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The concept of a “race-blind society”, free from racial prejudice and discrimination in attitudes and practices, is an ideal that Singapore wants to work towards.
But it is premature to conclude that Singapore has reached such a post-racial state, two ministers, Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong and Prime Minister’s Office Minister Maliki Osman said yesterday.
Workers’ Party chair Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) on Tuesday called for a national exercise to review how Singapore’s journey towards a race-blind society can be accelerated.
The concept of a “race-blind society” is a goal established in a report by the Constitutional Commission to review the presidency-elect in 2016, he noted.
Ms. Lim had also called for an open review of several policies based on race, including the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) and race-based self-help groups.
While the self-help groups have done a good job, with some help for other communities as well, their existence reinforces racial awareness, he said.
The different sizes of ethnic groups that contribute to these organizations can also affect the amount of resources they have.
In their speeches on the fourth day of the debate on the president’s speech, the ministers stressed yesterday that while it is important to work for a more inclusive society, it is also important to maintain awareness and respect for the differences between groups.
Mr. Tong noted that while Singapore has now become less race-conscious and more tolerant of differences, Singaporeans should not think that they have reached an ideal “post-racial state”, or that no further efforts will be needed. to build bridges between different groups.
“Race and religion remain dividing lines and are emotional issues.
“The risk of going backwards on what we have achieved is always there, and we cannot assume that our progress will be in a straight line,” he said.
Singaporeans should also be careful not to ignore or underestimate the “serious and sometimes unintended negative consequences that can easily occur with rampant remarks” on race relations and related issues, added Dr. Maliki, who is also Second Minister of Education and Relations. Exteriors.
Tong said there is “absolutely nothing natural or inevitable” in the progress Singapore has made on issues of race and religion over the years, especially with young people perhaps moving closer to the ideal state of unity and harmony than their parents and grandparents. .
“If it was a natural or expected progression, it would have occurred in other parts of the world naturally, even among our neighbors in Asean,” he said.
“We came here precisely because we have consistently and systematically worked on that, through policies that affect almost every aspect of our lives,” he added, noting how Singaporeans of different races live together, study together and serve together. national as a result. of such policies.
Common spaces such as public parks, schools, libraries, sports facilities and public housing, where all races interact, either accidentally or deliberately, through the EIP, promote a more open and shared perspective between communities creating opportunities for social mixing added Tong.
Furthermore, race consciousness in Singapore cannot, and should not, be erased, both ministers noted.
Committing to remain “a united people, regardless of race” does not mean that Singapore should renounce cultural affinities or discourage people from the same community from coming together to support each other and other members of the community, he said. Tong.
To be inclusive, Singaporeans must accept that there are differences between races and address these differences constructively, added Dr. Maliki.
“These could be differences in cultural traditions and practices, emphasis on priorities and what matters most in life, but also specific community issues or issues that members of a racial group find they have to deal with. and they require dedicated care and assistance, “he added.
Singaporeans, Dr. Maliki said, should also allow a “positive sense of racial identity” to exist and develop, and have a comprehensive set of community policies and initiatives, including self-help groups.
This will help address problems in the community as part of a larger ecosystem that provides help to those in need and solves problems effectively and with empathy.
Mr. Tong agreed with him that ethnic self-help groups still have a role to play.
While they are based on race, they are not linked to race and have brought their respective communities together to serve the vulnerable across the spectrum of races and ethnicities.
Volunteers from these groups also cross racial boundaries.
Almost a quarter of the volunteers in the Malaysian self-help group Mendaki are not Malays, he noted.
Dr. Maliki added that there is no inherent contradiction in an individual having a strong racial identity as well as a strong Singaporean one.
He said that is why having the CMIO framework – Chinese, Malay, Indian and others – “does not make us less Singaporean, and removing it does not mean we will be more Singaporean.”
The way race issues are discussed publicly will evolve over time, the two ministers added.
The youth of Singapore should have as much voice in this discourse on race as anyone else, Mr Tong added. That speech must also take place across generations, he said.
Mr. Tong added that inclusion “is not about ignoring or simply living with differences, or denying that different groups have different and even conflicting agendas.”
“It’s about accepting that there will always be a give and take, and appreciating that everyone is entitled to their positions as long as those positions do not invade the right of another group to also have a position, albeit different, and perhaps even one with it you disagree, “he said.
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