Concerted efforts will keep multiracial unity intact

I read with interest the commentary “Life lessons in racial harmony” (Sept 13).

Race relations remain a sensitive issue in many countries. Singapore is no exception, and prejudice more or less still exists in private sector employment. If it is not handled appropriately and prudently, it can be manipulated to trigger disharmony.

Racial harmony has been a key issue since independence, and the Government has made concerted efforts to ensure that the fabric of this united society remains intact.

Singapore’s kampung spirit is integrated into a multi-pronged approach that is innovative, exclusive to and effective in our context to tackle and reduce racial prejudice and suspicion.

National Service provides an opportunity for male citizens, regardless of race, to undergo rigorous training together. This not only prepares them to protect the country and their loved ones but also gives them an environment conducive to interaction.

This type of bonding is ingrained in the minds of key pillars of future families and will be passed down from generation to generation.

The Ethnic Integration Policy for public housing also provides the opportunity and convenience for all races in the same neighbourhood to mingle with one another in their surrounding amenities, such as wet markets and coffee shops.

Community Clubs and Residents’ Committees in each constituency ensure racial interaction and social bonding among people as well.

Nowadays, inter-ethnic marriage is common in Singapore, and the number is expected to increase over time. These couples would undoubtedly give their children, when they are grown up, the freedom to choose their spouse.

These marriages demonstrate that racial prejudices in Singapore have moderated over the years.

In our places of worship, we can see people of different ethnicities and from all walks of life congregating; these are effective points of interaction too.

Students from diverse ethnic groups rub shoulders in school, from primary to tertiary education. This is another effective way of cultivating and inculcating the spirit of racial harmony and bonding in our younger generation.