STATEMENT BY MR YATIMAN YUSOF
SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY (MITA) AND MP FOR TAMPINES GRC

Following the September 11 incident, there have been worldwide reactions on the possible causes and the implications on Muslims around the world. In multi-racial Singapore the debate on the issue has taken a new perspective following the arrest by the Singapore Internal Security Department of 15 members of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI).

In Singapore, the Muslim community from all walks of life have expressed their horror, condemnation, regret and concerns on the terrorists' plan to undermine the peace and stability of our multi-racial and multi-religious life. These people - from political leaders to religious, community and mosques organisations, professional bodies and man in the street, have unequivocally rejected the act and dissociated themselves from what the JI were doing. They were united in saying that there is no place for such violent acts in Islam.

However, a local newspaper recently carried an interview with one Mr Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff, the chief executive officer of Fateha group, on the issue. This attracted the foreign media's attention. In an interview with BBC and FEER, Mr Zulfikar made, inter alia, the following claims:

(1) that he spoke as a leader of the Muslim community in Singapore and that the Muslim MPs are not the leaders of Singapore's Muslim community,

(2) that the JI members' actions were prompted by the "Singapore Government aligning itself so closely to the US and Israel",

(3) that the Government are "propagandising the JI issue" and "instead of just saying that these people are alleged terrorists, they (the government) will just say that these people are terrorists". By implication, he is saying that the JI members, who planned bomb attacks on various targets, including the Yishun MRT station, are merely alleged terrorists. In other words they are not yet terrorists.

I would like to refute the above claims and tell you who Mr Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff is and what he represents.

Mr Zulfikar started fateha.com in June last year. The Straits Times reports that he has about 20 people in his group. He is not a member of any Malay/Muslim organisation, the mosques or professional body.

How can a person with such standing claim to be the spokesman for the Malay/Muslim community? Singapore is a small country and Singaporeans know who the national and community leaders are. They are the best judges. However, foreigners who are unfamiliar with the Singapore social scene would take the report on face value and take him as the voice of the Muslims. This is erroneous and must be corrected.

He has repeatedly claimed that the Malay/Muslim MPs are incompetent in protecting the interests of the community and Islamic religion. The Malay/Muslim MPs may not represent every Muslim in Singapore. No group or individual can rightly claim so. However, the Malay MPs have in the past more than four decades, worked with various Malay/Muslim organisations and the Government towards:

(1) the betterment of the community,

(2) creating the legal and social infrastructures to meet the community's social, religious and cultural needs, including the setting up of the Syariah Court, establishing Mendaki, building the mosques and
administrating the collection of tithes, zakat and managing the haj pilgrimage, and

(3) making representations to the government on the community's concerns and needs.

Together, we have created a modern, educated, skilled and confident Muslim community and prepared them for the knowledge-based economy.

What has Mr Zulfikar done and where was he all these years? How can he claim that he represents the Muslim community when his behaviour while speaking at the Convention organised by the Association of Muslim Professionals was such that the officials were prompted to ask him to leave the hall?

He rejects the manner the Muslim Religious Council (MUIS) and Mendaki were structured and managed. He said only the ulamas are fit to be the President and Council Members of MUIS and these positions must be filled through limited election or nomination from the community.

Through his numerous postings on the Internet, it is clear that he is fighting for the creation of a purist Muslim society without due regard to the multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore. In doing so he is bringing the Muslim into direct conflict with the rest of the country and pitting the Muslims against one another, thus splitting the Muslim community and undermining the harmonious relationship among the races in Singapore.

His postings on the Internet are full of bigotry. He used uncultured language that is not acceptable. He called Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong a bigot, the Singapore Government as racist government and Malay MPs as cowards. In doing so, he is fanning the hatred feeling among the people.

He said that the JI members' actions were prompted by the "Singapore Government aligning itself so closely to the US and Israel" following the S11 incident and its position on the Palestinian issue. As the Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said, this was totally incorrect. The ISD had acted on the JI members on 9 Dec 2001. On the Palestinian issue, our position as stated in the UN was clear.

In conclusion, Mr Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff is taking the Muslim community into a dangerous zone. I would like to urge the entire Muslim community to reject and isolate him.

19 JANUARY 2002

Source: Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore