PM Wong, SM Lee speak up against identity politics following Shanmugam's Parliament speech

In an Oct. 14 Facebook post, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he was glad there was a shared understanding in Parliament that race and religion are issues to be handled with "care, responsibility and respect."

He also called for all political parties to be clear on the fact that race and religion must never be exploited for political gain or used in election campaigns.

Similarly, in a Facebook post made on the same day, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned that Singapore, as a small country, cannot afford divisions arising from identity politics.

Their comments echoed the points made by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam in his Oct. 14 ministerial statement, in which he addressed instances from the recent GE2025 where identity politics were seemingly employed to canvass votes.

Race and religion must never be exploited for political gain: PM Wong

In his post, PM Wong warned that while Singapore enjoys racial and religious harmony today, "we are not immune to the dangers of identity politics."

This was evident through the attempts to mix race and religion with politics in past and recent elections, he commented.

He acknowledged that there will always be areas where faith and public issues intersect, adding that the "government recognises this complexity."

"But the public and political debate must be conducted and decided on a secular basis," PM Wong said.

"Once that line is crossed, we risk a destructive competition for influence among different groups — and Singapore will become deeply divided, as we have seen in many other countries," PM Wong commented.

He expressed that he was glad a shared understanding was reached in the House on the need to handle issues on race and religion with "care, responsibility and respect" and to uphold the integrity of Singapore's "secular, multi-racial politics."

"This is how we keep faith with the ideals of our pledge and remain as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion," he concluded.

Secular politics is the way to prosper: SM Lee

Echoing PM Wong's comments, SM Lee said that while Singapore has strove hard to build a "harmonious, cohesive, multi-racial and multi-religious society" in the past 60 years, Singapore's social tapestry faces threats from identity politics, from time to time.

He pointed to how identity politics has divided societies elsewhere around the world, adding that minorities inevitably "end up marginalised and suffer the most."

"Singapore is a small country — we cannot afford such divisions," SM Lee warned.

He said that progress as a nation regardless of race, language or religion is the "bedrock of our nationbuilding" and urged the upholding of secular politics.

"We must never mix race and religion with politics. That is the way to prosper as one nation for generations to come," SM Lee said.

Top image via Lawrence Wong / Facebook, Lee Hsien Loong / Facebook