Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Joseph Kurup says Malaysia is looking at Singapore's model to further promote national unity and religious harmony among its citizens.

"Overall, our national unity and religious harmony is quite good. Every religious festival, such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Christmas, Pesta Keamatan in Sabah, Hari Gawai in Sarawak, the leaders open their houses for the people to visit," he said at Changi Airport today.

 

Kurup was in Singapore on a three-day working visit from Sunday to see and understand national unity and religious harmony among Singaporeans.

 

"We are here to study Singapore's way of managing community centres and how Singaporeans, permanent residents and foreigners alike integrate themselves via various activities at community centres.

 

Apart from officials from the department of national unity and integration in the Prime Minister's Department, his delegation included 30 top religious leaders of all faiths from Malaysia.

 

"We will do analysis on this (community centres). I will forward this to the government for consideration if it is something that will promote national unity, understanding, peace and and harmony," he said.

 

Among the places visited, by Kurup was the Anchorvale Community Centre, an integrated complex in Sengkang West Constituency.

 

Mingling around

He was received by senior parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs and culture community and youth, Sam Tan, and MP for Ang Mo Kio Group Representative Constituency, Dr Lam Pin Min.

 

At the centre, Kurup said: "I can see the elderly and the young integrating themselves at the centre.

 

'I was told that that is a centre for them to mingle around. That is one component in the process of promoting national unity.

 

"I also made a courtesy call on Acting Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong and we talked about the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act."

 

On Monday, Kurup visited Tampines and met with Masagos Zulkifli, the Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs.

 

"He brought me to his service centre where he provides a lot of services to all communities. It is not only to unite the people but also to maintain relationships," he said.

 

On Tuesday, Kurup said he visited Harmonis Centre initiated by Muslim groups.

 

"The centre is a place for interfaith dialogue to make people understand, appreciate, and respect the religion, so that they do not hurt each other," he said.

 

Kurup also visited Onepeople.sg Centre and met with MP Zainudin Nordin.

 

Kurup said his visit with religious leaders were to familiarise them with what Singapore is doing in promoting national unity and religious harmony.

 

- Bernama