Commentary: Israel-Hamas conflict is a reminder that Singapore cannot take its eye off the ball
It’s hard to imagine the violence and losses inflicted upon Israelis and Palestinians from the comfort and security of Singapore, but they are a sobering reminder of what we cannot take for granted, says the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy’s Terence Ho.
SINGAPORE: Horrific events that have unfolded in Israel and Gaza since the surprise attack by Hamas on Oct 7 are cause for sobering reflections for us a world away in Singapore.
The violence and heartbreaking losses inflicted upon people on both sides are hard to imagine from the comfort and security of our home here.
Singapore’s context may be very different, but the latest outbreak of armed conflict in the Middle East reminds us that we cannot take national security and societal harmony for granted - and just how wrong things can go if we take our eye off the ball.
There are three takeaways for Singapore, in my view.
VIGILANCE THE PRICE OF SECURITY
That prevention is better than cure is a truism. When it comes to security from external or internal threats, it’s a downright understatement.
Safety and security are the bedrock for a flourishing economy and society. Once peace is shattered, the fallout is costly - besides lives and property lost, there may also be long-term repercussions for country and society.
No matter how many years have passed without incident, there is no room for complacency. There will always be those who seek to sow discord and wreak mayhem if given the opportunity. Underestimate their creativity and we may well be caught off guard by a failure of the imagination.
Efforts behind the scenes by Singapore’s security agencies, as well as voluntary groups such as the Inter-Religious Organisation and the Religious Rehabilitation Group, are critical. Their work often goes under the radar - in some instances, for operational reasons - but it is work that citizens should appreciate and the government must prioritise.
It is incumbent on every member of society to exercise vigilance and responsibility. This includes supporting Total Defence, taking precautions for personal safety and security and notifying the authorities on suspicious activities.
GRIEVANCES MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO FESTER
Singapore is fortunate not to have historical enmity in any way like that between the Palestinians and Israelis arising from their long, troubled past. But differences in any society can be exploited - “divide and conquer” is the oldest trick in the book.
In many countries, race relations are a tinderbox, but there are also other societal fault lines such as socioeconomic class, sexual orientation and political leanings. How tensions between communities and groups ought to be addressed is thus crucial.
The government must be seen to perform the role of a fair broker, not favouring one race or group over another, but always striving to expand the common space. This is much more difficult to achieve if identity politics take root in Singapore.
Each group cannot think only of pushing for its own maximum benefit but must try to share the public space in a spirit of give and take. Legitimate grievances on the part of any group should not be allowed to fester.
It is in the enlightened self-interest of those with power and influence to address the concerns of marginalised groups from a position of strength, rather than to be forced into making concessions when pushed into a corner, or worse, when unrest breaks out.
LAWS AND SOCIETAL NORMS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE PEACE
Finally, we should cherish the peace and harmony we enjoy and make every effort to preserve this.
As Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam recently said, Singapore must not allow external events such as the Israel-Hamas war to destabilise Singapore or affect its racial and religious harmony.
On this, Singapore already has a strong base, with a Pew Research Center analysis published in October noting that its religious diversity is “remarkable on a global scale”. But being remarkable takes hard work.
While we should never become inured to injustice and suffering, we cannot permit strong feelings about external events to damage societal bonds and poison relationships here in Singapore.
Both laws and societal norms play a part in preserving harmony. Singapore is much stricter than other countries in regard to public protests, and in times like these it is easier to appreciate how its laws help to maintain the public peace.
Demonstrators in support of Israelis and Palestinians have faced off in cities such as New York and San Francisco, while countries such as Germany and France have seen it necessary to ban pro-Palestinian protests to safeguard public order.
In a social media-saturated world, online misinformation and disinformation have emerged as a major threat to public order. Already, fake videos purporting to represent the Israel-Hamas conflict are percolating, inflaming passions and further polarising societies.
In Singapore, there has been a proliferation of legislation in recent years with such threats in mind. These include the Protection from Harassment Act, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act and the Online Criminal Harms Act.
There is of course a risk that measures to combat disinformation can lead to a suppression of legitimate viewpoints. Hence, there should be channels to express views in a responsible and constructive way, so that tensions do not build up and boil over in destructive ways.
But laws alone cannot guarantee peace and harmony. It is still up to members of the public, and especially community and religious leaders, to strengthen social norms and raise the level of public discourse.
Conflicts - whether between nations or within societies - may be inevitable given human nature, but we have the agency and responsibility to prevent them from breaking out here.
Terence Ho is Associate Professor in Practice at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He is the author of Refreshing the Singapore System: Recalibrating Socio-Economic Policy for the 21st Century (World Scientific, 2021).