Speeches
Speech by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Law at the Racial Harmony Day Celebration at 9.20 am on 21 July 2011 at St Hilda’ Primary School
Mr Wong Siew Hoong
Director, Schools
Mr Daniel Koh
Chairman, School Advisory Committee
Mr Roger Lee
Chairperson, Parent Support Group
Mdm Kew Mee Ying
Principal, St Hilda’s Primary School
Ladies and Gentlemen
Boys and Girls
Introduction
Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you here at St Hilda’s Primary School to mark the observance of Racial Harmony Day. Each year, on 21st July, we come together to remember the tragic events which led to the racial riots of 1964. On that day, a total of 36 people were killed and 556 were injured.
Perhaps some of you may wonder and ask “Why do we need chose to remind ourselves of these very painful memories? After all, these events are all in the past and Singapore can move on now.”
One of your classmates, Hazim Fathul Rahman from Class 6/10 commented that “Racial Harmony Day is not just about appreciating the unique ‘rojakness’ of Singapore but to celebrate our years of racial and religious harmony.” Indeed it is the coming together of this diverse mix of cultures and beliefs that has made Singapore what it is today. And so Racial Harmony Day is a day to remind us of the need to continue to foster meaningful relationships with the people around us.
And because we have constantly remembered and reminded ourselves since 1964 that peace and harmony is something that cannot be taken for granted, Singapore has indeed built a well-integrated and harmonious multi-racial and multi-religious society since our independence.
HOME: Joint HOpes, Shared MEmories
Racial harmony today continues to be guided by the importance of respect, tolerance and acceptance amongst our people. While we recognise and value the different customs and traditions amongst our people, we must continue to forge a common identity and build experiences which bring us together, deepening our mutual understanding and enabling us to build rapport with our friends and neighbours in the community.
Our shared memories remind us that Singapore is our home and where we belong- no matter where our opportunities, our hard work or our good fortune may bring us in life.
This is the inspiration for the theme behind this year’s Racial Harmony Day celebrations – HOME: Joint HOpes Shared Memories.’ What does ‘Home’ mean to you? One way of defining ‘home’ is as the place where we live; be it in a HDB flat or in a private condominium. However, a house itself is not a home and we have often heard the saying that ‘home is where the heart is.’
In defining the theme for this year’s Racial Harmony Celebrations, we wanted to remind all of us that Singapore is our home. It is the place where our hopes for the future are realised and where the memories of the past continue to give us a sense of belonging – here together with our friends, families and loved ones.
To do this, we must want to find out more about Singapore as our home. We must want to know our neighbours and the immediate community. More than that, we can also go one step further by exploring and learning more about the cultures and heritage of our neighbours. It is important for us to learn to respect the differences between different communities and to celebrate our similarities as Singaporeans.
So as we celebrate the richness of our vibrant and diverse culture, we need to ask ourselves: “What are the hopes we share for the future?” and “What are the things that we should remember?” How can we co-create a Singapore where our children continue to live together in harmony and where we can all grow old in the company of our friends of all races? What are the shared memories that remind us that our lives are forever intertwined as Singaporeans?
Racial Harmony today continues to be reinforced by these joint hopes and shared memories because they inspire us to continue forging a common identity and build upon experiences which bring us together. The importance of respect, tolerance and acceptance amongst our people continues to form the core belief of what we recognise and value to make Singapore a home where each of us belongs.
Engaging Students in School, Involving Partners in the Community
In St Hilda’s Primary School, all pupils go through the Conversational Chinese and Malay (CCM) programmes to enhance cross-cultural interaction. I believe this is a commendable practice as through this programme, pupils not only learn to converse in alternative Mother Tongue languages but also enrich themselves with knowledge of culture and traditions of other races.
When asked by his teachers on how best to promote racial harmony, Rosalfi Roslan from Class 5/5 provided this answer “We don’t need to fight about race! Sit down and eat together better!” Indeed, food is something close to the heart of all Singaporeans. Beside our rich array of culinary delights across our different communities, what Rosfali has captured in his insightful statement is the importance of the fellowship and understanding that comes from sharing a meal together.
So when you have your recess, I encourage you to sit with your friends of different races and seize the opportunity to put the skills learnt in your Conversational Chinese and Malay lessons to good use and build strong bonds of friendship with each other that will transcend race, language and religion.
An Integrated Whole-School Approach
Indeed, we can see that St Hilda’s has embarked on an ‘Integrated Whole-School Approach’ to increase common spaces and allow our pupils better interaction and integration opportunities. I am happy to see how activities and programmes are developed across the curriculum to bind the different races together and anchor us emotionally to our country.
Today, I am glad to launch St Hilda’s Tampines Project (Joint HOpes, Shared Memories), which has been championed by our young NE ambassadors to put forth the characteristic past, the present colours and the envisaged future for Tampines Town. I believe this will develop a stronger sense of rootedness in the students and residents of the community. Conclusion
Singapore is changing rapidly in tune with global trends. As Singaporeans, we must work hand-in-hand, regardless of race, language or religion, to jointly weave the ‘heart-ware’ of our nation. Each of us can make a difference, in building Singapore as a Home that we can be proud of. Through the tireless cultivation of goodwill, fellowship, and compassion in our multi-racial and multi-religious community, we build our ‘social capital’ which will be the true wealth of our nation.
Thus, it is important that schools plan programmes where students can not only have an enriching learning experience, but also understand and respect different faiths and cultures, and be able to identify the common values that we share with one another. This work begins in school but will extend well beyond it.
I congratulate you all on your good efforts and I wish you all a meaningful and engaging Racial Harmony Day.