Singapore is unique in Southeast Asia for organising itself horizontally on the basis of multiracial meritocracy, retired diplomat Bilahari Kausikan said on Wednesday, July 24 at a panel discussion.

Such an organising principle was a deliberate political choice, despite the availability of other options, he also said at the Forum of Religion, Extremism and Identity Politics.

Singapore unlike other Southeast Asian countries

Bilahari, who is also chairman of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, said most Southeast Asian countries organise themselves -- whether explicitly or implicitly, formally or informally -- on the basis of "ethnic or religious hierarchy, or some combination of the two".

However, Singapore is the exception.

"Now we’re not perfect, but in this respect, at least we are certainly unique," he said.

While political leaders elsewhere have been "unable to resist the temptation of mobilising religion for political advantage", and end up "privileging one religion over another", Singapore made a conscientious choice not to do that, he asserted.

The dangers of doing so could be seen in neighbouring countries, where "religious elements are beginning to be far more prominent in the definition of various identities", he added.

And such forces are accentuated and amplified by social media, he said.

Singapore would be utterly different should it take a different path

Citing the late political scientist David Easton, who said politics is the authoritative allocation of values, Bilahari said Singapore would be completely different should it organise itself based on ethnic or religious hierarchy.

He said:

"In Singapore, we've always acknowledged the need for a politically strong and neutral state to hold the ring between different religions and different ethnicities in order to create and defend the common space by requiring all to make compromises on the margins of their beliefs and their identities."

And to maintain social cohesion, without allowing racial or religious forces to disrupt societal harmony, it all boils down to "political leadership, political strength, and political courage", he also said.

Singapore not exempt from global trends

Bilahari also warned that Singapore is not immune to the global trend of the rise of religious extremism, or racially and religiously charged politics.

And such a phenomenon can lead to disastrous consequences.

Contrary to what famed philosopher Karl Marx said about religion being the "opium of the people", Bilahari said religion has more often than not been a stimulant in history, and a catalyst at some times for violent political conflict.

To think that Singapore is somehow exempt from such influences is "foolish", he said.

He further claimed that there are some Singaporeans who think the country should be organised according to religious hierarchy.

This is why he prompted Singaporeans to not be "too smug when watching what's happening in our neighbours", as it can very well happen in Singapore too.

Top image by Jacky Ho, for the Institute of Policy Studies, NUS