STATEMENT BY MR LIM TECK HONG DELEGATE TO THE 70TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 70(A) ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE THIRD COMMITTEE 02 NOVEMBER 2015

Mr Chairman,

Singapore’s diverse population comprises about 75 percent Chinese, 13 percent Malays, 9 percent Indians and 3 percent from other races. Among those who have religious affiliations, 40 percent are Buddhists, 22 percent are Catholics or Protestant Christians, 18 percent are Muslims, 13 percent are Taoists, 6 percent are Hindus and the remaining 1 percent have other religions.  The Pew Research Centre described Singapore as the most religiously diverse country in the world in 2014.

2          Governing a nation with such a diverse racial and religious mix is not an easy task. To ensure that no single racial or religious group is discriminated against, our Constitution reaffirms that all are equal before the law regardless of race, language or religion. It also establishes the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, whose main function is to scrutinise bills before Parliament to ensure that they do not, in effect, unfairly discriminate against any particular race or religion.

3          Governments must actively manage the public space so that all racial and religious groups are not only given fair and equal treatment, but also embrace the diversity of society and respect the different beliefs and views of others. To promote inter-racial and inter-religious understanding, we created common touchpoints for racial and religious groups to interact. For example, through the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCC), the Singapore Government brings together leaders of different religious, ethnic and community groups in each local constituency for dialogue, building relationships, friendship and trust.  This allows them to respond quickly to defuse racial and religious tensions when there is a need.

4          Social media has enabled radical views and inflammatory remarks to be disseminated quickly and can be used to incite hatred towards a particular race or religion.  In Singapore, we have seen cases of individuals writing online articles to stir up feelings of ill-will and hostility between different communities. The Government works closely with community and religious leaders to address this.  Informational pamphlets are published to educate the public on terrorism.  Videos explaining why violent extremism goes against religious teachings, have also been made to reach out to Internet-savvy youths who are most at risk of being radicalised via social media.

Mr Chairman,

5          Singapore’s strong stance against racial and religious discrimination and active management of public spaces to promote social harmony have reaped dividends. In a recent study in Singapore , nine out of 10 Singaporeans were comfortable with having someone of another race as a neighbour, colleague or employee while eight out of 10 Singaporeans were comfortable with having a close friend from another race or religion. On a personal note, I fondly recall my childhood experience of playing football with friends of different races, where the captains chose their teams based on the skill of the individual and not the colour of his or her skin.

6          In the past year, the world has unfortunately witnessed how racial and religious tensions can lead to violent attacks such as the Charlie Hebdo shooting in France and the Charleston church shooting in the US. These incidents are stark reminders of the need to manage racial and religious fault-lines to preserve social harmony and stability.

7          Singapore does not take for granted the racial and religious harmony which we now enjoy. Given our multi-racial and multi-religious society, we will continue to actively promote better understanding and build trust among our different racial and religious communities. Our recent signing of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reaffirms our commitment to eliminating racial and religious discrimination, and building a harmonious and inclusive society.  

8          Thank you.

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