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SINGAPORE \u2013 The Republic must never allow prejudice against any community to become accepted or normalised, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.<\/p>\n
Singapore has held together because it has consistently rejected attempts to divide it along racial or religious lines, and chosen instead to recognise one another as fellow Singaporeans, he said in a post on Facebook on Sept 6.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must keep making that choice,\u201d he said as he urged Singaporeans to hold fast to the ideals of the National Pledge \u2013 \u201cregardless of race, language or religion\u201d.<\/p>\n
He noted that there will always be people who seek to exploit Singapore\u2019s differences, but how the country responds is up to Singaporeans.<\/p>\n
While not every hateful comment online can be stopped, \u201cwe can reject such views, and refuse to give them more space or legitimacy\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n
He was addressing anti-Indian comments that have emerged online<\/span><\/a> following the devastating floods in Nepal in which nine Singaporeans remain missing. Such comments also came up over SIA\u2019s investment in Air India.<\/p>\n PM Wong said while Singapore can and should have robust debates, seemingly legitimate arguments should not be used as a cover to fuel prejudice against any community or hostility towards foreigners.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should be clear about the distinction,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n \u201cThese views do not represent Singapore. But neither can we dismiss them as harmless online chatter. If such behaviour goes unchecked, it can become normalised, deepen mistrust between communities and pull us apart.\u201d<\/p>\n That is why he discussed the developments with his Cabinet colleagues, and Senior Minister K. Shanmugam spoke about it on Sept 5, said PM Wong.<\/p>\n