Singapores Efforts to Foster and Religious Harmony free essay sample

Singapores racial and religious harmony did not come about by accident or chance. Over the years, we have taken sustained efforts to build understanding, tolerance, sensitivity and trust among the different races living in Singapore. This factsheet gives an overview of these efforts. NE Facilitators may wish to use the information in this factsheet when a suitable occasion presents itself during interactions with your target audiences. Pre-911 Since Singapore became an independent nation in 1965, the government has made racial and religious harmony a key principle of governance. Several laws, policies, organisations and initiatives were put in place to ensure that the minorities were not left out or discriminated against, and that there was integration among the different ethnic groups. The following are some examples: 1. Legislation: ? Constitution of Singapore Singapore’s Constitution provides for every citizen to freely practise his or her religion of choice. It states that no citizen should be discriminated against on the grounds of race and religion. We will write a custom essay sample on Singapores Efforts to Foster and Religious Harmony or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ? Sedition Act The Sedition Act, set in place in 1948, prohibits expressions that promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races. For the first time since independence, the Act was used in 2005 to convict some bloggers who made racist remarks on the Internet. ? Religious Harmony Act The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act was enacted in 1992 to restrain religious leaders or individuals from committing acts that will result in ill-will or hostility between and among different religious groups. Presidential Council for Minority Rights Established in 1970 as the Presidential Council and renamed the Presidential Council for Minority Rights in 1973, one of the councils functions is to scrutinise pending legislation to ensure that the proposed law does not discriminate against any race, religion or community. ? Amendments to the Penal Code A new section, which came into force in 2008, was introduced into the Penal Code to increase by 1. 5 times the punishment a person would otherwise have been given, if he commits â€Å"racially or religiously aggravated† offences. For example, the maximum penalty for causing hurt is two years jail and a $5,000 fine; if the crime was racially or religiously motivated, the person could be jailed for up to three years and fined up to $7,500. 2. Policies: ? Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) Introduced in 1988, the concept of GRCs ensures that Parliament remains multi-racial and will always have some Members of Parliament (MPs) from the minority groups. Each GRC has four to six MPs, at least one of whom must be from a minority group. ? Ethnic Integration Policy Implemented since 1989, this policy helps to ensure a balanced mix of ethnic groups in public housing estates. It sets out the maximum proportion of each ethnic group allowed in each HDB block and neighbourhood (the proportions are tied to the national ethnic population proportions). The policy has helped to prevent the formation of racial enclaves in housing estates. 3. Organisations: ? Peoples Association (PA) Against a backdrop of racial riots and political strife, PA was set up in 1960 as the leading government agency to promote racial harmony and social cohesion. Community centres/clubs were built around the island where all Singaporeans, regardless of their background, could take part in a wide range of activities conducted by the centres/clubs. The centres/clubs provide places where people can interact with one another and build strong community bonds. ? Community Development Councils (CDCs) In 1997, nine CDCs1, each headed by a Mayor, were set up as focal points for Singaporeans to work together and look after their own community needs. These were subsequently reorganised into five CDCs in January 2002. There are special programmes to reach out to the young to develop them as youth leaders who can contribute actively to the development of a cohesive and harmonious community. A Racial Harmony Youth Ambassadors Programme was started in 2002 to get students to participate in and thereafter organise activities that promote racial harmony. ? Central Joint Social Service Centre (JSSC) Operational by 1997, the JSSC is a joint body that enables selfhelp groups and community organisations to pool resources to reach out to all Singaporeans. All its programmes have the same underlying theme – they must contribute to building stronger bonds between the various races in Singapore. To promote interethnic interaction, JSSC also holds seminars, talks, performances and other events where the different races in Singapore come together to learn more about each other. 2 Through such approaches, community bonds continue to be built across races and religions. Since May 2007, the JSSC has been reformed to be known as OnePeople. sg. It has taken on a leadership role by being the leading advocate for multi-racialism (the voice and main resource centre) in Singapore. It has also launched One People Portal, a one-stop access to resource materials on race and religion. 4. Initiatives: ? Commemoration of Racial Harmony Day Racial Harmony Day is commemorated in schools and in the SAF on 21st July each year to remind students and SAF servicemen of the lessons from the race riots that broke out on 21 Jul 64. 1 The CDC functions as a local administration of its District, initiating, planning and managing community programmes to promote community bonding and social cohesion. It also provides various community and social assistance services delegated from the Ministries. Being closer to the ground, the CDC is more attuned to the specific needs of their communities. 2 JSSC offers other programmes, services and activities such as camps, revision and enrichment classes, computer courses, library services, student care, youth dance, music programmes, job matching and career counselling services, and other social assistance services. ? Activities are held to emphasise the importance of racial and religious harmony to Singapore, and increase understanding and appreciation of the cultures and practices of the different races. Inter-faith prayer services organised by the Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore (IRO)3 Organised by the IRO for public institutions, civic organisations and private enterprises, these inter-faith prayer services include those for SAF officer cadet passing out parades, opening ceremonies of buildings, public works and construction projects. Post-911 These efforts to build up social cohesion in Singapore stood us in good stead in the post-911 period. Open and frank dialogues could be conducted among our leaders and the various ethnic and religious groups, even in the face of challenging developments like the arrests of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorists in 2001. This reflected the maturity of Singapore’s society and the strength of our multi-racial relations. The Malay/Muslim community took several initiatives in response to the terrorist threat. For example, the Muslim community leaders were united and committed in the battle against extremism. They condemned the September 11 attacks and the JIs plot in Singapore, and initiated public debates on the importance of moderation among Muslims. MUIS embarked on initiatives such as youth outreach efforts and making madrasah education more effective and relevant. Some Muslim religious leaders and scholars formed the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) to counsel the JI detainees and undertake outreach efforts. The government has also introduced new organisations, programmes and initiatives to strengthen the bonds and links among the different races. Some examples are: 1. Organisations: ? Inter-Racial Confidence Circles (IRCCs) and Harmony Circles In 2002, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US and the arrests of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members in Singapore, the Government announced the formation of IRCCs in every constituency to build trust among the different races and deal 3 The IRO is one of the oldest inter-faith organisations in the world. It had its beginnings in the founding of the Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore and Johor Bahru and was later renamed as Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore in 1961. Its objectives include the promotion of mutual respect and the spirit of friendship and cooperation among the leaders and followers of different religions. The 10 religions recognised by the IRO are Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Baha’i faith and Jainism. with racial or religious problems on the ground when they occur. Harmony Circles were set up in schools, workplaces and other local organisations as informal groups. Over the years, the activities include emergency preparedness to enhance community cohesion in emergencies, visits to places of worship of different faiths, and inter-faith dialogues and workshops. The IRCCs were repositioned in February 2006 to step up engagement efforts with the local ethnic and faith organisations, and to operationalise a crisis response plan for each constituency. The National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony, which provides strategic directions to IRCCs, has been reconstituted to include leaders from the ethnic-based, faith and community organisations. The Committee provides a national platform for these leaders to dialogue and discuss issues on social cohesion. 2. Programme: ? Community Engagement Programme (CEP) This programme was launched on 9 Feb 06 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong because Singapore needed â€Å"an expanded and more coordinated programme† than the constituency-based IRCCs and Harmony Circles. Although the IRCCs and Harmony Circles were useful, the level of activity was sometimes uneven across the constituencies, and tended to be focused narrowly at the local level. The CEP goes beyond religious and racial groups to include schools, businesses and unions. The objective is to create an extensive and strong network of contact points among community leaders so that they can build trust among themselves, have the capacity to reach out as widely as possible in the event of a crisis and maintain calm if tensions arise in the event of a terrorist attack in Singapore. To facilitate the building of effective CEP networks, five clusters of community leaders have been identified: (a) grassroots organisations; (b) educational institutions; (c) religious groups, ethnic-based organisations and voluntary welfare organisations; (d) businesses and unions; and (e) media and the arts. MHA will work with the People’s Association, MOE, MCYS, MOM and MICA (the supporting agencies for the various clusters) to develop the necessary capabilities that are needed to mobilise Singaporeans to sustain the social and psychological resilience in the aftermath of a crisis. The aim is for the various organisations under each cluster to work among themselves and those in other clusters to strengthen the network and bonds within and between their respective communities. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the overall coordinating ministry driving the CEP. A Ministerial Committee on Community Engagement, chaired by DPM and Minister for Home Affairs and comprising Ministers overseeing the key ministries and People’s Association, provides policy guidance and political leadership. The Committee is supported by the Community Engagement Steering Committee which serves as the executive group. The Steering Committee provides operational guidance and ensures the integration of the various community response plans to the Government emergency response. 3. Initiatives: ? Declaration on Religious Harmony Mooted by then PM Goh Chok Tong in October 2002 and officially launched in June 2003, the Declaration on Religious Harmony is an affirmation of Singaporeans’ commitment towards peace and harmony. Though not a legal document, the declaration affirms the values that have helped to maintain religious harmony in Singapore and serves as a reminder to take continued efforts to deepen our ties and understanding with other communities. The Declaration has been given to all schools, IRCCs and Harmony Circles. Singaporeans are encouraged to recite the Declaration during Racial Harmony Celebrations every July. ? Learning a third language in schools The Ministry of Education is encouraging students to learn a third language, apart from English and their own mother tongue. It was felt that proficiency in non-native mother-tongue languages would help to nurture increased interactions among the ethnic communities, friendships between students and ties between neighbours, across race and religion. Several schools are already providing lessons in Conversational Mandarin and Conversational Malay. Apart from learning languages at the conversational level, MOE is also encouraging students to study a third language. It has lifted the eligibility criteria for learning a non-native mother tongue language as a third language.