SINGAPORE'S EFFORTS TO FOSTER RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HARMONY
A FACTSHEET BY NEXUS
Singapore's racial and religious harmony did not come about by accident or chance. Over the years, we have taken sustained efforts to build understanding, tolerance, sensitivity and trust among the different races living in Singapore. This factsheet gives an overview of these efforts. NE Facilitators may wish to use the information in this factsheet when a suitable occasion presents itself during interactions with your target audiences.

Pre-911
Since Singapore became an independent nation in 1965, the government has made racial and religious harmony a key principle of governance. Several laws, policies, organisations and initiatives were put in place to
Being closer to the ground, the CDC is more attuned to the specific needs of their communities. 2 JSSC offers other programmes, services and activities such as camps, revision and enrichment classes, computer courses, library services, student care, youth dance, music programmes, job matching and career counselling services, and other social assistance services.

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Activities are held to emphasise the importance of racial and religious harmony to Singapore, and increase understanding and appreciation of the cultures and practices of the different races. Inter-faith prayer services organised by the Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore (IRO)3 Organised by the IRO for public institutions, civic organisations and private enterprises, these inter-faith prayer services include those for SAF officer cadet passing out parades, opening ceremonies of buildings, public works and construction projects.

Post-911
These efforts to build up social cohesion in Singapore stood us in good stead in the post-911 period. Open and frank dialogues could be conducted among our leaders and the various ethnic and religious groups, even in the face of challenging developments like the arrests of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorists in 2001. This reflected the maturity of Singapore’s society and the strength of our multi-racial relations. The Malay/Muslim community took several initiatives in response to the