Andrew Kuan submitting his application for a certificate of eligibility. Retired Archbishop Moses Tay is the silver-haired man behind. Picture from the Straits Times.

It was clear to me the moment I saw the picture in the Straits Times, that  Kuan is playing the religious card. He showed up to submit his papers for eligibility with the former Archbishop of the Anglican Church in tow. 

You may say retired Archbishop Moses Tay is a citizen like any other, so why not? But when a person has reached such a position, he cannot even in retirement pretend that his very presence anywhere does not have significance.

The newspaper reported that there were another dozen supporters outside the elections office, so it was hardly an accident that Moses Tay was chosen to go up to the counter with him.

I wasn't the only who noticed. A writer to 'Today' newspaper (9 August 2005), S Ramamirtham, said,

I am not inclined to support a candidate who wants to attempt to mix religion with politics. What was the need for Mr Kuan to have a religious leader accompany him to the Elections Department to submit his forms for the Certificate of Eligibility? What message is he trying to convey to those of different races and religions here? Does he not know that in any election in Singapore, mixing religion and politics is a no-no?

It is extremely dangerous to Singapore's future for politicians to play with religion. This is one issue that can raise temperatures to explosive levels, and shunt aside rational debate which is what a polity needs.

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On a separate note, Moses Tay is particularly objectionable to gays and lesbians. Andrew Kuan's association with this cleric will probably render his candidacy toxic.

Tay is infamous for his rabidly homophobic actions. In the late 1990s when he headed the Anglican Church in Singapore and Southeast Asia, he was one of the leaders of the anti-gay wing of the Anglican Communion. This wing wanted to oust the American churches for being tolerant of gay and lesbian parishioners and clergy.

Then on 29 January 2000, he, together with Archbishop Kolini of Rwanda and another bishop, also from Rwanda (the country infamous for genocide against Hutus) "consecrated" two American bishops to serve US dioceses. See the article Insurrection in St Andrew's Cathedral.  

As Archbishop of Singapore and Primate over Southeast Asia, he had no authority to appoint clergy for the US no matter how much he disagreed with the Anglican clergy there. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican Communion worldwide, rebuked Tay for exceeding his authority and sowing confusion. Many other Anglican bishops from all over the world similarly disapproved of his offensive actions.

Here is a man who was divisive, extremist even by the standards of his own church, and contemptuous of established constitutional order in the church of which he was an office-bearer.

Is Kuan going to follow Tay's example when it comes to defending the Constitution of Singapore?

I don't know if Andrew Kuan shares Moses Tay's homophobic views, but just by bringing the retired Archbishop along to a politically significant (let alone media-covered) event, and letting Tay speak to the media, suggests both a lack of judgment on Kuan's part, and every indication that they share similar positions.

Unless Kuan dissociates himself from Moses Tay's homophobic stance, unless he wises up and not play with the fire of religious identity, you will not find me supporting him.

© Yawning Bread