I WAS recently in Singapore for an interreligious colloquium and at the end of this, the participants were taken and given a tour of the Harmony in Diversity Gallery, developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with community partners and organisations.

Though housed inside a small office complex, I must say that the display was very informative and for children, quite interactive, too. At this centre, one not only gets some information about the different religions that coexists in Singapore, but also the similarities among these religions.

Of all that was on display there, what caught my attention was the section that was dedicated to the Maria Hertogh Riots that happened at the end of 1950 (an excellent multimedia exhibit that brings the riots to life, highlighting the causes and lessons of the riots). I would probably think that many people would not have heard about Maria Hertogh as I, too, only got to know about her and this incident a few weeks ago and that too, because of this visit.

The riots began on December 11, 1950 after a court ruled and decided that a child who had been raised by a Muslim couple was to be returned to her biological Dutch Eurasian Catholic parents. That sparked a protest from the enraged Muslim community which soon escalated into a riot.

The interactive presentation showed that people of different faiths and cultures can live together harmoniously, and that Singapore will not tolerate anyone who incites any form of racial or religious disharmony. Perhaps this was not to highlight a dark past but also the direction for the future.

Part of the introductory talk by an official included the facts about how Singapore had expelled an Indian imam for his remarks against Christians and Jews (2017) and more recently, a Christian missionary fanning the Christian-Muslim divide (2018). I came away with the knowledge that Singapore has come a long way in working towards racial harmony and integration and that they are serious about peace and harmony.

Across the causeway, it seems like we’re in the “twilight zone”. Though peaceful coexistence is enshrined in the federal constitution, too often people get away with insulting another religion or culture. The most recent incident of a Muslim man berating a beer promoter must be treated as swiftly as how the Christian missionaries were dealt with in Penang for distributing religious pamphlets near a mosque. Though the circumstances are quite different but the lack of respect for another person’s religion or ethnicity puts them on the same platform.

Respect is at the core of every religion and there can be no excuse for not respecting someone of another religion, even if one has had a bad day at work! What gives anyone the right to take the law into one’s own hand? It is perhaps the knowledge that they can get away with it. If this government is serious about promoting harmony, there must be clear direction and action, irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

Anyone in the mould of Zakir Naik (we have such people in every religion), must know that Malaysia does not tolerate anything that causes racial or religious disharmony and perhaps, what is needed in the interim is a “slap on the wrist”. If this government is afraid of receiving flak for trying to put Malaysians on the right path, then they will forever be held to ransom by those who seek to derail this new agenda.

I was too young to remember anything about the racial riots in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 but from the stories that have been told to me, no one in their right mind would want a repeat of that incident. Most Malaysians live peacefully and when over enthused religious bigots arise, they have to be dealt with and not swept under the carpet or given refuge. – November 26, 2018.

* Dr Clarence Devadass is a Catholic priest and director of the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Moral education is an issue close to his heart. He focuses on paving resourceful ways to promote virtues for living in a multireligious society, for a significant life together.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.