By Jeremy Au Yong & Zakir Hussain, Political Correspondents

THE Government yesterday spelled out rules of political engagement for religious groups as it broke its official silence on the recent leadership tussle at the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).

In a detailed response to questions from The Straits Times, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said religious individuals have the same rights as other Singaporeans to express their views on public policy issues, but they should be mindful that they live in a multi-religious society where the views of others may be different from theirs.

'If religious groups start to campaign to change certain government policies, or use the pulpit to mobilise their followers to pressure the Government, or push aggressively to gain ground at the expense of other groups, this must lead to trouble.

Religious heads welcome Govt's position

By Zakir Hussain, Political Correspondent

RELIGIOUS leaders have welcomed comments by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng on the role of religious groups in the public sphere, and on the issue of homosexuality.

They reacted positively to Mr Wong's call for religious groups to be mindful of wider sensitivities when engaging in the public square.

The National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS), an umbrella body for key Protestant groups, noted that it will 'continue to engage responsibly in our society in a way that expresses our common concerns and aspirations for our nation'.

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