On the ground: Lee and the PAP Aljunied GRC team meeting with residents during a walkabout at Bedok Reservoir Road Market and Food Centre. — The Straits Times/ANN
Although race and religion have been mixed with politics recently, this is not the way in Singapore, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Referring to social media posts that had called for voters to select candidates along racial and religious lines, the 73-year-old stressed that political parties here are not structured along such lines, unlike the case in Malaysia.
It was for this reason that Lee said he had gone to Tampines yesterday, after a walkabout in Bedok Reservoir with the PAP Aljunied GRC candidates – to show support for Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli.
Masagos is leading the PAP team in Tampines GRC, with the incumbents going up against the WP, National Solidarity Party and People’s Power Party in a rare four-cornered fight.
Speaking to the media outside a supermarket in Tampines Street 81, Lee said despite Masagos being the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, he represents residents of all races and religions in the constituency while also “looking after the interests of all Singaporeans” as a Cabinet member.
“Singaporeans have to understand that and ... the games which are being played online,” he said, citing the Facebook posts made by foreigners that attempted to interfere in Singapore’s May 3 General Election.
On April 25, the authorities said they had directed Meta to block access to posts by two PAS politicians and a former Singaporean who was an Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee.
PAS national treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad had expressed support for WP vice-chairman and Tampines GRC candidate Faisal Manap and also shared several posts showing support for other opposition politicians from the Malay community.
Meanwhile, former ISA detainee Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff, an Australian citizen, had accused several Malay MPs here of failing to represent the interests of the Muslim community.
He said the local Muslim community does not need another Malay MP who does not reflect its concerns.
Speaking to reporters in Malay, Lee said: “We are one people, one united nation, and we are not divided along racial or religious lines. I hope we can continue working like that for the good of our nation and for a brighter future for everyone in Singapore.”
Masagos said that while divisive discourse along racial or religious lines has ceased at the rallies, it continues to be circulated across the Internet and this is “concerning”.
He said: “It just shows that when you start a poison going, it just spreads.”
When asked about the sentiments of residents, Masagos said several had expressed worry when he met them during home visits.
“Especially those who are seniors, they went through racial riots. Some of them actually cried and said they couldn’t sleep,” he said. — The Straits Times/ANN
