SM Teo Chee Hean at the Religious Rehabilitation Group Quarterly Seminar (Apr 2022)

Please scroll down for the English translation of the Malay transcript.

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Kekal Berwaspada Sebagai Sebuah Masyarakat Di Tengah-Tengah Ancaman Baharu

Menteri K Shanmugam
Menteri Masagos Zulkifli
Menteri Negara Dr Faishal Ibrahim
Datuk Bandar Fahmi Aliman
Pengerusi Bersama RRG, Ustaz Ali dan Ustaz Hasbi
Presiden MUIS, Encik Mohd Sa’at
Mufti Ustaz Dr Nazirudin
Para anggota RRG
Hadirin yang dihormati
Tuan-tuan & Puan-puan

Pengenalan

Salam Sejahtera. Saya amat berbesar hati dapat bersama anda di seminar RRG pada hari ini.

Sekitaran luar yang tidak menentu

Selain menangani COVID-19, kita kini juga berdepan dengan dunia yang lebih bermasalah dan tidak menentu. Konflik di Ukraine merupakan isu eksistensial bagi negara-negara kecil seperti Singapura. Tindakan Rusia telah melanggar Piagam PBB yang melarang tindakan kasar terhadap sebuah negara berdaulat.

Kami memandang serius terhadap sebarang pelanggaran prinsip-prinsip teras ini, tidak kira bila dan di mana ia berlaku. Inilah sebabnya Singapura mengutuk keras serangan Rusia ke atas Ukraine. Pada tahun 1983, Singapura juga mengundi tidak menyokong pencerobohan Amerika Syarikat ke atas Grenada di Perhimpunan Agung PBB (UNGA). Dari tahun 1979 hingga tahun 1989, Singapura, bersama negara-negara ASEAN, juga mengundi menentang pencerobohan Kemboja di Perhimpunan Agung PBB sebelas kali.

Di Timur Tengah, Singapura telah mengekalkan sokongannya yang berprinsip terhadap huraian “dua negara”, dengan Israel dan Palestin hidup bersama dalam keadaan aman dan selamat. Singapura, baru-baru ini mengumumkan hasrat untuk membuka Pejabat Perwakilan di Ramallah untuk menyelaraskan bantuan kita kepada Pihak Berkuasa Palestin. Kami telah menggesa kededua pihak Israel dan Palestin untuk berunding secara langsung berdasarkan huraian “dua negara”. Kami percaya bahawa penyelesaian konflik secara aman adalah satu-satunya cara untuk mencapai penyelesaian yang bertahan, adil dan menyeluruh demi keamanan dan keselamatan, sama ada di Timur Tengah, rantau kita, mahupun serata dunia.

Ancaman keganasan yang kian berkembang

Landskap keganasan global kini terus berkembang. Singapura menentang ekstremisme ganas dalam apa jua bentuk, sama ada ISIS mahupun kumpulan ketuanan kulit putih. Penggunaan media sosial yang meningkat di kalangan mereka telah menyumbang kepada peningkatan kes radikalisasi secara sendiri di dunia. Singapura tidak terlepas daripada ancaman ini. Masih lagi terdapat individu yang menjadi radikal secara sendiri, termasuk wanita dan belia, yang telah dipengaruhi ideologi ekstremis ganas dalam talian.

Usaha-usaha RRG

Saya mengucapkan terima kasih kepada RRG atas dedikasi anda menentang radikalisasi dan ekstremisme. Kita baru sahaja memperingati 20 tahun penangkapan Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) di Singapura. Peristiwa tersebut mengajar kita bahawa kita tidak boleh bergantung hanya kepada agensi-agensi keselamatan untuk menentang keganasan dan ekstremisme. Sebaliknya, kita perlukan seluruh masyarakat untuk sentiasa berwaspada dan bekerjasama. Saya berbesar hati dengan usaha masyarakat dan badan-badan seperti RRG, MUIS, Pergas dan ACG yang telah tampil untuk membantu menangani ancaman ekstremisme. RRG telah bekerjasama dengan pemerintah untuk menjalankan kerja-kerja pemulihan dan mengintegrasi semula para tahanan JI.

Saya juga ingin merakamkan penghargaan kepada RRG atas usaha mereka mendekati masyarakat selama ini, walaupun semasa pandemik COVID-19. RRG terus aktif mendekati warga Singapura, termasuk golongan belia serta pekerja migran, melalui platform seperti Zoom. Usaha sedemikian penting bagi membina daya tahan masyarakat Singapura terhadap ancaman ekstremisme.

RCC dan sokongan daripada masyarakat Singapura

Singapura terus berdepan dengan ancaman daripada kumpulan-kumpulan pengganas di rantau ini seperti JI yang sedang membina semula keupayaan mereka. Kerja-kerja RRG kini menjadi lebih penting.

Sepanjang dua dekad yang lalu, RRG telah mencapai kemajuan besar dalam usaha kaunseling agama serta usaha mendekati masyarakat. Saya gembira kerana kerja-kerja pembangunan semula Masjid Khadijah dan RRG sedang berjalan lancar. Ini sememangnya satu pencapaian yang sangat penting bagi Masjid Khadijah dan RRG.

Saya juga berbesar hati kerana RRG telah mendapat sokongan padu daripada masyarakat Singapura. Penyampaian cek kepada dana pembangunan semula Masjid Khadijah dan RRG hari ini adalah bukti kerja keras yang dilakukan oleh Masjid Khadijah dan RRG dalam menentang ekstremisme ganas di Singapura.

Kesimpulan

Dengan sekitaran luar yang bergolak dan landskap ancaman yang berubah-ubah, RRG akan terus berdepan dengan pelbagai cabaran. Namun, dengan sokongan daripada pemerintah dan masyarakat Singapura, saya yakin RRG akan terus memainkan peranan penting dalam menangani ekstremisme ganas di Singapura.

Terima Kasih.

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Staying Vigilant as a Community Amidst New Threats

Minister K Shanmugam
Minister Masagos Zulkifli
Minister of State Dr Faishal Ibrahim
Mayor Fahmi Aliman
RRG Co-Chairmen, Ustaz Ali and Ustaz Hasbi
President of MUIS, Mohd Sa’at
Mufti Dr Nazirudin
Members of the RRG
Distinguished guests
Ladies & Gentleman

Introduction

Good evening. I am pleased to join everyone here today again, in person, for RRG’s quarterly seminar.

An Uncertain External Environment

Apart from dealing with COVID-19, we are also facing a more troubled and uncertain world. The conflict in Ukraine is an existential issue for small countries like Singapore. Russia’s actions were an egregious violation of the UN Charter, which prohibits acts of aggression against a sovereign state.

We take any violation of these core principles seriously, whenever and wherever they occur. This is why Singapore has strongly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine. In 1983, we also voted against the US’ invasion of Grenada at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). We, along with ASEAN Member States, also voted against the invasion of Cambodia at the UNGA eleven times, from 1979 to 1989.

In the Middle East, Singapore maintains a longstanding and principled support for a negotiated two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living in peace and security. We have recently announced our intention to open a Representative Office in Ramallah to coordinate our assistance to the Palestinian Authority. We have urged both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to engage in direct negotiations on the basis of a two-state solution. We firmly believe that the peaceful resolution of conflicts is the only way to achieve a durable, just and comprehensive solution for peace and security, whether it is in the Middle East, our region, or the world.

Evolving Threat of Terrorism

The global terrorism landscape continues to evolve. We stand against violent extremism and terrorism whatever the source, whether it is ISIS or white supremacist groups. Their increased use of social media has contributed to a global rise in self-radicalisation cases. Singapore is not immune to these threats. We continue to see self-radicalised individuals, including women and youths, who have been indoctrinated by the violent extremist ideologies peddled online.

Work of the RRG

I would like to thank the RRG for your dedicated work in countering radicalisation and extremism. We have just marked the 20th anniversary of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) arrests in Singapore. The experience taught us that we cannot rely only on our security agencies to counter terrorism and extremism. Instead, we need a community approach with vigilance and response from everyone. I am heartened by how the community and groups like the RRG, MUIS, Pergas and ACG stepped forward to help address the threat of extremism following the security operations against the local JI network. The RRG worked in partnership with the Government to rehabilitate and reintegrate the JI detainees, including providing religious counselling to JI members, to correct their radical ideologies.

I also commend the RRG for its community outreach over the years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The RRG continued to actively reach out to Singaporeans, including youth, as well as foreign workers, through online platforms such as Zoom. Such efforts go a long way towards building the resilience of our society against the threat of extremism.

RCC and the Support Received from the Singapore Community

We continue to face a persistent threat from organised terrorist groups in the region like JI which has been rebuilding itself. The work of the RRG is of greater significance, now more than ever.

Over the past two decades, the RRG has made big advances in its religious counselling, as well as in its outreach efforts. I am pleased that the Khadijah Mosque and RRG’s re-development works are on track. This is indeed a very important milestone for both Khadijah Mosque and the RRG.

I am also heartened that the RRG receives strong support from the local community in Singapore. The donation cheque presentation today for the Khadijah Mosque and RRG redevelopment fund is a testament to the ground-up effort undertaken by Khadijah Mosque and the RRG in countering violent extremism in Singapore.

Conclusion

With a turbulent external environment and the evolving threat landscape, the road ahead for the RRG will continue to be challenging. But with the support from both the Government and the local community, I am confident that the RRG will continue to play a pivotal role in countering violent extremism in Singapore.

Thank you.