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The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Casual racism is not okay and more people should understand this, says S'pore acting minister for Culture, Community and Youth
SINGAPORE: Casual racism should not be tackled with more laws, but by helping people understand it is not acceptable in Singapore. Responding to a student during a dialogue session on Saturday (July 12) at Republic Polytechnic, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo said it is more important to let people know why casual racism is not acceptable. The student had asked if casual racism should be tackled by implementing more policies in Singapore, or by a greater focus on engendering heightened sensitivity among Singaporeans. Neo said: 'I personally really don't think that the way forward is to throw in more rules, more policies, more laws to catch people. I don't think that's the kind of Singapore we want to live in. 'Rather it's about building the understanding, getting more people to understand why casual racism is not okay, why it is not acceptable, and getting more people to subscribe to this idea that we need to be respectful of every single race, and we need to be careful of what we say.' Students also raised other issues, such as the relevance of Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools and Singapore's Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others (CMIO) system of ethnic classification. The dialogue session was part of the HarmonyWorks! Conference organised by racial harmony advocacy group Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo at It's Giving Fest on July 12. - Photo: ST Around 200 participants and facilitators attended the conference themed Hands Of Humanity, Shaping Our Future. Most of the participants were students from post-secondary institutions, madrasahs and SAP schools. Members from community groups like the People's Association also attended the conference, which is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the five community development councils and Mirxes, a biotechnology company. The dialogue, which lasted for more than an hour, was held under Chatham House rules, which means that participants cannot be named in media reports. One of the questions posed by a recent university graduate was about the CMIO model, and whether Neo saw the model evolving as Singapore becomes more multicultural and has more new citizens and interracial marriages. Neo said he does not think the model is perfect, but that it was and is useful to drive integration efforts. He said that it has served Singapore well, adding that the model has to be continuously looked at. 'My own belief is that as long as we continue to hold to our fundamental and core belief that this is a place for all Singaporeans, regardless of race, language or religion, everybody is treated equally, everybody has the same fair chance, then whatever model we use to make sure we have that common space actually is secondary. 'What is primary is this fundamental belief, and I'm sure the future generations of Singaporeans will be able to evolve and come up with a model that will allow this to happen.' When asked about the relevance of SAP schools, Neo said that by and large, there is a desire for organisations and schools to be multicultural. But that there is a space for each group to also advocate for themselves, to push and strengthen the understanding of their own culture and practices. This helps build diversity and makes Singapore strong as a nation, he said, adding that that is why there is space in Singapore for self-help groups and SAP schools. However, he said SAP schools must not go off on their own and be involved only in the understanding of an individual mother tongue and strengthening of an individual culture, but should contribute to the common space, to add to the richness and diversity of Singapore. Krisha Janelle Gopu joined the SG60 Flex Your Passion mentorship programme after she graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in March. - Photo: ST Later in the day, Neo attended It's Giving Fest, an event held at *Scape to celebrate Singapore's 60th year of independence and the aspirations of young people. Held across July 12 and 13, the event features live concerts and performances, short films, a flea market, a cosplay segment and food trucks, as well as interactive games designed by young people. The films and songs showcased include works by 53 students from various institutes of higher learning. The students had received guidance from seven industry professionals for four months as part of the SG60 Flex Your Passion mentorship programme. Krisha Janelle Gopu, 21, joined the programme after she graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in March. She worked as a producer on the 10-minute film Lion Heart, which is about a percussionist in a lion dance troupe who confronts self-doubt with the support of his troupe mates and those in the community. Krisha, who will be going to the University of Stirling in Scotland in September to pursue film and media, said her mentor in the programme had provided her with support and resources. Among other things, her mentor introduced her to a network of people in the industry, who included casting agents and experienced art development specialists. 'The experience of this mentorship programme helped me to grow more confident as a producer and gain experience in all aspects of production,' she said. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Casual racism should be tackled by getting more people to understand it is not acceptable: David Neo
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - Casual racism should not be tackled with more laws, but by helping people understand it is not acceptable in Singapore. Responding to a student during a dialogue session on July 12 at Republic Polytechnic, Acting Minister of Culture, Community and Youth David Neo said it is more important to make people know why casual racism is not acceptable. The student had asked if more policies should be implemented in Singapore to tackle casual racism, or by a greater focus on engendering heightened sensitivity among Singaporeans. Mr Neo said: 'I personally really don't think that the way forward is to throw in more rules, more policies, more laws to catch people. I don't think that's the kind of Singapore we want to live in. 'Rather it's about building the understanding, getting more people to understand why casual racism is not okay, why it is not acceptable and getting more people to subscribe to this idea that we need to be respectful of every single race and we need to be careful of what we say.' Students also raised other issues, such as the relevance of Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools and Singapore's Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others (CMIO) system of ethnic classification. The dialogue session is part of the HarmonyWorks! Conference, which is organised by racial harmony advocacy group Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Members from community groups like People's Association also attended the conference, which is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the five Community Development Councils and Mirxes, a biotechnology company. The dialogue, which lasted for more than an hour, was held under Chatham House rules, which means that participants cannot be named in media reports. One of the questions posed by a recent graduate was about the CMIO model, and if Mr Neo sees the model evolving as Singapore becomes more multicultural, has more new citizens and sees more interracial marriages. Mr Neo said that he does not think the model is perfect but that it was and is useful to drive integration efforts. He said that it has served Singapore well, adding that the model has to be continuously looked at. Said Mr Neo: 'My own belief is that as long as we continue to hold to our fundamental and core belief that this is a place for all Singaporeans, regardless of race, language, or religion, everybody is treated equally, everybody has the same fair chance, then whatever model we use to make sure we have that common space actually is secondary. 'What is primary, is this fundamental belief and I'm sure the future generations of Singaporeans will be able to evolve and come up with a model that will allow this to happen.' When asked about the relevance of SAP schools, Mr Neo said that by and large there is a desire for organisations and schools to be multicultural, but that there is a space for each group to also advocate for themselves, to push and strengthen the understanding of their own culture and practices. This helps build diversity and makes Singapore strong as a nation, he said, adding that that is why there is space in Singapore for self-help groups and SAP schools. However, he said SAP schools must not go off on their own and only be involved in the understanding of an individual mother tongue and strengthening of an individual culture. He said they have to bring this back to the common space, to add to the richness and diversity of Singapore. Later in the day, Mr Neo attended It's Giving Fest, an event held at *Scape celebrating Singapore's 60th year of independence and the aspirations of young people. Held across July 12 and 13, the event features live concerts and performances, short films, a flea market, a cosplay segment, food trucks, as well as interactive games designed by youths. The films and songs showcased included works by 53 students from various Institutes of Higher Learning. The students had received guidance from seven industry professionals for four months as part of the SG60 Flex Your Passion mentorship programme. Ms Krisha Janelle Gopu, 21, joined the prorgramme after she graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in March. As a producer, she worked on the 10-minute film Lion Heart, which is about a percussionist in a lion dance troupe who confronts self-doubt with the support of his troupe mates and the community around him. Ms Krisha, who will be going to the University of Stirling in Scotland in September, to pursue film and media, said her mentor in the programme had provided her with support and resources. Among other things, her mentor introduced her to a network of people in the industry, which included casting agents and experience art development specialists. 'The experience of this mentorship programme helped me to grow more confident as a producer and gain experience in all aspects of production,' she said.
Online Citizen
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Online Citizen
Paul Tambyah questions Ho Ching's repost, warns against foreign interference in Singapore affairs
SINGAPORE: Speaking at a rally in Sembawang West SMC at Evergreen Primary School on 26 April 2025, Dr Paul Tambyah, chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), reiterated the party's firm opposition to any form of foreign interference in Singapore's elections. During his speech, Tambyah referenced a recent incident involving Ho Ching, spouse of former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Ho had shared an article by Polish blogger Michael Petraeus, known as 'Critical Spectator', which likened Chinese President Xi Jinping to a 'mafia boss'. Tambyah highlighted that the article, written by a foreigner living in Singapore, may influence foreign relations. He remarked that the issue only gained prominence because it was reposted by 'one of the most powerful women in the world,' referring to Ho Ching, whose salary remains undisclosed. While acknowledging that foreigners are free to express opinions about Singapore, Tambyah emphasised that they should not interfere in the country's domestic or foreign affairs. His remarks raised questions about whether Ho's sharing of the article implied endorsement of its harsh criticisms of Xi Jinping. By the morning of 23 April, checks revealed that Ho's repost was no longer accessible on her page. Prior to this, it had attracted over 1,500 comments and been shared more than 400 times, reflecting significant public engagement. Separately, at a press conference on 26 April, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong responded to a question on foreign interference. He outlined the government's general criteria for assessing foreign interference risks but did not specifically address whether entities such as Critical Spectator, which publicly comment on political matters, pose concerns for the upcoming General Election (GE2025). Call for dismantling of CMIO classification Tambyah expressed support for ending identity politics in his rally speech. He strongly advocated for scrapping Singapore's CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) racial classification system, calling it outdated and exclusionary. Tambyah pointed out that CMIO was introduced by colonial authorities to divide the population. He noted that the system marginalises communities such as the Arabs, Armenians, and Jews, who have contributed significantly to Singapore's history. He argued that ethnic-based self-help groups perpetuate divisions and lead to resource duplication. Tambyah urged the government to 'walk the talk' by eliminating racial classifications that no longer reflect Singapore's diverse society, where inter-racial marriages are common. Tambyah cited Cherian George, Professor of Media Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, who asserted that Singapore's real fault lines are between rulers and the ruled, rather than between different ethnic or religious groups. Tambyah observed that these divisions were entrenched during both the colonial and People's Action Party (PAP) eras. Criticism of PAP's stance on minimum wage Turning to economic issues, Tambyah criticised the PAP for its resistance to implementing a universal minimum wage. He countered remarks by Siow, a PAP candidate for Chua Chu Kang GRC, who claimed that calls for a minimum wage of S$2,250 were more political than practical. Siow had argued that the PAP's Progressive Wage Model, targeting specific sectors, was more effective. Separately, Gan Siow Huang, PAP candidate for Marymount, dismissed alternative parties' minimum wage proposals as simplistic and impractical. Tambyah defends the living wage approach In response, Tambyah questioned why the PAP preferred complex solutions over straightforward guarantees. He asserted that a universal living wage ensures basic necessities for families, supports fair competition with foreigners, and protects migrant workers from exploitation. Tambyah cited the example of a bus company offering starting salaries of S$5,000, which drew over 1,300 Singaporean applicants for 20 to 30 positions. This, he said, disproves the stereotype that Singaporeans are unwilling to work but highlights the demand for fair wages. Tambyah noted that fears about mass unemployment due to minimum wage policies were unfounded, given that the PAP's Progressive Wage Model functions similarly to a minimum wage without causing economic collapse.
