Suspicious parcel sent to Serangoon mosque contained meat that 'appears to be pork': Shanmugam

The suspicious parcel sent to the Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon on Sep. 24 contained a piece of meat that appears to be pork, said Minister for Home Affairs and Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam.

"The parcel contained a piece of meat. We have not confirmed...what meat it is. That's being checked. But at first sight, it appears to be pork," Shanmugam said.

Authorities treat matter 'very seriously': Shanmugam

Speaking at a media doorstop held at the mosque on Sep. 25, Shanmugam said that the act of sending any kind of meat in this way to a mosque, or any other place of worship, is "obviously inflammatory".

"But if it is pork and it is sent to a mosque, you can see the implications. It's much worse," he said.

Shanmugam said that authorities are "treating this matter very seriously" and will deal firmly with anyone found responsible.

"Targeting a place of worship is completely unacceptable. We have zero tolerance for these sorts of actions. People really should be able to practice their religion in an atmosphere of trust and faith and with mutual respect," he said.

One woman sent to hospital, now discharged

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) previously said that one person was assessed for breathlessness and sent to hospital, and that the mosque was evacuated as a public safety precaution.

Shanmugam confirmed that the person, a woman, had become unwell after coming into contact with the parcel in the mosque.

He said she has since been discharged from hospital.

SCDF also mobilised Hazmat specialists but they did not find any hazardous substances, Shanmugam added.

Similar cases are under investigation

On the measures being taken by the authorities, Shanmugam said that police are closely monitoring the situation and have stepped up visits to the mosques.

However, Shanmugam caveated that similar to previous incidents such as the stabbing in St Joseph's Church in November 2024, authorities "will do what is sensible to protect public safety".

"It's not possible for us to turn all places of worship into 'Cantonments' (like Police Cantonment Complex). They are open places, open to the public. Police will act based on intelligence, and places of worship also have their own security arrangements," he said.

Shanmugam also noted that Al-Istiqamah Mosque has resumed operations and leaders and members of other faiths have spoken up to express concerns about the incident.

Shanmugam also disclosed that there have been similar cases of late where pieces of meat have been sent to other mosques.

These cases are under investigation by police, he said.

Shanmugam declined to elaborate further on the other cases for operational reasons.

When asked if such alleged incidents could be extended to other religions, Shanmugam urged against speculating as investigations are still ongoing and the culprits and motives for the incidents are still unclear.

"I would say this, though. Whatever the motive, this is playing with fire."

Top image by Mothership