For subscribers
Beyond belief: Singapore’s unique approach to religion
As one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world, what has the Republic done right and what should it watch out for?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Singapore is a delectable rojak of religions and races, all held together by a secret sauce that retains much of each one’s distinctive flavour and texture, says the writer.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Yeo Whee Jim
Follow topic:
I have fond memories of the first HDB flat that I bought with my late wife. We were right above a tiny surau tucked into the corner of our void deck. This was not some grand mosque, but a humble, cosy prayer space for the nearby Muslim residents. I was reminded daily that a faith that I do not call my own can coexist quietly and respectfully, alongside the sounds of my everyday life.
Years later, I moved back to the same neighbourhood where I grew up, and started attending a nearby Protestant church. The pastor who leads us traces his ancestral roots back to India and Sri Lanka. He apparently grew up in a home where both Buddhist and Hindu traditions were practised. I am reminded about my late father who was Buddhist but studied in a mission school and could appreciate the profoundness of Biblical verses.
