3) WHAT ARE THE MEASURES TAKEN TO FOSTER SOCIAL COHESION (UNITY AMONG THE PEOPLE) IN MULTI-ETHNIC SINGAPORE?

Singapore, as a multi-ethnic country, is likely to face difficulties trying to bond different races together and to form a common identity for all Singaporeans. No matter the difficulty, Singaporeans have to overcome these obstacles together. Our government and the people have done an immensely good job in fostering Social Cohesion in this multi-ethnic Singapore over the years.

Equal opportunities for everyone One of the guiding principles of governance is “A STAKE FOR EVERYONE, OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL”. This allows every Singaporeans to have a say in the decision-making of Singapore. With this policy, all Singaporeans will develop a greater sense of belonging to this country. Another guiding principle of governance is “REWARD FOR WORK AND WORK FOR REWARD”.
The Key factor is Meritocracy-This rewards people based on hard work and talents rather than race or religion. The Number One rule of fostering social cohesion is: not to be biased to any ethnic group.

The community has been getting Singaporeans to contribute their ideas, time and energy to build a better Singapore and to develop a greater sense of ownership and belonging. They can contribute to the community, neighbourhood, arts and sports. Sports build character, cultivate resilience and promote a healthy lifestyle. Other than that, sports bonds people of different backgrounds and also boost national pride. Singapore 21 Vision was launched to guide Singaporeans through challenges that we will be facing in the 21st century. Its purpose is to strengthen the ’heartware’ of Singapore. The term ‘heartware’ can refer to attitudes, social cohesion and political stability. The Singapore 21 Vision aims to urge more people to come forward to share and argue their points of view. There are few ways which people can share their thoughts. People can write to the newspapers in the forum page, public forum and in the Speaker’s Corner in the CBD.

I believe that the minority from humble family backgrounds were, and are afraid of being unable to cope with a developed Singapore. Frankly, they do not have to worry about all that. The government draws out plans to increase the social mobility for Singaporeans with lower income. Subsidies were given to their children based on the parents’ monthly salary. Our government establishes a “Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) scheme to help family keep their family small and to divert the family’s attention on their resources on uplifting their children. The disabled are not forgotten. Our government has drawn out plans to improve access to technology, public transport and jobs to assist them. There are voluntary welfare organizations here in this society to provide support programmed for the disables. Ministry of Community, Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) was set up to encourage mutual respect of the diversity of ethnic and religious groups.

In school, we learn and play with our schoolmates of different races. It is a must for everyone to have their co-curricular activities (CCA). Through CCA, we are able to learn new things and make new friends. Take me as an example; through my CCA, which is table tennis, I knew one of my good friends who is an Indian. We get along very well. We do not have any difficulty communicating with each other as we have a common language which is English. Hence, misunderstandings can be easily resolved. Schools will organize cultural week, camps, excursion, for every student. My school’s cultural week is held the forthcoming week after all the common tests. We have annual camp to create bonds between the students. This is considered a great opportunity to stay outside with friends and avoid all those nagging that we usually get at home. Through these camps, we can know more about what your best friends do at home. Excursion can enhance our knowledge of other cultures. What do I mean by that? I remember one of the excursions to Little India organized by my primary school. Although it was a few years back, I still have a vivid knowledge about the trip. I remember a temple situated in one of the roads in Little India. The temple was named as Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. It was dedicated to the Hindus Goddess Kali, the consort of Shiva(Goddess of peace). The name “Veeramakaliamman” means courageous. Indian goldsmiths were well respected as they were the image makers of the gods. Navarethinam is related to our solar system. Can you guess what I’m insinuating?? Navarethinam is a ring encrusted with different gems which represents our solar system.

Teachers like to “throw” projects at us, demanding teamwork. In fact, this reflection is for my Social Studies Project. When we do project work, we get a chance to interact with our group mates. Other than that, we will be able to discover our strengths and weaknesses.

A key event in the Singapore Calendar is Racial Harmony Day. Every year, schools celebrate Racial Harmony Day, which reminds everyone to be respectful to other ethnic groups. On the day itself, students will be able to wear their traditional costumes to school, showing Singapore’s diversity. I have also seen that some students take the initiative to wear different ethnic costumes as well.

Community Looking back at my childhood days, I remember that my mother would bring me to the void decks of my flat or nearby blocks whenever there is a celebration. It could be the New Year’s Celebration, Chinese New Year’s Celebration, Hari Raya Haji’s Celebration or Christmas Day’s Celebration. The Housing Development Board (HDB) flats enable us to interact with people living in the same block. A few years back, my Malay neighbour invited my family to attend their daughter’s wedding ceremony. I had adhered to their traditional way of eating even though there was cutlery available. The community clubs organize activities for people of different age groups to participate frequently. During my secondary one Community Involvement Programme (CIP), I was instructed to give out goodies bags for residents who have completed their Walk-A-Jog activity. I noticed that different people of different ages and races had willingly taken some of their free time to interact with each other over the activity.

In my opinion, everyone plays a part in fostering social cohesion among different ethnic groups. This is what that bonds Singapore together, in the past and the present, and I hope the future too.

Written by- JosceLin Edited/Grammar Checked by- AbiGaiL