Let's redefine multiculturalism for a truly inclusive Singapore

We need to go beyond knowing other cultures, to developing intercultural competence - the ability to communicate across cultural divisions

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

We live in a country that is committed to celebrating our multiculturalism. It is my favourite part of being a Singaporean, and living here after years abroad - my group of besties are made up of Indian-Catholic, Indian-Hindu, Malay-Muslim (Sunni), Chinese-Christian and Indian-Muslim (Shi'ite). An executive search consultant remembers that I once said I would not be interested in career opportunities in Hong Kong, China or Taiwan because there are just too many people like me there!

At a 2017 symposium on conflict and peace-building, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam insisted that "we should never allow xenophobia and majoritarianism to override the protection and guarantee of equality to minorities".

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 18, 2019, with the headline Let's redefine multiculturalism for a truly inclusive Singapore. Subscribe