AMMAN — Singaporean students studying in Middle Eastern universities have an important role to play back home after they graduate, as the Republic is in need of strong religious leaders who can contextualise Islam in line with the country’s multiracial circumstances, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli.

Mr Masagos, who was speaking to reporters on Saturday night after a dialogue session with around 100 Singaporean students studying in Jordanian universities, said Singapore has benefited from a strong group of homegrown religious scholars because many of them understand how religion should be taught, particularly in the context of how it features in the Republic’s multicultural society. But more religious leaders are needed in the future, he said.

“By coming to the Middle East, Jordan, Egypt and in the past even Syria, they (the students) are able to deepen their technical understanding of the region. Therefore, (they) also build the credibility that is needed when they are expounding the religion,” said Mr Masagos, who is part of the Singapore delegation accompanying Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on a week-long trip to the Middle East.

“When they come back (to Singapore), they know how to contextualise the teachings and at the same time inoculate the masses against the persuasions from the outside to become more radicalised.”

He added that students who graduate from the Middle East have a lot more to offer in addition to their religious knowledge.

“For example, their mastery of Arabic, as well as having lived here (in the Middle East) for a long time, can contribute to our own companies’ foray (into) this area,” he said, adding that he has spoken to Singaporean companies with investments in the region, including Keppel FELS, Hyflux and Sembcorp, about tapping into the expertise of these students.

Reflecting on the dialogue with Mr Masagos, Mr Abdul Fattah, 23, a freshman studying jurisprudence at a Jordanian university, said it was his desire to make use of his education in the Middle East to contribute to society at large.

“In the future, I hope to be able to work with youths and instil in them the knowledge of love and respect for this religion (Islam),” he said, adding that he aspires to reach out to non-Muslim youths as well.

Mr Masagos also touched on the subject of Islamophobia in Singapore in his dialogue with the students.

“My point to them (students) is clear: It is in our hands to ensure that we interact with the wider society well, meaningfully, deeply, so that interaction between all races, even at the individual level, is contributing and positive,” he said.

“They (should) understand that while Islamophobia is something that could happen because of the information that others may have about Muslims around the world, we can change that; we can prevent that from happening in Singapore.”

Mr Masagos noted that the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has been active in engaging Singaporean students in the Middle East, with MUIS officers stationed in Cairo and Jeddah, so that they can be in close touch with the students not only to ensure that their welfare is taken care of, but also to render any assistance should it be needed.

Additionally, MUIS updates the students on the latest developments in Singapore so that “they do not merely read about Singapore on the Internet and interpret them in any way that the Internet is persuading them to,” said Mr Masagos.

Prime Minister Lee, when hosting a reception for the same group of students on Saturday evening, encouraged them to keep pace with developments back home, inviting them to follow him on social media to get a better sense of what is happening in Singapore. Mr Lee is making his first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. ALBERT WAI IN AMMAN