(This event was organised by MEI’s Transsystemic Research Cluster, as part of its monthly internal seminar series.)

Abstract

Many modern states regulate religion. While the degree and nature of regulation tends to depend on the state’s precise constitutional relationship with religion, as well as other factors such as religious demographics and ideologies, regulation is a reality in modern states. This paper examined the regulatory modes and strategies employed to seek to influence and alter the behavior of its religious constituents in order to achieve the state’s desired outcome. The analysis took place against the background of Singapore’s constitutional arrangement where the state proclaims to be secular but also incorporates religion within its institutional structure. While Singapore is a multireligious state and its regulatory framework purports to apply equally to all religions, Assistant Professor Neo focused on the state’s regulatory relationship with its Islamic minority. She argued that Islam is subject to an expanded regulatory space because of its status as the religion professed by almost all Malays, who are considered to be the indigenous community of Singapore. This however results in an ambivalent relationship with the state as Muslim adherents and Islamic activities are also subject to greater scrutiny. This article examined the broad regulatory framework applied to Islam in Singapore, the extent to which it accommodates the aspirations of Muslims in the country, and analyzed the resulting anxieties and ambivalences resulting from this regulatory relationship.