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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
Singaporeans 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.
— 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.
No community has gotten everything it wanted. But collectively, we have achieved much more together than what we would otherwise have attained by just focusing on our individual agendas.
“This is a delicate balance but it is not a fixed position. The situation is dynamic,” he pointed out.
Government committed to racial harmony
Mr Wong stressed the Government will continue to engage widely, and to update its policies on race, as well as other policies that help to strengthen racial harmony in Singapore.
Singaporeans, he said, must continue to speak up and have civilised discussions – not to start arguments – on issues and to listen to each other.
Mr Wong also cautioned against insisting on “maximum entitlements and rights” for one’s own group or to “put the worst interpretation on every perceived slight or insensitivity”. “Because when one group jostles aggressively to assert its identity and rights over others, it will not take long before other groups feel put upon, and start to jostle back,” he said. “We end up fuelling our worst tendencies – our tribalism, hostility and vengefulness.”
The Government, he said, will “never waver” in its commitment to promote harmony among all races, and ensure that all Singaporeans enjoy full and equal opportunities in life.
Transport Minister S. Iswaran also emphasised the need to respect different perspectives about race issues from people of different races and generations. Mr Iswaran, who spoke at an inter-racial harmony seminar organised by Jamiyah Singapore on July 17, said: “If we are to continue to grow our common space, its foundation rests on taking seriously these diverse viewpoints which reflect the lived realities of Singaporeans… Racial harmony is a whole-of-society project to which we each have a duty and responsibility.”
— Transport Minister Mr S. Iswaran
Ethnic Integration Policy essential for racial harmony
The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) continues to be relevant among the range of programmes the Government deploys to protect and promote Singapore’s racial harmony. So we must always bear in mind the EIP’s larger social objective while we seek to smoothen its sharper edges, said Minister for National Development, Mr Desmond Lee.
“The EIP is one really important part of the effort because it helps to ensure inclusive and diverse neighbourhoods. Because, left entirely to social and market forces, ethnic concentrations will start forming in different areas again.”
Introduced in 1989, the EIP caps the proportion of flats in each HDB block and neighbourhood that can be owned by households of each ethnic group. The limits are set based on the ethnic proportions in the general population.
“The EIP remains critical because so much of our lives and our children’s lives revolve around our homes and our neighbourhoods. With diversity in our estates, we get to interact with our neighbours of different races almost every day – along the corridors, void decks, playgrounds, the markets, our neighbourhood centres, shops and hawker centres” said Mr Lee in Parliament on July 5, 2021.
“We must always ensure that the places where we live and grow up reflect the fabric of our society. That is how we continuously press on towards our ideal of a cohesive and multi-racial Singapore.”
Noting that Leader of the Opposition, Mr Pritam Singh, agreed the EIP’s removal should not happen before Singapore reaches a state of being race neutral, Mr Lee said: “Never rest on our laurels that we can afford to take away mechanisms that are in place through the wisdom of the generations to keep our society where it is today.”
— National Development Minister Mr Desmond Lee
