TO KEEP the peace, it is essential for the Government to act fairly in religious matters, said Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo on Sunday.

Underscoring the role of Government in fostering religious harmony, he said: 'Whatever our individual beliefs, we must always make sure that the state is secular, guaranteeing the freedom of all religions.'

Thus, laws enacted must consider 'the interest of Singaporeans as a whole and not just those of a particular religious group'.

At times, it must also step in to defuse conflicts, he added, citing an example of the Land Transport Authority putting a stop to having pictures of Jesus Christ placed on MRT station floors as advertisements for the movie Da Vinci Code.

'While individual Singaporeans might complain about particular actions taken by the Government, on the whole, they know that the Government tries to be fair and even-handed,' he said.

Mr Yeo was addressing 4,000 youths from five religions - the Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Catholicism, Hinduism and Islam - at the First Youth for Peace Interfaith Symposium organised by the Singapore Soka Association (SSA).

He told them that religious leaders also play a critical role.

'Whenever possible, the Government consults religious leaders so that whatever action that has to be taken is reasonable and not perceived as arbitrary or high-handed,' he said.

For instance, religious leaders sit on the Presidential Council of Minority Rights.

They also meet regularly, he said, adding: 'Many have become close friends. Sometimes, they cooperate on projects to solve or to forestall problems.'

Of course there are still problems.

'But we solve them in a practical way so that everyone has his own space to worship and carry out his religious activities. Everyone has to compromise a little,' he said.

He also spoke at length about the 'troubled' interaction between Islam and Christianity over the centuries.

Read the full report in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.