This chapter discusses Singapore's efforts to manage perceptions between different racial and religious groups to promote social harmony. It provides examples of past racial and religious riots in 1964 and 1950 that were caused by political and media factors. The government works to prevent a recurrence by maintaining open communication between groups and sensitively addressing potential threats to social cohesion, such as the 2001 arrest of terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah members in Singapore.

1. Chapter 5
Bonding Singapore

2. A pie chart showing Singapore's population
composition

3. A pie chart showing the different religious
groups in Singapore

4. A comment by Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong on the importance of
maintaining harmony in
Singapore, 2006
We are a multi-racial society; we must respect one
another’s religions. We must not deliberately insult or
violate what others hold sacred…People say where
is freedom of expression? We say maintaining
harmony, peace – that’s the first requirement.

5. Challenges faced by
multi-ethnic society
(Singapore)
Managing
perceptions of
different RACIAL
groups
Managing
perceptions of
different
RELIGIOUS
groups
Managing threats
from EXTERNAL
forces (terrorism)
EXTERNAL factorINTERNAL factorINTERNAL factor

6. 1. Managing perceptions of
different racial groups
 Case study: 1964 Racial Riots
 Factors:
1. Different political approaches of S’pore and KL
2. Irresponsible media reporting

7. A photo taken from an elevated position of the racial riot that took place in
Singapore on Prophet Muhammad's birthday as a result of increasing racial
tension.

8. Causes of 1964 Race Riots
 (Identify factor) Different political approaches:
 (Describe factor)
 1964: PAP participated in Federal Elections in
M’sia
 UMNO (representing Malays in M’sia): felt
threatened by PAP
 (Explanation): UMNO felt that Singapore PAP
was trying to interfere with the affairs of
Malaya, resulting in feelings of distrust
among the two parties

9. Causes of 1964 Race Riots
 (Identify factor) Different political approaches:
 (Describe factor) PAP used:
 Non-communal approach
 Argued for a M’sia with equal rights for everyone
 Not one single race should have special privileges
 UMNO used:
 Communal approach
 Special privileges for Malays as they were the
native population
 (Explanation): Clashes inevitable

10. Causes of 1964 Race Riots
 (Identify factor) Irresponsible media reporting:
 (Describe factor) Anti-PAP campaign by
UMNO highlighted:
 Poverty of Malays in Sg
 Resettlement & redevelopment projects as being
anti-Malay; ignored fact that Chinese were also
affected
 (Explanation): Aroused dissatisfaction among
the Singapore Malays

11. Causes of 1964 Race Riots
 (Identify factor) Irresponsible media reporting:
 (Describe factor) Utusan Melayu’s (a
Malaysian newspaper) biased reporting:
 Actually only 200 out of 2500 affected families
were Malay in resettlement proj
 Who were more affected actually?
 (Explanation): Caused suspicion, distrust and
hostility among Singaporeans

12. Causes of 1964 Race Riots
 (Identify factor) Irresponsible media reporting:
 (Describe factor) UMNO’s meeting with
Malays had fiery speeches:
 Portrayed PAP as anti-Malay
 (Explanation): Malays felt unhappy;
suspicious of Chinese

13. Causes of 1964 Race Riots
 (Identify factor) Irresponsible media reporting:
 (Describe factor) 1964 Prophet Mhd’s
Birthday procession
 Clash between Chinese policemen and a group of
Malay participants of the procession
 (Explanation): Consequence: Damage to
property; loss of 36 lives; curfews to restrict
movements of people

14. Damage caused after 1964
race riots

15. Damage caused after 1964
race riots

16. 2. Managing Perceptions of
different RELIGIOUS grps
 Case study: 1950 Maria Hertogh riots
 1940s– Dutch couple imprisoned by
Japanese placed daughter under the care of
a Malay lady, Aminah
 Maria was raised as a Muslim
 Married a Malay teacher
 After WWII, natural parents wanted her back

17. 2. Managing Perceptions of
different RELIGIOUS grps
 Court trial
 British court decided to award custody to
Hertoghs
 Decided to annul Maria’s marriage to Malay
teacher
 Maria seen in Christian convent
 Media coverage in various language papers
sensationalized the issue—dispute was now
between two different religious communities,
instead of between just two families

18. Consequences of British
court’s decision
 Muslim community felt that the British legal
system disrespected Muslim religious laws
 It was felt that the British was biased against
the Muslims
 Muslims felt unhappy
 Anger directed towards Eurasian and British
communities

19. Consequences of British
court’s decision
 Consequences of such sentiments:
 Riot broke out on the day of the verdict
 24 hr curfew and Malayan troops called in to
control the situation
 Hostility and distrust among the population
 Riots resulted in destruction and loss of lives

20. 2. Managing Perceptions of
different RELIGIOUS grps
 Case study: 1950 Maria Hertogh riots
 Court trial
 British court decided to award custody to
Hertoghs
 Decided to annul Maria’s marriage to Malay
teacher
 Maria seen in Christian convent
 Media coverage in various language papers
sensationalized the issue

21. Consequences of British
court’s decision
 It was felt that the British were biased against
the Muslims
 Anger towards Eurasian and British
communities
 Riots
 24 hr curfew for 2 weeks
 British and Malayan troops called in
 Hostility and distrust

22. Consequences of British
court’s decision
 Muslim community felt that the British legal
system disrespected Muslim religious laws
 Muslims felt unhappy
 Consequences of such sentiments:
 Destruction
 Loss of lives

23. A car set on fire during the
Maria Hertogh riots in 1950

24. A comment made by Justice
Brown, the judge who passed the
verdict for the Maria Hertogh case,
25 years after the case
“I had to consider Maria’s welfare in terms of
her general well-being in life, not merely for
the present but for the future. I also had to
consider not only her present wishes but also
the possibility of a better life if she returned to
her own parents.”

25. 3. Managing threats from
external forces
 E.g. Arrest of Jemaah Islamiyah members in
2001, 2002, 2005
 It is a militant grp
 Aims to set up an Islamic state in Asia
JI was responsible for the bombing of the J. W. Marriott Hotel in
Jakarta on 5 August 2003, the Bali bombings on 12 October
2002, and an attack against the Philippine Ambassador to
Indonesia in August 2000. The Bali attack left more than 200
dead. Attacks on Singapore and other tourist spots in the region
were also part of JI’s plan.

26. Aftermath of the Bali Bombing,
Oct 2002

27. Memorial monument of the
2002 Bali bombings in Kuta

28. 3. Managing threats from
external forces
 Singapore was targeted. Planned to attack
Singapore US embassy; MOE, etc
 34 JI members arrested under ISA (Internal
Security Act) for their involvement in terrorist
activities from 2001-2002
 In 2005, another member arrested
 JI activities include: Fund-raising; buying
bomb-making materials

29. What would be the consequences
of such terrorism acts in SG?
 Aim to break the social bonds of
Singaporeans
 After the JI arrests, there were some reports
of mixed reactions and suspicion among
some Singaporeans towards members of the
Muslim community
 Shows that arrest of JI members could cause
social cohesion to break up if not handled
sensitively