Speeches
Speech by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister of State for Defence and Education, at the Racial Harmony Day Celebration at 9.50am on 21 July 2011 at Serangoon Garden Secondary School
Miss Yeoh Chee Yan
Second Permanent Secretary,
Mr Henry Tan
Chairman, School Advisory Committee
Mrs Helen Teo
Chairperson, Parent Support Group
Mr Ng Chee Kheong
Principal, Serangoon Garden Secondary
Ladies and Gentlemen
Boys and Girls
I am happy to join you to mark the observance of Racial Harmony Day.
On this day in 1964, Singapore was rocked by racial riots. Violence broke out between Chinese and Malay groups. 36 people were killed and 556 were injured. The riots threatened to overwhelm the entire nation. There was panic and irrational fear, leading to segregation of the races.
Today, Singapore is a very different country. We are fortunate to enjoy peace and harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious society. We have made ourselves an oasis in a troubled world. It is easy to take all this granted. But we did not reach this happy state of affairs by chance. It is the result of many years of patient effort. Singaporeans of all races and religions learnt to trust one another, to give and take, and to accommodate each another’s different customs and ways of life. The Government fostered racial harmony through many policies. We upheld meritocracy and equal opportunity for all. We integrated our population in HDB estates. We ensured that the minority communities have the space to keep their heritages alive, and not feel pressured by any community.
So when we commemorate Racial Harmony day, we remember what happened 47 years ago. We remind ourselves of what we have been through together as a people and as a nation, and how we got to where we are today. We remind ourselves that we will never again allow our country to be torn apart by race and religious conflicts. And we renew our commitment and pledge to be one united people, regardless of race, language or religion.
To preserve the trust and understanding among our different communities, all of us must feel a sense of belonging to our country, and be proud of calling Singapore our home. We have often heard the saying that ‘home is where the heart is.’ I think a home is also a place where we have memories of the past, and hopes for the future.
The past is important because it gives us a sense of identity and roots. Within each community we have our own unique culture, customs and traditions. We also have our own emotional links — to our family, friends, and loved ones. This diverse and rich multi-cultural heritage is an important part of who we are as a people.
At the same time, we must look ahead to the future. What we have achieved today gives us hope for that we can and must achieve better tomorrow. We all have common stakes in one another’s success, and must work together to build a better Singapore.
Ultimately, Singapore belongs to all of us. We have something valuable here — our family and friends, our hopes and dreams, our home and nation — an ideal worth defending and fighting for. Through our shared memories and joint hopes, we will be able to build a home where every Singaporean belongs; we will be able to build a more resilient and united nation.
These convictions and values about Singapore must be instilled from young, so that young Singaporeans acquire a good understanding of self, society and nation. I must commend Serangoon Garden Secondary for its efforts in fostering this ethos and mindsets among its students. As part of the school’s commemoration of Racial Harmony Day, important building and landmarks surrounding the school were explored and researched, culminating in the production of the Serangoon Garden Guidebook. I am very happy to launch the Guidebook today. It is a good example of how we can engage our students to do something for the community, and at the same time, heighten their awareness and knowledge of our heritage and history.
All of us have a part to play in contributing to the community and promoting racial harmony. It can be through projects like the Serangoon Garden Guidebook. It can also be through simple gestures like reaching out to your classmate, colleague or neighbour from another community, or another country. We must make the effort to reach out to different groups, foster more interactions with people outside of our own circle, and build stronger bonds within the broader community and society. If we all do our part, then we can keep Singapore peaceful and united; we can make Singapore truly a special and unique home for many more years to come.
I wish you all a meaningful and engaging Racial Harmony Day.