Singapore, a small nation consisting of a group of islands at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and multi-religious society. As in Malaysia, religion tends to follow ethnic divisions, with the majority of the Chinese defining themselves as either Buddhist or Taoist, the Malays being almost universally Muslim, the Indians mostly Hindu with some Muslims. The country itself it runs on the lines of a benevolent Confucian philosophy, stressing individual enterprise and initiative, community harmony and family togetherness, ethics and morality in all dealings, tolerance and respect for others, the importance of education, respect for the elderly, and obedience to the law.
As is to be expected from this orderly and tightly run society of about three million, the Singapore government conducts a census every ten years. According to the 2000 census, the religious breakdown was as follows: Buddhists: 42.5%; Christians, 14.6%, Muslims, 13.9%, Daoists, 8.5%, Hindus, 4%, other (including Sikhs and Jews), 1.6% while 14.8% identified themselves as followers of no religion. Singapore has made conscious attempts to integrate its ethnically and religiously diverse population and encourages intermingling and learning about each other’s customs and religions. Thus, major holidays of each religious tradition are celebrated as national holidays. These holidays include two Chinese holidays of Lunar New Year and Vesak (day of the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha); two Muslim holidays of Hari Raya Haji (pilgrimage festival) and Hari Raya Rusa (end of the fasting month of Ramadan); two Christian holidays of Christmas and Good Friday, and one Hindu holiday, Deepavali or Festival of Lights. In addition, secular holidays, such as National Day are marked by joint religious services conducted by the Inter-Religious Organization. An excellent physical example of this co-mingling occurs on South Bridge Street, one of the major roads leading into the old Chinatown area, which houses both the Sri Mariamman Hindu temple and the Masjid Jamae (Mosque).
The largest ethnic group in Singapore is the Chinese, comprised of immigrants from South China who migrated to Singapore over a number of centuries, but most of whose ancestors came in the 19th and 20th centuries, when Singapore was a British colony. While many of them identified themselves as either Buddhist or Daoist, most practice a mixture of both traditions with elements of Chinese folk religion thrown in. While most temples either identify themselves as Buddhist or Daoist, elements of both traditions can be found in most Chinese temples. Chinese religious practices focus on the worship of gods, the propitiation of ghosts and evil spirits and the veneration of ancestors. It stresses action over belief, is intertwined with local social organizations, and focuses on meeting the everyday needs of its adherents. Most Chinese temples in Singapore are filled with a multitude of gods, spirits and other deities, each of which brings guidance or help to struggling people. People come to the temples to request help in attaining the good things of life: education high office, children, business success, long life, good marriage, etc. Temples have fortune tellers associated with them, hold annual festivals in honor of one or more gods which include the hosting of Chinese traditional opera performances, processions or parades and, of course, offerings of food both to the deities and to the people. Traditionally, these celebrations were attended by lots of firecrackers, but these were outlawed by the government in 1973 and not allowed again until the Chinese New Year celebration of 2004 when controlled firecrackers were set off.
However, Buddhism has been gaining in popularity over the past 25 years; the number of Singaporeans claiming to be Buddhist in the 1980 census was 27% of the population while in the 2000 census this figure was 42%. This increase was caused by active Buddhist missionary efforts, including the imitation of Christian techniques of offering services, counseling lectures and social activities. For example, the Buddhist Society of the National University of Singapore offers lectures and services as well as social events in groups similar to Christian fellowship groups. Buddhist temples and monasteries almost hold a monopoly in the Chinese funeral ceremonies in Singapore. It is considered propitious to die with monks surrounding the bedside or to have monks at the funeral. In addition, since the common way of disposing of corpses is cremation (Singapore lacks lands to use for cemeteries) many Chinese enshrine their ancestors’ ashes in specially constructed funerary temples, run by the Buddhists. The resurgence of interest in meditation and Buddhist philosophy was sparked as well as by the coming to Singapore of such new groups as the Japanese based Soka Gakkai (Value Creation Society) which has appealed to the white collar class. In addition to Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism is also practiced among the small Thai and Sri Lankan communities; this form of Buddhism has also attracted some Chinese adherents and has encouraged a greater interest in Buddhist mediation and philosophy.
Christianity arrived in Singapore with the establishment of the first British trading post by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Many missionaries, both Protestant and Catholic, arrived and established a variety of churches, schools and hospitals on the island. When Singapore attained its Independence in 1965, the local leaders took over the running of the churches, schools, and welfare establishments; set up theological colleges to train new leaders, and organized a variety of Christian groups, which resulted in a 2% rise in the number of Christians. There are both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in Singapore; the Catholics (there are about 30 Catholic churches) are involved in such social services as welfare homes, soup kitchens and missionary activities in other Asian nations. The Protestants are mostly organized under the National Council of Churches of Singapore and consist of a variety of denominations, including Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc. They often act together to coordinate activities and provide missionary and humanitarian activities in the Asia-Pacific region. The oldest church in Singapore, and now a religious monument, is the Armenian church of Gregory the Illuminator, built in 1836.
Islam is practiced by about 14% of Singapore’s population: most of the Malays and a certain number of Indians. The Singapore Muslim Religious Council (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura) regulates most of the Islamic activities. It is authorized to act by the 1966 Administration of Muslim Law Act and its members are nominated by the Muslim community. This group administers Muslim trusts, collects and distributes the Zakat (obligatory alms, one of the 5 pillars of Islam), and manages all aspects of the pilgrimage to Mecca. It also helped to develop the present system of large centralized mosques, which replaced the small local ones destroyed in the redevelopment of Singapore in the 1970s and 1980s. These new centralized mosques each can accommodate between 1,000 and 2,000 people and provide a variety of services including kindergartens, religious classes, family counseling, and Arabic language instruction. The Council also determines the content of the Islamic schools. In addition to the regular civil courts, in 1957 the Muslim Ordinance allowed the establishment of a centralized Sharia Court which has jurisdiction over cases of divorce and inheritance among the Muslim community. This court operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Community Development.
Hindus have been part of Singapore’s population since before the trading post was founded in 1819. Most of the country’s Hindus are Indians from the state of Tamil Nadu, and Tamil is one of the four official languages of Singapore. Thus, the Hinduism practiced in Singapore is similar to that of South India, with its emphasis on the Savaite tradition (worship of the god Siva) and colorful ceremonies. The oldest and most important temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple was declared a national monument in the 1980s. The Singapore Hindu community lacks the rigid caste system found in India. Hinduism in Singapore is marked by a number of joyous religious celebrations including the Hindu new year in April or May; Thaipusam, a dramatic festival in which devotees carry heavy kavadi (decorated frames holding offerings of milk, fruit, and flowers) through the streets in fulfillment of vows made to Lord Subramanya; and Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, celebrating the victory of light over dark, of goodness over evil. Hindu affairs are organized by theHindu Endowments Board, established in 1969 which advises the government of Hindu religion and concerns and administers the four major Hindu temples, organizes the annual festivals, and invests and spends donations from the community.
This is also a small Sikh community of about 15,000 in Singapore; they maintain seven Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship). The most important is the Central Sikh Temple, built to commemorate the 518th anniversary of the death of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. The community’s affairs are managed by the Sikh Advisory Board which advises the government on the Sikh religion and concerns of its members. In addition, the small Jewish community of around 300 manages two synagogues and the Jewish Center.
In general, the government of Singapore regards religion as a positive social force which can assist in working against the perceived excessive individualism and lack of discipline associated with Westernization. In the 1980s it made religious education mandatory in all secondary schools. However, the government is concerned that fundamentalist religious groups could lead to social unrest and the government has dealt with Islamic extremists, restricted the activities of groups such as the Jehovah’s witnesses which oppose military service and keeps a sharp eye on the charismatic Protestant groups.
In 1989, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew joined other government leaders in condemning “insensitive evangelization” as a serious threat to racial and ethnic harmony and reiterated the virtue and necessity for religious tolerance.
