Religion and religious identity in policymaking : the case of Singapore’s Muslim community

• Main Author: Nurul Asyikin Yusoff
• Other Authors: Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Political science
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/151018
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Secularism is an evolving concept and the separation of religion from politics manifests in various ways to differing degrees depending on context. The line is blurred even further within the policy realm as secular states contemplate the utility of religion. In this paper, I posit that the secular Singapore state uses religion and religious identity in policymaking as a tool of socialisation with respect to its Muslim community because of the challenges the community poses to its nation-building and progress. I also contend that the Muslim community readily takes part in this process in order to become better citizens. This paper hopes to shed some light on how religion can become a mainstay in the policy realm for its ability to influence policymaking and outcomes.