Racial harmony blog entry

In Singapore’s context of cultural and religious pluralism, more focus should be placed in social responsibility, adopting Szilagyi’s point of view.

If we were to allow freedom of expression, as it is “essential to any democracy” according to Singer, there is a tendency that in the long run the people would take it for granted and bluntly cause much unnecessary conflicts. Cultural and religious beliefs are personal, and something that is sensitive. One is proud of their own culture, knowingly or unknowingly. Though we don’t profess it, but deep down in us we know it. For example, we affirm our racial and ethnic identity by gathering our own ethnic communities. In schools, there is always a tendency for all the respective racial groups to gather in their own groups, away from the rest. Not saying that they are hostile and ostracize each other, but they together in their racial groups, and as a group they unknowingly show forth their pride in their own culture by merely gathering together. The Chinese groups would speak in Mandarin, the Malays in Malay, and the Indians in Tamil – in their own unique tongue, about their own cultures, religion and etc. As one might take pride in their culture and religion, when another without any ill-intentions bluntly makes a comment about one’s pride, misunderstandings form and conflict arises.

Therefore there should be always a healthy amount of censorship, taking after Szilagyi’s stand. Just like how you would not immediate state the flaws and unhappiness in a newly formed group to increase disunity, but wait till an opportune time to use it to build the group up. We must censor what we say with responsibility, and only at opportune and strategic timings do we unveil the issues to discuss and deal with them.