Dear Residents
You would have read the media reports in the last two days on the comments made by Pastor Rony Tan at one of his evangelism sharing sessions. When the comments were brought to my attention, I was surprised and disappointed that a senior pastor had made such comments. What he said had angered Singaporeans who are not Buddhists and Taoists, let alone believers of these two faiths.
The Internal Security Department called up Pastor Tan for investigation. He admitted his mistake and made a public apology. He also personally apologised to the Buddhists and Taoist leaders. He promised not to do it again. That was the right thing to do.
I am heartened to see that the Buddihist and Taoist religious leaders have handled this responsibly and maturely. The Buddhist Federation President Venerable Kwang Sheng and Taoist Federation Chairman Mr Tan Thiam Lye, while understandably upset, have graciously accepted Pastor Tan’s apology and urged restraint on the part of their religious communities.
The Government has been very clear about the OB markers concerning sensitive matters like religion and race. While each of us is free to propagate our religious beliefs, it cannot be done at the expense of insulting or ridiculing the beliefs of others.
What happened, I hope, can bring about a deeper understanding among the various faiths in Singapore. Mutual respect, tolerance and restraint are critical to maintaining communal peace and harmony in our multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. Religious leaders must lead and set the right example.
Singaporeans too can draw an important lesson from this episode. What happened showed how a single act can create tensions in our multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. I can never emphasise enough that while Singapore is peaceful today, we cannot be lulled into complacency in believing that racial and religious conflicts can never happen in Singapore.
Finally, may I wish all residents a Happy, Prosperous Lunar New Year and Good Health.
Wong Kan Seng
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