<\/p>\nresist the destructive temptation to use race and religion<\/p>\n
<\/a> in election campaigns for easy political wins, and steer clear of identity politics.<\/p>\n
In his statement in Parliament on Oct 14, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister, flagged comments from SDP candidate Damanhuri Abas, who contested Sembawang GRC in the May election. <\/p>\n
The minister highlighted how Mr Damanhuri had called for Malay voters to vote against the PAP and framed this as an issue of \u201cupholding Malay dignity\u201d, which Mr Shanmugam said is a slippery and dangerous path.<\/p>\n
In his video, Dr Chee defended Mr Damanhuri, and asked why the PAP makes Singaporeans state their race on their NRICs, creates self-help groups based on ethnic identity, requires minority candidates contesting group representation constituencies to be certified as Malays or Indians, and then accuses the opposition of engaging in identity politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does it divide us and sensitise us to our race, and then say that we should not engage in racial politics?\u201d Dr Chee asked. <\/p>\n
On Nov 2, Mr Murali said\u00a0on Facebook that\u00a0Dr Chee\u2019s suggestion that the PAP government has been stoking racial politics in Singapore was untrue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He added: \u201c(Dr Chee) should know that we put in place these policies to overcome our racial divisions, and strengthen unity among Singaporeans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Murali said the GRCs ensure there will always be a minimum number of minority representatives in Parliament.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reserved elected presidency ensures that every race will have a chance to occupy the highest office in the land. Equality is not served by ignoring differences in race, but by designing rules that respect each and every one,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Murali noted that some people say these guardrails are unnecessary, and that people should be allowed to decide freely and will eventually be \u201crace-blind\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo doubt we aspire towards such ideals, but let\u2019s be realistic. We will not become race-blind simply by removing race from our NRICs or scrubbing out self-help groups, clan associations, heritage centres, and religious, cultural and community groups. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, taking such steps may cause things to worsen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The four ethnic-based self-help groups in Singapore are the Chinese Development Assistance Council, the Eurasian Association, Yayasan Mendaki and the Singapore Indian Development Association.<\/p>\n
Mr Murali said that as a minority electoral candidate, it is an \u201costrich dream\u201d to avoid talking about race and pretending there is no difference. <\/p>\n
He brought up how his campaign poster was defaced in the 2020 General Election. <\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone deliberately drew a beard on me, put a black and red dot on my forehead, and defaced my figure to make me look like an unsuitable Indian candidate,\u201d he recalled. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey also wrote insults to mock my race, including writing the character for \u2018die\u2019 in Chinese.\u201d<\/p>\n
These nasty acts, he added, were done by a small group for political purposes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a sobering reminder to me that race is never absent in politics,\u201d Mr Murali continued. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it reaffirmed my belief that harmony in Singapore cannot be left to chance or wishful thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Murali said this incident was painful, but he felt sadness more than anger because it showed how easily race could be twisted into hate, and how fragile harmony could be, if Singaporeans were to ever take it for granted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome, like Dr Chee, say we should stop talking about race \u2013\u00a0that pretending that divisions do not exist will somehow make us more united. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut my experience tells me otherwise. Ignoring race does not make divisions disappear,\u201d Mr Murali added. <\/p>\n
Pointing to the situation in other countries, Mr Murali said many European societies are plagued by the growth of far-right, even fascist, parties fuelled by racial hatred.<\/p>\n
In 2008, the US elected Mr Barack Obama, an African-American, as president. <\/p>\n
Mr Murali said: \u201cSome thought this will usher in a post-racial America, but instead, ethnic divisions have worsened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact is this \u2013 we cannot strengthen harmony by pretending racial identities don\u2019t exist. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot pretend that as human beings, we will always obey our highest ideals, but not our base instincts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen managing race relations, the Government must deal with the facts as they are and not as we wish them to be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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