Singapore’s strict laws alone cannot ensure racial cohesion: President Halimah Yacob

The city state is known for its no-nonsense approach to protecting ethnic sensitivities, with firm policies ensuring tensions are kept to a minimum

The ‘real test’, Halimah said, was the reaction of people when ‘a bomb goes off or [when] people get killed because of racial or religious hatred’

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Singapore President Halimah Yacob at the launch of a new international conference looking into issues surrounding building cohesive societies. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:00am, 20 Jun 2019Updated: 10:40pm, 20 Jun 2019

Constant dialogue among Singapore’s diverse ethnic and religious groups – not just its tough anti-hate speech laws – helps the Lion City remain one of the world’s most socially harmonious places.

That was the assessment of the city state’s President Halimah Yacob on Wednesday at the launch of a new international conference looking into issues surrounding building cohesive societies.

The three-day forum will feature a keynote speech on Thursday by King Abdullah II of Jordan, as well as sharing sessions by experts in the field of social harmony.

Speaking to youth leaders taking part in the conference, Halimah acknowledged Singapore – globally known for its no-nonsense approach in protecting ethnic sensitivities – has strict laws as part of its repertoire.

The multiracial city of 5.7 million people was forged from the embers of race riots in the 1960s, and the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) wields an extensive range of policies, including preventive detention, to keep a lid on tensions.