Heartfelt gesture on racial harmony day brings light in our nation’s hour of darkness: Chan Chun Sing

Heartfelt gesture on racial harmony day brings light in our nation's hour of darkness: Chan Chun Sing

In the wake of the incident at River Valley High School, several religious groups have come forward to pray with the bereaved and for the well-being of our students, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said.

“These heartfelt gestures of solidarity, transcending race and religion, has brought light in our nation’s hour of darkness,” Mr Chan said. “They embody the inherent understanding that before all else — we are fellow Singaporeans.”

Today is Racial Harmony Day.

In a Facebook post, Mr Chan said, “The multi-racial Singaporean identity that we have today, did not naturally come to be. It is a hard-won state of being, borne from deliberate policies and tremendous efforts from our communities.”

Elaborating on our shared identity, Mr Chan said, “This shared identity is not about the cultures of minorities being subsumed by the culture of the majority. Neither is it about all of us giving up our own identities.

Instead it is about building a shared and forward-looking identity based on a common set of values, with the foundation steeped in our rich and diverse identities,” Mr Chan explained.

This multi-racial Singaporean identity that we have today is a legacy that each and everyone of us must safeguard in our daily words and deeds, and through mutual respect and care for one another, Mr Chan said.

Mr Chan urged Singaporeans to stay rooted to Singapore and to our founding values of pledging ourselves as one united people, regardlesss of race, language or religion.

“As we commemorate Racial Harmony Day today, let us remember that our country was founded on the belief of forging unity from diversity. Let us celebrate the richness of our multi-racial society, and how it has nurtured our sensibilities in getting along with people from different backgrounds, and more importantly, forging a higher common purpose.”

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing –

Happy Racial Harmony Day!

[irp posts=”8657″ name=”Embrace a global mindset, yet treasure your local identity: Chan Chun Sing”]

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