Radicalisation threat now more complex, building trust remains key to S’pore’s cohesion: PM Wong

Published Oct 14, 2026, 09:00 PM

Updated Oct 14, 2026, 09:00 PM

Singapore’s radicalisation threat has become more complex, and recent cases show that anyone can be susceptible to extremist influences, said PM Wong.

He warned that overseas conflicts, including in Gaza, can strain cohesion at home. Singaporeans should not let conflicts elsewhere divide them at home.

Harmony Centre, which marks its 20th anniversary, launched a toolkit to build interfaith links in daily life. It includes guidance on ten faiths, and serves as a resource for community leaders.

SINGAPORE - Twenty years after the Harmony Centre was opened to counter misconceptions about Islam in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the challenges to Singapore’s cohesion have evolved.

But the fundamental task of building trust at the individual level remains the same and is as important as ever, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at a gala dinner to mark the 20th anniversary of the interfaith hub, which is located in An-Nahdhah Mosque.

The threat posed by Islamist terrorism has not disappeared, he noted, as groups like ISIS continue to recruit supporters, spread propaganda and plot attacks around the world, with Singapore still seen as an attractive target.

At the same time, the radicalisation threat has become more complex. The city state is seeing more cases of self-radicalised individuals, many of them young and not all of them motivated by Islamist extremism, PM Wong said at the event at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

For instance, one case involved a Protestant Christian youth who had planned to carry out attacks on mosques. There were also two young men who referred to themselves as “East Asian supremacists”, and another who identified as a white supremacist despite being of Chinese ethnicity.

These cases show that extremist influences are becoming more diverse, and that anyone, regardless of age, race, or religion, can be susceptible, said PM Wong.

Singapore must guard against people retreating into separate worlds and gradually losing their sense of connection with the wider community, he added.

Developments overseas can also strain cohesion at home, especially when questions of religion and identity become entwined with politics, he said, citing the conflict in Gaza and the wider Israeli-Palestinian issue.

“We should not let conflicts elsewhere turn fellow Singaporeans against one another,” he said. “Above all, we must continue to guard against racial and religious intolerance in all its forms.”

Recent months have showed how inflammatory comments can spread online, sometimes by people who believe that anonymity shields them from responsibility. The Government will continue to take action against such behaviour, said the Prime Minister.

The Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, which came into force in September, strengthens Singapore’s legal framework for protecting racial harmony and to safeguard against foreign influence.

“But laws can only set the boundaries - they cannot by themselves create friendship and trust between people,” he said. “That depends on all of us.”

At the dinner, which was attended by around 450 guests including religious and community leaders, the Prime Minister launched an interfaith engagement toolkit developed by Harmony Centre.

The toolkit includes a religious literacy guide covering ten faiths practised in Singapore, alongside practical guidance on visiting places of worship, dietary practices, religious festivals, funerals and appropriate ways of addressing religious leaders. It can be found on the MUIS website.

Called JIRAN, it stands for Joining In, Respecting All Neighbours. Jiran is the Malay word for neighbour.

PM Wong noted that while harmony is about living peacefully alongside one another, neighbourliness asks something more of people - that they build friendships across differences and look out for one another, especially when times are difficult.

The toolkit furthers this work, providing a practical way to take interfaith engagement beyond formal dialogues and events into people’s everyday lives and communities.

“Ultimately, harmony is strongest when it is lived in the way we speak to one another, the way we respond when prejudice or intolerance arises, and the way we look out for those around us,” he said.

The event also saw faith leaders affirm a shared Charter on Neighbourliness that expresses a collective commitment to strengthen relationships across religious differences.

Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir said building peace and harmony is a work in progress, and that religious leaders here felt it was important that they contribute to this effort for future generations by emphasising the importance of peace, harmony, and social cohesion.

Chairman of Hindu Advisory Board K Sengkuttuvan told reporters the toolkit, which is intended as a resource for community leaders and others involved in interfaith engagement, can help translate the “kampung spirit” in a tangible way.

In his speech, PM Wong said Singapore must continue to bring people together, not just to tolerate differences but to build mutual respect and genuine friendships.

“This is the spirit we must continue to nurture in Singapore - where each of us can hold firmly to our own faith and convictions, while respecting that of others,” he said.

“Where our differences do not pull us apart, but enrich our shared life; and where we always look out for one another as neighbours and fellow Singaporeans.”

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.

发布于2026年10月14日晚上9点

更新于2026年10月14日晚上9点

黄循财总理表示，新加坡的激进化威胁变得更加复杂，最近的案例表明，任何人都有可能受到极端主义的影响。

他警告说，包括加沙在内的海外冲突可能会削弱国内的凝聚力。新加坡人不应让其他地方的冲突分裂他们的家庭。

为庆祝成立20周年，和谐中心推出了一套旨在促进日常生活中跨宗教联系的工具包。该工具包包含十种宗教的指导，可为社区领袖提供资源。

新加坡——在9·11事件后，为了消除人们对伊斯兰教的误解，和谐中心成立了20年。然而，20年来，新加坡面临的凝聚力挑战已经发生了变化。

总理黄循财在庆祝跨宗教中心成立 20 周年的盛大晚宴上表示，在个人层面建立信任的根本任务仍然不变，而且一如既往地重要。该中心位于安纳赫达清真寺内。

他指出，伊斯兰恐怖主义构成的威胁并未消失，像ISIS这样的组织仍在世界各地招募支持者、散布宣传并策划袭击，而新加坡仍然被视为一个有吸引力的目标。

与此同时，激进化威胁也变得更加复杂。黄英贤总理在新加坡丽思卡尔顿酒店举行的活动上表示，新加坡出现了更多自我激进化的案例，其中许多人是年轻人，而且并非所有人都受到伊斯兰极端主义的驱使。

例如，其中一起案件涉及一名计划袭击清真寺的新教基督教青年。还有两名自称“东亚至上主义者”的年轻人，以及另一名虽为华裔却自称白人至上主义者的年轻人。

黄循财总理表示，这些案例表明，极端主义的影响越来越多元化，任何人，无论年龄、种族或宗教信仰，都可能受到影响。

他补充说，新加坡必须警惕人们退缩到彼此隔绝的世界，并逐渐失去与更广泛社区的联系感。

他表示，海外局势的发展也会削弱国内的凝聚力，尤其是当宗教和身份认同问题与政治交织在一起时，他以加沙冲突和更广泛的以巴问题为例。

他说：“我们不应让其他地方的冲突导致新加坡同胞互相敌对。最重要的是，我们必须继续警惕一切形式的种族和宗教不容忍。”

近几个月来，煽动性言论在网络上迅速传播，其中一些人认为匿名可以让他们免于承担责任。首相表示，政府将继续对这类行为采取行动。

9月生效的《维护种族和谐法》加强了新加坡保护种族和谐和防范外国影响的法律框架。

“但是法律只能划定界限——它们本身并不能建立人与人之间的友谊和信任，”他说。“这取决于我们所有人。”

在晚宴上，总理发布了由和谐中心开发的跨宗教交流工具包，出席晚宴的嘉宾约有 450 人，其中包括宗教和社区领袖。

该工具包包含一份宗教知识指南，涵盖新加坡十种主要宗教，并提供关于参观宗教场所、饮食习惯、宗教节日、葬礼以及如何恰当称呼宗教领袖的实用指导。该工具包可在新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）网站上找到。

它名为JIRAN，意为“加入，尊重所有邻居”。Jiran是马来语中“邻居”的意思。

黄总理指出，和谐是指人们和平共处，而睦邻友好则对人们提出了更高的要求——即跨越差异建立友谊，互相照顾，尤其是在困难时期。

该工具包进一步推进了这项工作，提供了一种切实可行的方法，将跨宗教交流从正式的对话和活动带入人们的日常生活和社区。

他说：“归根结底，和谐最强大的体现，在于我们彼此交谈的方式，在于我们面对偏见或不宽容时的回应方式，以及我们关心身边人的方式。”

在这次活动中，宗教领袖们还重申了共同的《睦邻友好宪章》，表达了加强跨越宗教差异关系的集体承诺。

穆夫提·纳兹鲁丁·莫哈末·纳西尔表示，建设和平与和谐是一项正在进行的工作，这里的宗教领袖们认为，他们有责任为子孙后代做出贡献，强调和平、和谐与社会凝聚力的重要性。

印度教咨询委员会主席 K Sengkuttuvan 告诉记者，该工具包旨在为社区领袖和其他参与跨宗教交流的人士提供资源，可以帮助以切实的方式诠释“甘榜精神”。

黄循财总理在讲话中表示，新加坡必须继续团结人民，不仅要容忍差异，更要建立相互尊重和真挚的友谊。

他说：“这正是我们必须在新加坡继续培育的精神——每个人都可以坚定地坚持自己的信仰和信念，同时尊重他人的信仰和信念。”

“在这里，我们的差异不会让我们疏远，反而丰富了我们的共同生活；在这里，我们始终像邻居和新加坡同胞一样互相扶持。”

Chin Soo Fang 是《海峡时报》的资深记者，报道范围广泛，包括社区、政治、社会问题、消费者、文化和遗产等话题。