31 Oct 2011
STATEMENT BY MR ANG CHOO PIN, DELEGATE TO THE 66th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 67 ELIMINATION OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE, THIRD COMMITTEE, 31 OCTOBER 2011
Mr Chairman,
1 Thank you for giving me the floor. As a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country, Singapore is committed to and shares the United Nations' commitment to end racism and racial discrimination. The building of a multi-racial, multi-religious, harmonious and inclusive society is intrinsic to the existence of Singapore. Our independence is grounded in the pursuit of a multi-racial, meritorious society based on the rule of law. Today, Singapore can look back on a track record of harmonious racial and religious relations. Yet we do not for one moment take this achievement for granted.
2 Singapore had started off as a fishing village and became a port of call for visitors from all regions: Southeast Asia, China, India and the Middle East. Many chose to settle in Singapore. When the British colonized us, they put in place an urban plan that organised the various races into geographically distinct areas; separate communities grew in isolation from one another. With little understanding of fellow citizens other than their own community, differences between citizens could be easily exploited and misunderstandings magnified. Singapore's racial riots in 1964 bore violent fruit to the practice of segregation and serve as a reminder, even till today, that harmonious racial relations must rest on integration, not separation.
3 Today, integration is at the heart of almost everything we do. Integration is distinct from assimilation. Singapore does not strive for uniformity. We recognise and celebrate the rich diversity that our different backgrounds and experiences bring to the table. Our diversity is what makes us unique and special as a country and as a people. The protection of private religious, personal spaces is constitutionally and legislatively guaranteed. However, our policies are formulated to provide a balance between rights and responsibilities. No citizen, in exercising his or her rights, may infringe upon the rights of other citizens. Stern measures are meted out against individuals who incite racial or religious hatred between communities.
4 Singaporeans understand that some limits on behaviour are necessary in order for five million diverse citizens to live in harmony on an island smaller than New York City. At the same time, policies are put in place to maintain and expand the common secular space where all Singaporeans can interact with one another. Only with constant day-to-day social interaction can we understand and embrace practices and traditions that differ from our own, thereby reducing the margins for misunderstandings.
5 It is for this reason that we have incorporated ethnic integration explicitly into Singapore's key government policies, such as our public housing. This ensures that every day, Singaporeans from all ethnicities and walks of life can meet and interact on a daily basis. Our schools and National Service, or compulsory military draft, are other examples of common space which bring together different races and religions in continued close interaction. The Inter-Religious Organisation as well as 84 Inter-racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) throughout Singapore were established to build closer ties and develop networks of trust across communities. The IRCCs, made up of local religious and ethnic organisations and grassroots leaders, organise inter-faith, inter-racial events to explain their different faiths to one another. When inter-ethnic or inter-religious issues are raised, the IRCCs quietly resolve them behind the scenes. They provide counselling in times of crisis, thus helping to maintain social and psychological resilience amongst Singaporeans.
6 Yet a multi-racial, multi-religious, harmonious and inclusive society cannot be just about national laws and policies. They provide a necessary foundation, but the process of integration has to be internalised in order to then emanate from the people. For many young Singaporeans, growing up, interacting and sharing with our brethren from other races has become instinctive. Just to cite my own personal anecdote, my friends and I would share in each other's religious and ethnic holidays growing up. For example, I would invite my Malay friends to our family's Chinese New Year gatherings, while likewise they would invite me over for Hari Raya, or Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Today, I still make it a point to join my friends when they break fast during Ramadan.
Mr Chairman,
7 It is our belief that racial harmony requires an understanding, appreciation and celebration of the diversity of peoples. In a multicultural society like Singapore, differences are natural, but it is important that we should never allow these differences to degenerate into friction. Far better to utilise the differences for a common purpose, a shared goal and stability for all Singaporeans.
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