Minister of Education, Chan Chun Sing said in a heartfelt post on Facebook to commemorate Racial Harmony Day, saying that several religious groups have come forward to pray for the well being of the students from River Valley High School.
He said:
“These heartfelt gestures of solidarity, transcending race and religion, have brought light in our nation’s hour of darkness. They embody the inherent understanding that before all else – we are fellow Singaporeans.”
He also added:
“The multi-racial Singaporean identity that we have today, did not naturally come to be. It is a hard-won state of being, borne from deliberate policies and tremendous efforts from our communities.”
Here is his post in full:
“Several religious groups have come forward to pray with the bereaved and for the well-being of our students, in the wake of the incident at River Valley High School. These heartfelt gestures of solidarity, transcending race and religion, has brought light in our nation’s hour of darkness. They embody the inherent understanding that before all else — we are fellow Singaporeans.
The multi-racial Singaporean identity that we have today, did not naturally come to be. It is a hard-won state of being, borne from deliberate policies and tremendous efforts from our communities. This shared identity is not about the cultures of minorities being subsumed by the culture of the majority. Neither is it about all of us giving up our own identities.
Instead it is about building a shared and forward-looking identity based on a common set of values, with the foundation steeped in our rich and diverse identities. And it is a legacy, that each and everyone of us must safeguard in our daily words and deeds, and through mutual respect and care for one another.
As we commemorate Racial Harmony Day today, let us remember that our country was founded on the belief of forging unity from diversity. Let us celebrate the richness of our multi-racial society, and how it has nurtured our sensibilities in getting along with people from different backgrounds, and more importantly, forging a higher common purpose.
Let us stay rooted to Singapore and our founding values of pledging ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion.#SGInHarmony“
Images source: Chan Chun Sing Facebook and Google Maps