Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam warns that passive multiculturalism lacks proactive measures to build shared identity, leading to failures. He emphasizes the need for continuous effort in fostering multi-ethnic cohesion and addressing underlying anxieties.
SINGAPORE – History and recent events have made clear that laissez-faire models of multiculturalism – which recognise diversity but are not bolstered by proactive efforts to build a shared identity between people of different races and religions – have failed, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam .
Mr Tharman said there is a broader loss of trust between communities in many other parts of the world, which serves as a reminder that multi-ethnic cohesion, even once achieved, can never be taken as a given. “The causes are rarely simple, and they vary from one society to another. And they often reflect both ethnic prejudices and social and economic anxieties that have been left to fester,” he said.
Turning to Singapore, Mr Tharman said the Republic has built a multicultural society with housing and education policies to encourage ethnic integration, an economy that provides opportunities for all, and continuous dialogue between religious leaders and communities. Singapore’s leaders and policymakers frequently engage with community and religious leaders to ensure that laws and policies do not discriminate against any group, he added.Singapore has laws and policies designed to prevent situations like UK riots: Shanmugam
Another priority here, he said, is to forge unity among diverse Islamic traditions and practices. To achieve this, religious teachers register with the Asatizah Recognition Scheme, which serves as a credible source of reference for Singapore Muslims.
Multiculturalism Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam Ethnic Cohesion Social Compact
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