to build a cohesive society where everyone can live together harmoniously.