Religious Harmony Act prompted by rising fervour

SINGAPORE – The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act was passed by Parliament in 1990 and came into force two years later.

Concerned by the rising religious fervour and the mixing of religion and politics globally, as well as the harmful impact these trends could have on Singapore, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew mooted the idea for the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act in the late 1980s.