'Pork' parcelled and sent to Singapore mosque, minister K Shanmugam condemns act; probe launched

Singapore: Meat which "appears to be pork" has been found in a parcel sent to a Singapore mosque, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said, adding that the act was like "playing with fire" in a multi-ethnic community.

This is not an isolated incident. There have been "other similar cases" of meat being sent to other mosques recently, which police are investigating, the Channel News Asia quoted the minister as saying on Thursday.

Shanmugam, also the Coordinating Minister for National Security, said the suspicious parcel sent to Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon housing precinct contained a piece of meat that "appears to be pork" at first sight.

"But if it is pork and it's sent to a mosque, you can see the implications. It's much worse," said Shanmugam. "Whatever the motive, this is playing with fire." Authorities are treating this matter very seriously and will deal firmly with anyone found responsible, he added.

Checks are still being done to confirm the type of meat in the parcel, Shanmugam said. Regardless, he said, it was "obviously inflammatory" to send it to a place of worship in this way.

Police are investigating "other similar cases" of meat being sent to other mosques recently, he said.

On Wednesday evening, the Singapore Police Force was alerted to the case of the parcel being delivered to the mosque, and worked with the Singapore Civil Defence Force to evacuate the building as a precaution.

Hazardous materials specialists conducted checks with detectors but found no hazardous substances. A lady was assessed for breathlessness at the mosque and taken to a hospital, according to media reports. The lady has been discharged from the hospital.

Police have since stepped up visits to mosques and will continue to do so, Shanmugam said.

"We will do whatever we can to ensure that our places of worship remain safe," the Channel quoted the minister as saying.

In April 2024, a 30-year-old man was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail for stealing two cans of pork from a supermarket and placing them on a shelf at the entrance of Al-Ansar Mosque in Bedok North, another housing estate.

"Targeting a place of worship is completely unacceptable. We have zero tolerance for these sorts of actions. People really should be able to practice their religion in an atmosphere of trust and faith, and with mutual respect," Shanmugam said.

"(In) some countries, these sorts of incidents are very common. They are deliberate. They create distrust between communities. They deepen divides," he said.

"The same can happen here if we are not careful. So how we react to these incidents is very important." He said the Al-Istiqamah mosque leadership has called for calm. Prayers were held as usual for its congregants on Thursday morning and the atmosphere was peaceful, he said.

"I understand leaders and members of other faiths have also spoken out to express their concerns about the incident. That shows the solidarity, and that's the Singapore way," said Shanmugam.

The minister also briefly referenced two cases in recent years – that of the Catholic priest who was stabbed at St. Joseph's Church in November 2024, and of the 2020 detention of a 16-year-old who was planning to conduct attacks on two mosques.

"It's not possible for us to turn all places of worship into cantonments ... Our places of worship should not be, cannot be turned into fortresses," Shanmugam said.

"They are open places, open for the public. Police will act based on intelligence, and places of worship also have their own security arrangements. We will do what is sensible to protect public safety," he said.