SINGAPORE – It is time to try and move on from the incident involving two sisters from an activist group who disrupted a Meet-the-People Session (MPS) in Chong Pang, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam.
The focus should instead be on building a stronger community together, and that includes having discussions to talk about issues, including difficult ones, but in a constructive way, he added.
That is the approach in Singapore among all the cultures, he said.
Mr Shanmugam was speaking on March 27 on the sidelines of a visit to the former Northview Secondary School, which is now being used as a temporary prayer site while the Darul Makmur Mosque undergoes upgrading works.
He said: “There’s a video about the incident. I don’t really want to talk more about it. People can see the video, and my view is that we ought to try and move on.
“And I would say, that message is even stronger in this month of Ramadan, this final stretch. So let’s focus on building a stronger, better community together.”
On March 12, the two activists disrupted Mr Shanmugam’s MPS outside his Chong Pang branch office. The next day, Mr Shanmugam posted a seven-minute video of the encounter on his Facebook page and reminded Singaporeans that these sessions are not venues for protests.
It later emerged that the women were part of activist group Monday of Palestine Solidarity, which had visited more than 10 Meet-the-People Sessions, including one held by National Development Minister Desmond Lee in West Coast GRC, and another held by Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo in Jalan Besar GRC.
On March 27, in response to a question during a media briefing, Mr Shanmugam said he will not file a police report about the incident but added that the two women are under investigation for offences not linked to the MPS incident.
He said: “I haven’t actually taken advice or checked the law, but based on my knowledge, it’s potentially a criminal offence, what has happened. But I haven’t filed a police report, and I’m not filing a police report.”
Mr Shanmugam added the two sisters are both young, and he hoped the two of them can learn and grow from this episode.
He said: “They’re both young. I’m in their parents’ generation, and really, I hope that they will have the space to learn and grow from this incident.”
During the media briefing, Mr Shanmugam was flanked by his fellow Nee Soon GRC MPs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Carrie Tan and Derrick Goh, as well as former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi.
Associate Professor Faishal, who is Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, also gave an update on the progress of the Darul Makmur Mosque upgrading works, and said construction is now in its final stages.
Speaking in Malay, he said: “After discussions with the mosque management, we were informed that if all necessary permits are approved on schedule, we aim to open the mosque in time for this year’s Hari Raya Haji prayers.
“We hope the required permits will be obtained in a timely manner so that the community here can perform their Hari Raya Haji prayers at the new mosque.”
Join ST’s WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.