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Read the following article to understand the context of our research and discussion.

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Read the following article to understand the context of our research and discussion.

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https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/policies-shaped-multiracial-nation

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The policies that shaped a multiracial nation

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SINGAPORE - When Singapore became independent on Aug 9, 1965, multiracialism was written into the Constitution.

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1) Look for your name for the topic assigned.
2) Type in your answer to address the following questions:
(a) What is the policy about?
(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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Abby , Alena

(a) What is the policy about?
The sedition act
- criminalises conduct with seditious tendencies including promoting disaffection against the government and feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes.
- prohibits seditious acts and speech and the printing, publication, sale, distribution, reproduction and importation of seditious publications.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- As the act prevents people from openly insulting or talking bad another race or belief, this can prevent racial riots from occurring.
- Since causing hate to another racial group is not allowed, people may be more accepting towards other races.
- As the sedition act prevents people to bring hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the government,  this prevents people sharing any idea which will harm the people's view of the government.

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[Grp 2] Presidential Council of Minority Rights

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[Grp 2] Presidential Council of Minority Rights

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Amelya , Ankita, Sophie

(a) What is the policy about?
The Presidential Council for Minority Rights (PCMR) is a non-elected government body in Singapore established in 1970, the main function of which is to scrutinize most of the bills passed by Parliament to ensure that they do not discriminate against any racial or religious community.

Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious society. Hence, racial and religious harmony among the people is vital for Singapore’s social cohesion.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

- By making sure that there is no unjust or discriminatory treatment that could lead to resentment and disharmony, Singapore’s government , this protects the interest of individuals of different race and religion, fostering a strong sense of belonging. Thus, this help forge a national identity within the citizens of Singapore.

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[Grp 3] Group Representation Constituency (GRC)

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[Grp 3] Group Representation Constituency (GRC)

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Damienne , Dana , Faith Chen

(a) What is the policy about?
GRCs were formed as a way to ensure minority representation in the Parliament and weed out racial sentiments. (GRC means that, in layman’s terms, one political group must consist of members from all the different races).

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- It allows the people to feel represented and that all decisions made are unbiased and account for all races and differences.

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[Grp 4] IRCC (Inter-Racial Confidence Circle)

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[Grp 4] IRCC (Inter-Racial Confidence Circle)

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Faith Wong, Haney , Jenya

(a) What is the policy about?
The Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles - better known as IRCCs - are local-level inter-faith platforms in every constituency, formed to promote racial and religious harmony.

- Aims to be the bridge between religious, ethnic and community groups.
- By being part of the IRCC network, leaders from these various groups can come together to build friendship and trust.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- bridge religious, ethnic and community groups together
- build friendship and trust.
- deepen Singaporeans’ understanding of various faiths, beliefs and practices
* through inter-faith and inter-ethnic activities, such as heritage trails, dialogues, visits to places of worship, ethnic and religious celebrations, which are open to everyone

source:
https://www.ircc.sg/about-ircc

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Education system with common curriculum, common national examinations such as PSLE , O levels etc

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Education system with common curriculum, common national examinations such as PSLE , O levels etc

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Natalie , Nethra

(a) What is the policy about?
Once Singapore became independent in 1965, there was communal tensions and racial riots. Hence, there was a pressing need for our young nation to forge a sense of belonging amongst citizens. In 1965, the idea of a national pledge to inculcate national consciousness and patriotism in young students was proposed. The national pledge is recited with the right fist clenched at the heart. Till this date, the  pledge continues to be an integral part of Singaporean life and is recited by students during flag-raising, as well as on important ceremonies such as National day.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- Reciting the pledge is a way to promote national loyalty and consciousness among citizens after the seperation from Malaysia in 1965. The words of the pledge are based on the belief that Singaporeans can overcome the divisions caused by differences of race, language and religion.
- Moreover, the constant repetition of the pledge and anthem daily, instills these values in each and every Singaporean.
- Since this is done from a very young age, Singaporeans are constantly reminded of their values and responsibility to our nation.

https://www.nhb.gov.sg/what-we-do/our-work/community-engagement/education/resources/national-symbols/national-pledge

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Izzah , Laura

(a) What is the policy about?
- A non-academic activity that all students must undertake as part of their education.
- Allows students to endeavor in character building pursuit such as leadership skills and team work ability.
- Provide students with additional opportunities for social mixes to get to know their peers and school mates.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- helps to foster social integration and deepens students' sense of belonging and responsibility towards their community and country.
- help students to connect to different communities, form different groups of friends and build relationships that go beyond the classroom to give them a good social circle.

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[Grp 10] Values in Action (VIA) programme

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[Grp 10] Values in Action (VIA) programme

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Olivia , Pat

(a) What is the policy about?
Values in Action (VIA) is a Key Student Development Experience (SDE) that aims to nurture socially responsible citizens who contribute meaningfully to the community, through the learning and application of values, knowledge and skills.
- Aims to inculcate life-long volunteerism in the students. Through the programme, students will develop the heart and will to serve others, touch lives, and make the world a better place. VIA is designed to engender student ownership and initiative. As part of VIA, students reflect on their experience, the values they have put into practice, and how they can continue to contribute meaningfully.

Resources:
https://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg/our-programmes/values-in-action#:~:text=Values%20in%20Action%20(VIA)%20is,engender%20student%20ownership%20and%20initiative.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- The VIA project will encourage students to become responsible citizens and contribute meaningfully to the community.
- Makes each student take ownership and initiate a plan on their own.
- Triggers self exploration and quick, decisive thinking.
- Since it’s a student initiative project, this makes each and every student that is part of the project feel accomplished and proud afterwards.
- This project creates a lifelong learning mindset, as it teaches the students to learn independently and not stop exploring the possibilities. The feeling of success afterwards keeps each individual to learn even more, and the students will feel like nothing is too hard to be learnt, you just have to initiate and start your first step.

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Ramesh , Raniya , Pooja

(a) What is the policy about?
- National Day is when we celebrate our history, the day we became independent and our milestones.
- It is a time when Singaporeans come together to demonstrate patriotism and the progress they have made as a nation. This holiday features a National Day Parade, an address by the Prime Minister of Singapore and fireworks celebrations and is also recognized as a public holiday in Singapore.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- National Day celebrations become a symbol of unity amongst Singaporeans despite their many differences. It brings many Singaporeans together to celebrate something they all have in common and to strengthen their bond to the country as well as to each other and to also strengthen their pride for their country.

Every year National Day parade is broadcasted across sg- inclusion of all to watch ac celebration of our country’s independence+ bonding through shared experience

There is always National Day related events that happens in CCs and RCs so that everyone can be a party of the national days celebration.

Usually, small tokens given by gov to ppl of sg

There is national day parade- which includes all representatives for various groups  in Singapore ( representation+bonding through the practices and various involvement)

Makes people feel happy to be part of our country’s celebration of independence regardless  of race ethnicity socioeconomic status and no one is left out.

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Sanga , Sam , Shaima

(a) What is the policy about?
- celebrate the Chinese New Year.
- showcases Singapore’s rich and unique multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan cultures.
- vibrant performers in elaborated costumes from different ethnicity, cultures and backgrounds; dazzling display of floats; huge intricate props and structures; and cultural performances from all around the world.
- one of Asia’s largest street performance and float parade

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- Different groups of people come together to prepare for the performance => learn to work together for the similar project => get to know each other => strengthening the relationship and fostering national identity through the same cause.

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[Grp 13] Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 

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[Grp 13] Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 

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Janani , Giselle , Yuyang

(a) What is the policy about?
The Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) is an annual event organised by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to celebrate the vitality of youths and their diverse arts talents. SYF comprises 3 platforms, Arts Presentations, Celebrations (SYFgoesOnline!) and Art Exhibition.

SYF has seen the involvement of more than 30,000 students in the activities and performances each year. The SYF has been a fiesta for honing of skills, building friendship, strengthening bonds and a creating a common, shared experience for youths.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

Helps to forge and reinforce a common identity and awareness of a common future for youth in Singapore by acting as a national platform for the Singapore youth, thus helping to forge national identity.

Promotes sportsmanship between different teams in different school => leading them to be more bonded having a similar experience => a strong sense of belonging in Singapore.

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(a) What is the policy about?
(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?
(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?
(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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Introduced in 1989, the Ethnic Integration Police (EIP) or HDB ethnic quota, aims to maintain balanced proportions of ethnic groups in HDB estates and to stop racial enclaves from forming. Under the EIP, each HDB block and neighbourhood has a specific quota for each racial group.

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National service is a system of either compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term national service comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.[1][2]

Many young people spend one or more years in such programmes. Compulsory military service typically requires all citizens to enroll for one or two years, usually at age 18 (later for university-level students). Most conscripting countries conscript only men, but Norway, Sweden,[3] Israel, Eritrea, Morocco and North Korea[citation needed] conscript both men and women.

Voluntary national service requires only three months of basic military training. The US equivalent is Selective Service. In the United States, voluntary enrollments at the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps are also known as national service.

- Wiki

“Keep SG save and secure”

- MPB

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pros:
- helps ensure a multicultural society
- creates more cultural understanding
- the EIP has helped to maintain racial and social harmony in Singapore by providing opportunities for social mixing among Singaporeans of different races

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(B) How does it help to forge national identity?

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(B) How does it help to forge national identity?

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- shared experience (hardships)
- source of pride
- NS provides a captive audience of highly capable youth whose abilities can be leveraged and skills upgraded. NS can be used to train responsible stakeholders, not just in law and order but also in welfare. (ST)
- Singapore’s version of conscription is unique to Singapore
- The institution of National Service is largely regarded as a social equaliser, which embodies fairness, equality and identity. More than 94% of respondents agree that servicemen from different family backgrounds are treated equally during national service and that National service policies are applied consistently to everyone is similar situations. (institute of policy studies)
- NS guys will feel responsible for protecting their country and hence feel a sense of belonging to SG

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/ns-key-role-forging-singapore-identity-president-halimah-video-1488306

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Speaking at SAFTI Military Institute on Sunday (Dec 15), President Halimah Yacob said National Service goes beyond being the bedrock of Singapore's defence. It also plays an important role in preserving social identity and forging a national identity. Lee Li Ying reports.

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NS a key role in forging Singapore identity: President Halimah | Video

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Speaking at SAFTI Military Institute on Sunday (Dec 15), President Halimah Yacob said National Service goes beyond being the bedrock of Singapore's defence. It also plays an important role in preserving social identity and forging a national identity. Lee Li Ying reports.

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Most Singapore’s schools follow similar curriculum which leads to the common national examinations like O-levels or PSLE.

-The ministry of education “ believe in holistic education centred on values, social and emotional well-being and character development.” They “believe that every child wants to and can learn. When children find meaning in learning, they are motivated and challenged, and take ownership of their learning.”

They “ value every child as an individual. Our children have diverse learning needs and bring with them a wide range of experiences, beliefs, knowledge, and skills. For learning to be effective, we adapt our teaching pace, approaches and assessment practices to be developmentally appropriate.”

This is the result of government’s meritocracy to allow children from different backgrounds to have the opportunity to access education equally.

In a meritocracy, everyone is allowed the opportunity to succeed based on the same tests, and most talent are selected based on these non discriminatory challenges. Educational fees are affordable, with numerous grants provided for lower-income families, and rigorous standards enforced by the ministry of education on every school.

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(b) A common curriculum ensures that each child has the same foundation for their education. Hence, no matter which school a student goes to the things they are taught remains the same. This makes sure that their socio-economic status does not affect their education and that students are offered opportunities based on effort and talent.

Since each student is viewed as an individual, they will receive teaching methods that can be adapted to their needs. Hence, this provides them with the near best environment to learn in, and are less likely to fall behind.

Common examinations such as O ' Level and PSLE standardise admission to schools by giving a common parameter to judge.

Therefore, meritocracy makes people feel that they are valued and treated equally.

Thus, this lessens resentment or distrust among Singaporeans that they were not given equal chances to succeed in education.

Since people do not feel neglected or disadvantaged, they will feel more loyal to the nation

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It was introduced in 1989 to ensure a balanced mix of ethnic groups in HDB estates, and to prevent the formation of racial enclaves. It seeks to promote racial integration in Singapore by allowing residents of different ethnicities to live together and interact on a regular basis in public housing, where 80% of the population lives.

How does it work?
The EIP is implemented for all ethnic groups. Under the EIP, there are limits on the total percentage of a block or neighbourhood that may be occupied by a certain ethnicity.

When these limits are reached, no further sale of flats to the affected group is allowed, unless the seller and buyer belong to the same ethnic group. This is because resale transactions between members of the same ethnic group would not further increase the proportion of the affected group in the respective block or neighbourhood.

Why does Singapore need EIP?
In 1989, then-Minister for National Development S. Dhanabalan highlighted the emergence of ethnic enclaves in HDB estates, as shown in this image that was published on The Straits Times on 7 January 1989, in a speech to community leaders.

For example, the image showed that many Malay flat applicants wanted to live in Bedok and Tampines, while many Chinese preferred estates like Ang Mo Kio and Hougang.

While the Government was previously able to break up the communal enclaves in the 1960s and 1970s due to a massive resettlement and public housing programme, Mr Dhanabalan noted that such a massive programme was no longer feasible in the 1980s, when many areas were already built-up.

Hence, the EIP was introduced to nip the problem of ethnic enclaves in the bud before it became serious.

In a well-broadcasted interview with BBC's Stephen Sackur in 2015, Senior Minister (SM) Tharman Shanmugaratnam spoke about the Ethnic Integration Policy - even calling it the "most intrusive social policy in Singapore".

He said that the policy turned out to be the most important - and that "when it was first done, (I) don't think we knew how important it was going to be."

So, why was it so important?

Once people of different ethnic groups live together, they are not just walking the corridors and taking the same elevator up and down, SM Tharman explained. "The kids go to the same kindergarten, the kids go to the same primary school, because all over the world young kids go to school very near to where they live, and they grow up together."

The EIP has helped to maintain racial and social harmony in Singapore by providing opportunities for social mixing among Singaporeans of different races.
What the Government is doing to help EIP-affected owners
There have been concerns that, when the EIP limits are reached, some flat owners may find it harder to find buyers for their flats, and could end up selling their flats at a lower price. However, as Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong explained in Parliament in 2018, the saleability of a flat in the open market is dependent on factors other than the EIP.

"Flat attributes like location, storey height, physical condition of the flat, remaining lease and market sentiments" are also considered by prospective buyers, said Mr Wong.

The Government has also implemented measures to help EIP-affected flat sellers. For example, flat owners who have bought another HDB flat but are having difficulties in selling their existing one may be given more time to find a buyer by HDB, on a case-by-case basis.

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gov.sg | HDBs Ethnic Integration Policy Why it still matters