1                Today’s event is simple, symbolic but meaningful.  It is to plant a permanent landmark at Stamford Green to remind us of the importance of religious harmony in our lives.

2                In the aftermath of September 11, my biggest fear was its impact on religious harmony in Singapore.  I feared that a terrorist act in Singapore could cause great misunderstanding and distrust between Singaporeans of different religions.  Once distrust set in, the Singapore fabric could begin to tear.  Fortunately, what I feared did not happen.  It did not happen because we moved in quickly to engage our religious and community leaders to explain the meaning of September 11 and the aborted terrorist plot against Singapore.  We explained to our people the risks to Singapore if we allowed external events to affect us.  Our people understood because we have built up trust between them and the Government and between people of different faiths.  Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to strengthen this trust further.  I am a firm believer that in multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore, we must never take harmony for granted.  In this interconnected world, external religious conflicts can have a knock-on effect on Singapore.

3                So I asked Chan Soo Sen, who was then Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Community Development and Sports, to work with key religious leaders to draft a code on religious harmony for Singapore.  The religious leaders formed the Inter-Religious Harmony Circle or IRHC, and after an inclusive process involving much consultation, developed the Declaration on Religious Harmony.  Today, the IRHC continues to promote the spirit behind the Declaration through inter-religious projects centred on universal values shared by different religions.

4                Singaporeans, especially young Singaporeans, may not wonder at our harmonious multi-racial and multi-religious society.  However, foreign visitors, who have seen religious tension and suspicions in other countries, have often expressed surprise and admiration at how well integrated the people of different races and religions are in Singapore.  They are struck by how places of worship of different faiths are located side-by-side, and how religious organisations participate in each other’s major celebrations.  They are amazed that people of different races and religions live peacefully in the same block and along the same corridor in public housing estates.  They eat in the same food centre, sometimes on the same table, and play in the same community club.  This happy state of affairs did not come about by chance.  It is the result of the continuing, concerted and constructive efforts by all to nurture a harmonious society.

5                How did we achieve this?  The primary reason is a fair and just government.  We treat all religions with respect.  We do not allow the majority to overwhelm the minority.  We ensure that no one is discriminated against or disadvantaged because of his race, language or religion.

6                Our Constitution provides for the freedom to profess, practise and promote one’s religion.  There are institutional and legal safeguards to ensure racial and religious harmony, for example, the Presidential Council for Minority Rights and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.  Our Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system ensures that ethnic minorities will always be represented in sufficient numbers in Parliament.  Through policies and practices, our different communities are well-integrated in public housing estates and in schools.  Besides preventing the formation of ethnic enclaves, this provides opportunities for Singaporeans of different races and religions to mix and integrate.  The efforts of the government are complemented by our religious organisations, which increasingly incorporate an inter-faith dimension within their own celebrations.  They collaborate on projects which bring about greater understanding across religious communities.

7                Religion has a powerful influence on the values, attitudes and behaviours of people.  Religious communities therefore play a crucial role in the stability of any society.  In Singapore, we are fortunate to have responsible religious and community leaders who speak up for shared values, tolerate differences, and understand and respect diversity.  I commend the IRHC, the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony, the apex religious organisations, the Inter-Religious Organisation and the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles for the good work that they have done.   With advancements in information technology, irresponsible, incendiary messages can now be easily disseminated to the public through emails, blogs, discussion forums or on-line videos.  We therefore need to be even more vigilant in our efforts to maintain religious harmony in Singapore.

8                Today, we are planting trees in the heart of Singapore as a symbolic act of our commitment to harmony between religions.  These trees, planted close to one another, reaffirm that all of us, whatever our religions, have a place in Singapore.  Like religious harmony, these trees will require delicate care and constant nurturing.  They will grow strong and tall, and be an enduring symbol of our peaceful co-existence, a tribute to our religious harmony, and an inspiration for our future generations to carry on this legacy.

9                I wish all of you a pleasant day.  Thank you.