“One United People”: Essays from the People Sector on Singapore’s Journey of Racial Harmony

Download or read book “One United People”: Essays from the People Sector on Singapore’s Journey of Racial Harmony written by Koh Buck Song and published by Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion… Multiculturalism is arguably the X-factor of Singapore’s admired country brand. But while the island republic’s open­ness to the world is undoubted, its ethnic cohesiveness at home came under scrutiny amidst the stresses of pandemic times. In 2021, the government announced moves to establish new legislation for a Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act. This thought-provoking collection of 23 essays – by writers including Nazry Bahrawi, Viswa Sadasivan, Kenneth Paul Tan, Poh Yong Han and Margaret Thomas – reflects on Singapore’s progress, since independence in 1965, to integrate its component communities into one society and nation. Insights are drawn from diverse perspectives – Malay, Indian, Eurasian, Peranakan, Chinese and others. Lessons from the past are analysed, and the evolving challenges of the present candidly assessed. “One United People” – a quotation from Singapore’s National Pledge – is a timely reminder that racial harmony is never a reachable destination, but an ongoing journey, an aspiration that every citizen and resident can contribute to every day.