Singapore Democrats
PAP wants to isolate the Malay-Muslim community from the rest of Singapore while the SDP wants to integrate our Malay sisters and brothers into mainstream Singaporean society.$CUT$
The PAP’s stance is clearly demonstrated in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s remarks that the Government does not want Malays “venturing into civil society issues which are not primarily to do with the Malay-Muslim community”.
He was responding to the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) desire to re-position Malay-Muslim organisations into groups that “engage a national, inter-ethnic, issue-oriented agenda”.
What the PAP is trying to do is continue to isolate the Malay community from the Chinese, Indian and Eurasian groups in Singapore. This has been the Government’s tactics all these decades. The formation of self-help groups along racial groups like Mendaki, CDAC, Sinda and the Eurasian Association is a potent divide-and-conquer weapon.
In addition, the immigration policy to flood the country with Chinese and India nationals has driven down the percentage of Malay Singaporeans, and there is genuine concern among Malays of the PAP approach.
The measures taken by the Government is consistent with Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s views about Malays in Singapore. He had written that “we can integrate all religions and races except Islam.” On another occasion, he commented: “Suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa?”
These remarks are highly offensive and have no place in today’s Singapore.
The SDP takes a different approach. We want the problems of our Malay Singaporeans to be discussed as a national issue. Our Chinese, Indian and Eurasian counterparts are just as concerned about the problems of the Malay community as are the Malays themselves.
The Chinese must speak up for the Malays who must speak up for the Indians who must speak up for the Chinese and so on. We must stop seeing ourselves as different races but as Singaporeans.
This is the approach that the SDP will take at the forum on 8 September. We urge Singaporeans of all races to attend and understand the plight that our fellow Malay citizens face as a result of the PAP policies.
Only when we speak up for each other can we truly claim to be a nation. Otherwise the PAP will exploit the division among the races and use foreigners to take our place.
The Singapore Democrats say without ambiguity and qualification that we hold firm our Pledge that we are “one united people, regardless of race and religion”.
This Saturday’s forum The future of Singapore – do Malays have a part? will discuss more of the differences between the SDP’s and the PAP’s positions in the matter.
Public Forum: The future of Singapore – do Malays have a part?
Date: 8 Sept 2012 (Sat)
Time: 2pm -5pm
Venue: Bras Basah Complex, #04-41, Action Room