SINGAPORE - Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam has come out strongly to correct an article in The Straits Times last week on Thaipusam, which touched on the rules for religious processions here.
The guidelines - which apply to "all religious processions, not just Thaipusam" - have been around for 38 years. They were eased this year, though the article had suggested the opposite, according to Mr Shanmugam.
This year, the rules will - for the first time - allow the singing of hymns, he noted on Friday. But certain quarters have tried to make political capital of the issue, arising from the newspaper report, said the minister.
The Singapore Democratic Party suggested on its website that non-Singaporeans had complained about the noise generated by the Thaipusam procession, which will be held on Jan 20.
Any suggestion that this was the reason for the rules - which include not allowing music from boomboxes, drums and gongs - is "baseless and false", said Mr Shanmugam.
"I know one or two parties have tried saying it for political advantage. First, the fundamental underlying point is factually wrong - that these rules are new. And politicians are ever willing to jump onto the bandwagon and blame foreigners for everything," he said.
"It's sad and irresponsible, but I guess it reflects on people who make these statements."
The guidelines - which apply to "all religious processions, not just Thaipusam" - have been around for 38 years. They were eased this year, though the article had suggested the opposite, according to Mr Shanmugam.
This year, the rules will - for the first time - allow the singing of hymns, he noted on Friday. But certain quarters have tried to make political capital of the issue, arising from the newspaper report, said the minister.
The Singapore Democratic Party suggested on its website that non-Singaporeans had complained about the noise generated by the Thaipusam procession, which will be held on Jan 20.
Any suggestion that this was the reason for the rules - which include not allowing music from boomboxes, drums and gongs - is "baseless and false", said Mr Shanmugam.
"I know one or two parties have tried saying it for political advantage. First, the fundamental underlying point is factually wrong - that these rules are new. And politicians are ever willing to jump onto the bandwagon and blame foreigners for everything," he said.
"It's sad and irresponsible, but I guess it reflects on people who make these statements."
