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SINGAPORE: Mr Zaqy Mohamad, MP for Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), has said young Singaporeans must take on the work of sustaining inter-faith dialogue and harmony, even as Singapore has come a long way in embracing religious diversity.
He was speaking at an inter-faith Vesak Day celebration organised by the Buddhist Fellowship on Tuesday. He said it bodes well for Singapore that a Malay-Muslim MP such as himself has been invited to officiate at the event.
Mr Zaqy said Singaporeans have become more respectful of religious observances of others and asking someone about his or her dietary restrictions before planning a meal together has become a common practice.
"The food retail market has also grown to accommodate more diversity. We're seeing more Halal restaurants, and more vegetarian dishes being accommodated at events," he added.
"While it is easy for us to discuss commonalities across faiths and religions, the difficult challenge for us is to talk about differences.....Quite a lot of effort that we need to do to just sit down, be able to understand each other and have that level of trust before we can start talking about differences," said Mr Zaqy.
Religious harmony, he said, must never be taken for granted.
Mr Zaqy also said that it is important for young Singaporeans to take on the work of sustaining inter-faith dialogue and felt this has to be done through more face-to-face meetings rather than online.
He said: "For such a sensitive area like inter-faith, there needs to be more than just a regular online platform; there has to be more governance, education; there has to be more context to it and perhaps some leaders to lead discussion. It's sometimes hard to talk about religious context without a deep understanding...you may even end up giving out more misconceptions than the truth."
With party renewal talk surrounding the People's Action Party (PAP), the 36-year-old Young PAP leader was also asked if the public can expect more young MPs at public events.
He said younger MPs will start to gain profile and acceptance soon and added that he hopes to see more of them coming forward.
- CNA/ir
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