Former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng has said he is deeply remorseful for his remarks suggesting that a group of activists relocate to Gaza, acknowledging that they caused "hurt and anger", especially within the Muslim community.
In a Facebook post on April 10, he said he had met Ustaz Pasuni Maulan and Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Hassan at Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands on the afternoon of April 9.
Both elders are on the council of Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis).
During their meeting, they had discussed Mr Cheng's remarks, with Mr Cheng telling the senior leaders he did not intend to attack any community or faith.
Mr Cheng told the two elders that he has been speaking to members of the Malay/Muslim community over the past week.
He wrote: "I realise that I should have been more sensitive with my remarks. I should not have said - even in jest - that people should go to a conflict zone.
"I told the Ustazs that I am deeply remorseful about my remarks suggesting that our people go to a conflict zone. They advised me to be more sensitive in the future, in what I say."
Mr Cheng had made the remarks about the activists in a Facebook post on March 13, proposing to send a group of activists to Gaza, as long as they never returned. Among other things, he asked the activists to "take a slow hike" to Gaza.
This was after the activists from the Monday of Palestine Solidarity group turned up and caused a scene at Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam's Meet-the-People Session in Chong Pang on March 12.
The activist group has been going around to several Meet-the-People Sessions to talk about the war in Gaza.
Mr Cheng said his remarks were directed at the activist group, which included Chinese and Indians, and had a mix of religions.
"I was specifically upset with their disruptive activism," he said.
"My remarks were not targeted at the Muslim community."
He also said that some people had wrongly attributed to him some other statements that he did not make, and he has thus had to take legal action as the untrue statements were very damaging to him.
Mr Cheng added that he was deeply grateful to Ustaz Pasuni and Ustaz Hasbi for meeting and listening to him.
He said: "I am grateful for the understanding, patience and compassion of the two elders."
Hamas attacked Israeli communities on Oct 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people. Israel responded by launching a campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 50,000 people so far.
Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Mr Shanmugam had come out to say they disagreed with Mr Cheng's views.
On April 6, the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (Pergas) issued a statement that called Mr Cheng's comments "deeply troubling".
The association said the remarks ridiculed and alienated fellow Singaporeans, many of whom had expressed empathy and solidarity in response to humanitarian suffering.
Mr Cheng had responded on April 7, saying that his earlier comments were directed at a group of people that included non-Muslims, and reiterated that those comments mentioned neither race nor religion.
In a podcast interview with Malay-language news outlet Berita Harian on April 9, Mr Masagos said the way Mr Cheng had framed his comments had crossed a line, was hurtful to Malay/Muslims here, and threatened social harmony.
