Meat which 'appears to be pork' found in parcel sent to mosque in Serangoon, says Shanmugam

SINGAPORE: The suspicious parcel sent to Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon contained a piece of meat that "appears to be pork" at first sight, said Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Thursday (Sep 25).

Mr Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, told reporters that checks are still being done to confirm the type of meat.

Regardless, he said it was "obviously inflammatory" to send it to a place of worship in this way. 

"But if it is pork and it's sent to a mosque, you can see the implications. It's much worse," said Mr Shanmugam. "Whatever the motive, this is playing with fire."

Authorities are treating this matter very seriously and will deal firmly with anyone found responsible, he added.

Mr Shanmugam also said this was not the first incident and that there have been "other similar cases" of meat being sent to other mosques recently, which police are investigating. He did not elaborate.

On Wednesday evening, the Singapore Police Force was alerted to the case of the parcel being delivered to the mosque, and worked with the Singapore Civil Defence Force to evacuate the building as a precaution. 

Hazardous materials (HazMat) specialists conducted checks with detectors and found no hazardous substances. One person was assessed for breathlessness and taken to Sengkang General Hospital.

Mr Shanmugam said on Thursday that the lady has been discharged from the hospital. 

Police have since stepped up visits to mosques and will continue to do so, he added.

"We will do whatever we can to ensure that our places of worship remain safe."

In April 2024, a 30-year-old man was sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail for stealing two cans of pork from a supermarket and placing them on a shelf at the entrance of Al-Ansar Mosque in Bedok North.

"Targeting a place of worship is completely unacceptable," said Mr Shanmugam. "We have zero tolerance for these sorts of actions. People really should be able to practice their religion in an atmosphere of trust and faith, and with mutual respect. 

"(In) some countries, these sorts of incidents are very common. They are deliberate. They create distrust between communities. They deepen divides," he added. 

"The same can happen here if we are not careful. So how we react to these incidents is very important."

He said Al-Istiqamah Mosque's leadership has called for calm, that prayers continued as usual for its congregants on Thursday morning and that the atmosphere was peaceful. 

"I understand leaders and members of other faiths have also spoken out to express their concerns about the incident. That shows the solidarity, and that's the Singapore way."

The minister also briefly referenced two cases in recent years – that of the Catholic priest who was stabbed at St. Joseph's Church in November 2024, and of the 2020 detention of a 16-year-old who was planning to conduct attacks on two mosques.

"It's not possible for us to turn all places of worship into cantonments ... Our places of worship should not be, cannot be turned into fortresses," he said.

"They are open places, open for the public. Police will act based on intelligence, and places of worship also have their own security arrangements." 

"We will do what is sensible to protect public safety," said Mr Shanmugam.

COMMUNITY GROUPS SPEAK OUT AGAINST INCIDENT

On Thursday, various community groups spoke out against the incident.

Dr Janil Puthucheary, chairman of OnePeople.sg, a ground-up advocacy body for inter-racial and inter-religious understanding in Singapore, said in a Facebook post that the group is "deeply concerned" by the incident. 

"Places of worship must always remain safe spaces for prayer, reflection, and community life. Acts that threaten the peace and mutual respect we cherish have no place in our society. Singapore’s strength lies in its diversity.

He added that Singapore's resilience as a nation depends on its ability to embrace differences and stand together in times of challenge.

"We stand with our Muslim community, and with all faith communities, to uphold the values of peace, mutual respect, and harmony," he said.

The Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) expressed "deep concern" over what happened. 

"Singapore's mosques, temples, churches, and other places of worship are sanctuaries for many. They must continue to be safe, peaceful spaces for all who seek solace, reflection, and communal worship."

IRO added that it takes a strong stand against actions that threaten the peace and safety of such places of worship and undermine religious harmony.

"An act against one religion is an act against all religions. We stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters and pray for continued peace and harmony in our multicultural society."

Harmony Circles, a platform that promotes racial and religious harmony, said that such an act has no place in Singapore's diverse society. 

"Our thoughts are with the mosque management, the mosque staff who required medical attention and our Muslim community," said Harmony Circle's coordinating council in a Facebook post, adding that Serangoon Harmony Circle is in touch with the mosque leaders.

"This incident also reinforces the importance of standing together as one community. Instead of letting fear and division, let us choose solidarity — to support one another, to remain calm, and strengthen the bonds of trust that underpin our diverse society."