Singapore Perspectives is an annual flagship conference organised by the Institute of Policy Studies and the LKY School of Public Policy, aimed at engaging Singaporeans in issues close to our hearts. This year, the conference took place on the 25th of January at Raffles City Convention Centre.

Amidst the different presentations throughout the day, the most memorable one would undoubtedly be the presentation by NUS sociologist Dr Daniel Goh, from the first panel entitled “One United People”, which centred on the role of dialogue to foster social cohesion in Singapore.

Dr Goh argued that the practice of self-censorship when conversing with a member of another race results in a “vicious cycle”. This begins with us losing our capacity to talk, resulting in an erosion of trust, followed by us developing a fear of others, which, in turn, leads back to self censorship and a lack of understanding of other races. Such “hyper-sensitivity” actually leads to a form of “patronising multiculturalism” rather than constructive discussions of taboo issues like race and religion.

This message left a very deep impression, as it reflected everyday issues that I, and many of my peers, face. We often find ourselves in contact with peers of other races, sometimes wondering, “Since he’s of another race, perhaps I should avoid topics such as race and religion as he might take offence!” Though such self censorship does have its merits, I believe the constant act of pre-empting the responses of others does not solve any pre-existing differences between races, but functions as an “invisible ceiling” which limits our progress in forging a common identity.

Keeping this in mind, perhaps the best way forward would be to gradually stretch the boundaries of discussion, albeit with continued caution, especially when approaching potentially provocative issues. With this, a way may be paved for Singapore to enjoy a higher degree of openness, while keeping racial tensions in check.

Gabriel Tan
0931
Accompanying photographs used by permission of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/ips/