Neither would back down - each felt their own need was greater, said Dr Fatimah Lateef, an MP for Marine Parade GRC .

It prompted grassroots volunteers involved in the two-year-old Community Engagement Programme (CEP) to step in quickly and, a day later, an agreement was reached. One family celebrated at one block while the other grieved at the adjacent one, Dr Fatimah revealed during an update on the programme yesterday.

The session involved 12 MPs who sit on the Panel of Activists for Community Engagement (Pace). They shared their plans on how to boost social cohesiveness within their constituencies.

Striking such compromises and bridging gaps between races on a day-to-day basis are crucial to building bonds so that when serious incidents happen, tension can be dissipated, explained Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say, who chairs Pace.

'To wait until something happens to know that we are not strong enough is too late,' he said.

Some ways in which grassroots organisations are strengthening community resilience include visits to different places of worship, and cultural heritage trails to better understand other races, the MPs said.

Some also have ambitious plans, like MP for Jurong GRC Halimah Yacob, who helms Bukit Batok East division.

The team she leads wants to develop an e-mail database so that constituents can be updated with information and details in the event of a serious incident.

'We have to reach the residents first...before rumours start,' she said.

Twenty-eight constituencies are already part of the grassroots CEP, and will be certified 'CEP-ready' during workshops that run for a month from next week.

Best practices learnt could eventually be extended to other constituencies, Mr Lim added.

The programme, which was started by the People's Association, was prompted by the religious links with terrorist-related incidents, including the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and the Bali bombings.

It aims to promote racial and religious harmony, and develop a strong network of trust in the community.

Such efforts, which should be from the ground up rather than prescriptive, are a 'journey with no end', said Mr Lim.

He pointed to the recent escape of Jemaah Islamiah leader Mas Selamat Kastari as an example. Mr Lim said he did not sense any mistrust in the community based on religion or race.

He said: 'What we saw was a lot of unity...The line is drawn between the united community versus the terrorist.'

jermync@sph.com.sg

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