A new fund will be established to support ground-up initiatives which promote racial and religious harmony. This was announced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Sam Tan in Parliament on Friday.

The $5 million Harmony Fund will be run over three years from April 1. Non-profit organisations can apply for the grant, which will fund up to 80 per cent of net costs of eligible projects, up to a limit of $100,000.

The projects should raise awareness of the importance of racial and religious tolerance; promote appreciation of different cultural practices; encourage interactions between these different groups; or reduce negative stereotypes or misconceptions about other communities.

Earlier on Friday, Members of Parliament Desmond Lee (Jurong GRC) spoke of recent incidents of insensitive views posted online, and asked about plans to foster greater understanding between people of different races and religions.