Comrades
Ladies and Gentlemen
Last week, all of us learnt about the details of the arrests of 15 persons for terrorist-related activities. I am sure I am not alone in saying that I was acutely surprised by the details revealed by the Internal Security Department (ISD).
This week, the reactions to the arrests were very much in the news. It was a hot topic of discussion. The NTUC held a dialogue with union leaders yesterday. At the dialogue, grassroots union leaders expressed shock at the extent of the terrorist plot. They were surprised that these persons were planning to commit these acts. At the same time, they were reassured that the Singapore authorities have acted swiftly and resolutely. There is no doubt that if these acts were carried out, there would certainly be loss of lives and property.
Many have asked: How could this have happened? Personally, I do not know the full extent of how and why these Singaporeans were acting for the interest of foreign terrorist groups. Some people have also asked me: how should we react and what should we do? This is the issue that I want to talk about today.
The arrested persons are ordinary Singaporeans
Of the 15 persons arrested by the ISD, two were released with restriction orders that prohibit their contact with any terrorist organisation. The other 13 were served with detention orders for two years. 14 of them are Singaporeans. Looking at their details, we cannot help but notice that they are ordinary Singaporeans, just like many of us.
They lived in HDB flats. They went to Singapore national schools, not madrasahs. Some were tertiary-educated. They were gainfully employed: managers, businessmen, driver, printer, technicians and an engineer. Many of them did national service – 6 of them in the armed forces and were reservists. They are our neighbours, our colleagues in our workplaces, our buddies during national service, and even our friends. They are not the socially marginalised or disadvantaged. When the newspapers interviewed people who knew them, some said that they were shocked that these people whom they knew were involved in the terrorist-related activities.
From the media reports in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, I recalled that there was a sense that “the enemy is among us.” Americans could not believe that the terrorists could enter the country, plot their acts of violence and were detected only after the attacks were carried out. In our case, the persons arrested by the ISD are ordinary Singaporeans. Some may ask: So is Singapore now unsafe? NO! And I say it firmly and confidently.
Importance of social defence: how well do we know our neighbours and colleagues?
I feel sad that these Singaporeans were motivated to act in the interest of foreign terrorist groups. Perhaps with further investigation, the ISD may reveal more details of why these Singaporeans acted the way they did. This group of Singaporeans is a small fringe minority. The vast majority of mainstream Muslims are against them. Islam is a religion of peace, not violence.
Yes, the arrested persons are ordinary Singaporeans, but we must not let this incident make us suspicious of the people around us. More importantly, we must not look at Malay and Muslim Singaporeans the same way we look at these arrested persons. If we do so, it will only weaken the social and religious harmony that we have painstakingly taken many years to build. During the 1950s and 1960s, there were communist cells in Chinese schools. It did not mean that all Chinese school students were communists. During the 1980s a plot by some Marxists was found within the Catholic community. It did not mean that all Catholics were Marxists. This time some Muslims have become terrorists, but it does not mean that all Muslims are terrorists. Far from it, the vast majority are Singaporeans, practising their religion of peace.
We are all familiar with the five pillars of Total Defence. Social defence is one of the five pillars. What is social defence? We should spend time thinking about social defence in the light of this incident. To put it simply, social defence makes it possible for our people to live and work together in harmony. It is the willingness of citizens to help one another, regardless of race, language or religion. And this incident is a test of our social defence. This is not new. During the race riots of the 1960s, Malays protected their Chinese neighbours and Chinese protected their Malay neighbours in the kampongs where they grew up together.
Social defence is our first line of defence against such terrorist acts. Our security, especially in the context of this kind of threat, lies very much on effective intelligence. And effective intelligence is possible only with strong social defence, when we know our neighbours and colleagues well. When the ties within a neighbourhood are strong, it is much more difficult for trouble-makers to create mischief. And grassroots union leaders like you play an important role in social defence.
Grassroots union leaders’ role in social defence
As a grassroots union leader, your key role is to protect workers in the workplaces. You represent workers, such as when you negotiate collective agreements with the management. Your role in building Singapore’s economic competitiveness is well-recognised and regarded. By working in tri-partite partnership with the government and employers, you play a part in Singapore’s economic success and strengthen our economic defence.
At the same time, you too play a role in our social defence by foster closer ties in the workplace. You help workers when there are problems, disputes, or grievances in their workplaces. You provide leadership and you act as role models. By showing care and concern for the workers, you strengthen the bond at the workplaces and this reinforces our social “glue” which holds Singaporeans together. At the dialogue yesterday, I am glad that many union leaders recognise that they do play a role in social defence.
I want to share with you what happened at a recent grassroots dialogue session I attended. At the dialogue, a Chinese grassroots leader stood up and asked me whether employers would continue to treat Malay Muslim workers fairly in the light of recent developments. I was glad that he asked the question, not only because he raised a pertinent point, but also because it showed his genuine concern for his Malay Muslim colleagues. He was able to see the issues beyond language, race and religion. I replied that we expect all employers to look at the issues the same way as he did. Employers should be alive to the sensitivities. No worker must be treated any less fairly just because he is a Malay, Muslim or any other race or religion, and it is not just for now but it must always be so. At the same time, we should not jump to the conclusion that disciplinary action taken in a company is an act of discrimination.
Conclusion: the incident will make us stronger
The ISD has said that its investigations are continuing. It added that several suspects have fled Singapore and efforts are being made to locate them. We will hear more about the developments of this event in the future.
This incident is a test of our social cohesion and strength. And we must come out of it stronger. We must show the world that Singapore remains a safe place, to visit, to live and to work. Otherwise not only will there be fewer tourists, foreign investments will also not come in. Worst, the investors in Singapore today may exit if they don’t feel safe. We are in the trough of a recession, with many jobs lost. At the same time more jobs are being lost by the restructuring of companies. If investors lose confidence and pull out, there will be fewer jobs and a lower standard of living. It is the ordinary Singaporeans who will suffer. We must not let this happen. If it does, those planning to destabilise Singapore would have succeeded, without even letting off any single bomb. To reassure investors, all Singaporeans – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – must condemn unequivocally the terrorists acts. We must not allow a fringe minority to claim they speak for the majority. The recent events tend to highlight differences in race and religion. We must highlight our common ground, broaden and deepen the common ground, not accentuate our differences.
The stakes in this test of resolve are high. But I say with confidence that Singapore can pass the test. Those that threaten our social cohesion will only find that it will bring Singaporeans closer together. As a nation and as a people, we will be stronger and more resilient.
Finally, let me say something about this garden reception. This is the first time that the NTUC’s Leadership Development Department and six unions have come together to organise such a reception. We want to show our recognition for your contributions and sacrifices as a union leader. Looking ahead, your tasks will only get heavier. Not only do you have to continue to protect the interest of workers especially in this time of economic difficulties, you also have to help foster closer ties at our workplace. This is crucial for Singapore to succeed. I am confident that you can take on the greater responsibilities. Let us work together, to overcome the economic downturn, to preserve social cohesion and to ensure Singapore’s future success.
