Every Singaporean should develop a deeper understanding of the cultural elements of other races and actively participate in them – that is the next step for the country’s development, said former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam last Friday.
He was speaking at an event organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry(SCCCI), Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry to mark Racial Harmony Day.
“Racial Harmony is our foundation, tolerance is one of our national identities”, he said.
Mr Tharman, who welcomed the guests in Singapore’s four official languages, added: “Everyone should come forward to learn the various traditional elements of other races including art, dance, music and language. Through this, we can build on the legacy of all the races, which has a strong historical footprint of over 1,000 years.”
The presidential hopeful said Singapore’s multiracial society is based on two spaces: unique cultures and languages, which give people a sense of emotional identification, and the compromises each community makes.
However, he added, there is also a need for a third area where Singaporeans need to participate in one another’s culture for deeper understanding.
“This does not mean a fusion of all the cultures. The basic traditions of our races should not change, yet we should strive to expand their boundaries and rise,” he said.
Mr Tharman added that it is the duty of each Singaporean to sustainably hand over the heritage of our races to the next generation to sustain the identity of Singapore.
“We should encourage our children to be friendly with children of other races and only that will give us confidence to face the challenging future,” he said.
The event, with the theme “Embracing and Harnessing Multi-Racialism to Drive Business Growth”, had speeches and panel discussions that reflected on the significance of social harmony and preserving the spirit of multiracialism.
More than 250 people, from youth to entrepreneurs, participated in the event held at the SCCCI building.
