Mutual trust and compromise have forged
racial
harmony in Singapore
Race and racism have been widely discussed of late. Ministers and Members of Parliament have spoken about the recent spate of racist incidents and the importance of maintaining racial harmony in a multi-racial country
S
ingaporeans of all ethnic groups have been able to live harmoniously with each other because there is mutual trust and accommodation by all groups instead of confrontation or compulsion. Finance Minister Mr Lawrence Wong said this was one key reason why Singapore’s system of racial harmony has worked when he spoke at a forum on race and racism organised by the Institute of Policy Studies and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies on June 25, 2021. There has been a series of racist incidents which prompted debate on the state of racial harmony in Singapore. “In a positive way, social media has
helped to create greater awareness of racism here. This has made us reflect deeper about who we are, and who we want to be,’’ he said. On how Singapore has achieved a multi-racial society since independence, he said our founding leaders knew Singapore needed “deliberate policies, carefully thought out safeguards and resolute efforts” to ensure the minorities would be protected and that the majority would not abuse its dominance.
Expand common space The Singapore way of fostering racial harmony was not to create a monolithic society and does not require any community to give up its heritage or traditions. “We decided to preserve, protect and celebrate our diversity. We encourage each community to take pride in its own culture and traditions. At the same time, we seek common ground among our communities, and aim to expand our common space and strengthen our shared sense of belonging and identity,” said Mr Wong. 04
SEP 2021
“Like our forefathers of all races who made this their home in 1965, we too are convinced that we must continue to strengthen our ‘Singaporean Singapore’ and build an ever more perfect multi-racial society.” — Finance Minister Mr Lawrence Wong
He appealed to the majority Chinese community to be sensitive to and be conscious of the needs of minorities. “At the same time, I am grateful that minorities have reciprocated by recognising that the majority community has legitimate needs and concerns too.” Mr Wong said: “”Through mutual accommodation and compromise, we have found a balance that all can accept.
