Reducing Discriminatory Behaviour and Speech

Mdm Speaker, the social harmony we enjoy today is a precious legacy, one which we continuously work at. The focus of all our efforts, through our various initiatives and programmes, is to build bonds and understanding between people and communities, so that discrimination can be minimised. For example, the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) allow community leaders to build friendships and speak up when they see fellow Singaporeans being discriminated against across ethnic and religious lines. The National Integration Council works to reduce discrimination along foreign-local lines. Our Youth Corps reaches out to all segments of society, including the elderly. Through its events and programmes, the People's Association reaches out to residents of all races, age groups and socio-economic backgrounds to promote social cohesion and racial harmony. When we see each other as friends and as fellow Singaporeans, the tendency to cause hurt will be reduced.

We are not alone in our efforts. Other Ministries and agencies also work to reduce discrimination. For example, in the workplace, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) takes a promotional and capability-building approach in helping employers adopt fair employment practices and addressing employment discrimination. The Government has also made efforts towards eliminating gender stereotypes, as well as discrimination based on age, race or religion, through civic education in schools, as well as through public education. More generally, the Media Development Authority (MDA)'s Programme Code for TV states that programmes should not encourage or in any way discriminate against any section of the community on account of gender, age, disability or occupational status.

We also have legislation in place to protect minority interests and to uphold a fair and harmonious society. Our Constitution guarantees that all persons are equal before the law. We have legislative safeguards, such as the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, which protects the rights of minorities; the Sedition Act and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, which act as a deterrent against any group attempting to cause racial and religious conflict; and the Employment Act which protects employees against unfair dismissal.

While measuring discrimination is not easily quantifiable, we have surveys on attitudes that we can use. For instance, as an indication of the state of racial and religious harmony, a survey by OnePeople.SG and the Institute of Policy Studies in 2013 showed that eight out of 10 respondents were comfortable having a close friend from another race or religion. As a measure of the state of our gender equality, the UN's 2015 Human Development Report ranked Singapore 13th out of 155 countries on the Gender Inequality Index, which means that we are good, right up there in the top percentile – the lower the ranking, the higher you are – we are more equal.

In the long run, the harmony in our society speaks for the work we do. However, we can also do more as individual citizens by speaking out against discrimination, be it derogatory speech or exclusivist attitudes. The battle against discrimination is an ongoing one and, as a society, we must continue to maximise our common space, minimise our divides and move forward as one united people.

I would like to thank the Minister for her reply. Madam, I have three supplementary questions. One is whether the Ministry is open to the idea of discussing such sensitive issues on a platform which has a wider public outreach and is more formal, such as the SG Future Forum. I believe such discussions will allow public awareness on these issues. Secondly, what are the processes that MCCY uses to review current and on-going efforts to address discrimination to improve on the existing work in this area? And, lastly, how does MCCY support efforts to address discrimination in areas covered by other Ministries and Government agencies, such as MOM and TAFEP, to understand and deal with workplace discrimination?

Madam, on the Member's suggestion about discussing sensitive issues in a broader forum, we are undertaking such an effort to discuss sensitive issues with groups comprising youth leaders, as well as amongst school leaders. Also, in IRCCs and IRO, we have held conferences as large as 200-300 strong to discuss issues confronting us on racial and religious lines. So, these are our efforts towards sanitising people of all segments with larger groups to come together to have a good, frank discussion about the challenges that we are facing as a nation and what we can do to help ourselves build a stronger and united people.

With regard to MCCY reviewing the processes of whether we have been successful in promoting racial harmony, I think my answer has actually been prepared on that basis. I note that the supplementary question is very similar to the Member's original Parliamentary Question. So, I think I have answered the question that he has posed.

On whether MCCY reviews the successes of the other agencies, of course, we work very closely with our sister agencies. For example, on the National Integration Council, we have MOM leading the sectoral discussion on the workplace. We also have different agencies represented on the National Integration Council which is represented by many Ministers.

In short, this is a very important question for us because, as a very young nation, we do have our natural fault-lines along race and racial perspectives but also, increasingly, we have new fault-lines, new forces that are pulling us apart. And even more established societies are finding themselves being pulled in many directions. So, nation-building, social cohesion are an ongoing process. It is a key focus of MCCY but it is also receiving attention from many agencies and Ministries. And as community leaders, all of us here in this House have a role to send a very positive message to our community because how we treat each other – do we take an inclusive view or an exclusive view will set the mood for our community. I encourage the Member to help us move social cohesion along the line of greater unity and greater cohesion. And I look forward to Members playing an important role in your community towards building a stronger people.