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Chua Chu Kang MP calls for more interaction with new S'pore citizens

SINGAPORE — There is room to increase interaction between Singaporeans and new citizens to help them understand each other better, Chua Chu Kang Member of Parliament Zaqy Mohamad said yesterday.

Sunflower Race participants at yesterday’s Big Farm Walk and Run, which was organised to bring together Singaporeans and new immigrants. PHOTO: NURIA LING

Sunflower Race participants at yesterday’s Big Farm Walk and Run, which was organised to bring together Singaporeans and new immigrants. PHOTO: NURIA LING

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SINGAPORE — There is room to increase interaction between Singaporeans and new citizens to help them understand each other better, Chua Chu Kang Member of Parliament Zaqy Mohamad said yesterday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a constituency event, the Big Farm Walk and Run, Mr Zaqy said more awareness programmes are needed to facilitate bonding opportunities, given Singapore’s diverse population.

“Most times, we need to get to a common space. That facilitates a lot of bonding interactions because many of us also come from different backgrounds, different races, different beliefs,” he said.

“When you understand others better, it also helps us empathise with some of the situations they face.”

He added that the main concern for new immigrants was the lack of understanding of the local culture.

“There’s always friction from time to time, but I think that’s ... our (community leaders) role to try to manage that and, hopefully, bring some understanding and awareness to the parties involved,” he said.

Besides large-scale events such as the one yesterday in Chua Chu Kang and Hong Kah North, Mr Zaqy said other efforts have been made in his constituency to bring neighbours of different backgrounds together, like breakfast sessions and community gardening. And at this year’s annual event to promote neighbourliness, a team race called the Sunflower Race, which paired up local Singaporeans and new immigrants, was organised for the first time.

About 5,000 people, 20 per cent of whom were new immigrants, took part in the morning walk and run, which included walking trails and non-competitive runs for families.

Mr Manavalan Karthikeyan, a permanent resident in Singapore since 2006, said it was the first time his family had joined in the event.

“We saw a lot of friends, neighbours. We’ve actually never met them, but in the group, we saw them and said: ‘Hey, how are you?’ It’s like attending a function in your hometown,” he said. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

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