Harness S'pore's diversity to boost racial harmony: Minister

Singapore can improve racial harmony by harnessing its diversity as both strength and enhancement, said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong during a dialogue on race relations yesterday.

Creating a safe space for constructive discourse and getting Singaporeans to work together across racial lines were other suggestions outlined by him in his keynote speech in the dialogue series titled Regardless Of Race.

About 100 people participated in the session, the fifth in the series, via video-conferencing.

It was organised by OnePeople.sg - the national body promoting racial harmony - and the Eurasian Association, in partnership with the Mothership.sg website. "How do we translate our multiracialism into a strength?" Mr Tong, who is also Second Minister for Law, asked in his keynote speech.

"How do we strengthen the diverse threads which make up the Singapore tapestry, so that each thread - each race, religion, culture - is strong on its own, (and) the overall tapestry you weave together is not only stronger than the sum of its parts, but also beautifully enhanced by its diversity?"

He added that the real test of the maturity and resilience of Singapore's racial harmony would be measured by how it responds to spiky or thorny issues emerging between races.

He noted that the evolving nature of such discussions may sometimes cause discomfort among older generations.

"We must feel, first of all, safe discussing without being 'called out' or 'cancelled'," he added.

"We may have different views… on what are the perceived racial inequalities that might exist in a workplace, or what are some of the instances of casual racism.

"(But) we must chart a path forward which has a common understanding as to what is acceptable and what is not."

Earlier, Mr Tong shared responses to an Instagram poll he conducted to unearth race-based issues of interest to people.

"Many of the respondents felt it was important to learn and accept each other's differences and backgrounds," he said.

"The second point that came through was that it was important to emphasise unity, and forge a common identity as one people."

Respondents were also "very concerned" about being inclusive in how race issues are discussed, Mr Tong noted, adding that social media was the "marketplace" for such considerations.

He said the more Singaporeans work, play and live across racial lines, the more they would be able to see beyond race and instead see a colleague, neighbour, friend or classmate.

He also said Singapore's four self-help groups were exploring new ways to better support and service the community at large, beyond the racial lines they were initially formed along.

Mr Tong said the Government remained committed to nurturing strong partnerships with the people, by providing advice, guidance and networks to realise ground-up initiatives.

"We believe strongly in co-creation and working with the community," he said. "I think it's the lived experience, the ideas on the ground that are most useful."