Racial harmony did not happen spontaneously in Singapore. It took hard work, sacrifice and wisdom.
Our founding fathers made multi-racial equality and harmony a fundamental principle of nation building. They did not suppress the distinct identities of each group, but instead acknowledged and accommodated them.
Over time, the different ethnic groups reached a balance through mutual compromise, and give and take. No group got everything it wanted. Each gave up a little in order for all to live harmoniously side by side.
As a result, Singapore is one of the few countries in the world where people of different races and faiths live peacefully together, and have done so now for more than half a century.
It is a rare and precious achievement, but also a delicate balance, because a harmonious, multiracial country is not a natural or stable state of affairs.
#ndrsg
(Photo: National Heritage Board)
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