Ms Grace FU
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth
Singapore

Honourable Secretary LAU Kong-wah, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

First, I would like to thank the Hong Kong Government for inviting me to the conference and for your warm hospitality. I'd like to discuss Singapore's policy of multiculturalism in the context of building a national identity. Please allow me to play a short video.

A picture paints a thousand words: the video expresses deeply what we feel about our country. This year, Singapore commemorates a special year, the Singapore Bicentennial. It is the 200th Anniversary of Stamford Raffles' landing in Singapore. Our entrepot trade has blossomed and attracted waves of immigrants seeking opportunities and dreams of a better life. Since then, this city state has become home of multiple ethnicities, cultures and religions. Our many communities have their own traditions, and Singaporeans celebrate and embrace different cultural heritage as one people. As shown in the video, different cultures in the common space does not only exist in harmony, but also flourishes alongside each other. It's the result of decades of work. Singapore has introduced laws, such as the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act in 1990, and social policies in areas such as public housing and schools that enabled ethnic integrity. This year, we have held the inaugural International Conference on Cohesive Societies, which has successfully generated conversations on strengthening interfaith understanding and developed new ideas to foster greater harmony in societies. These efforts seek to facilitate intercultural understanding and mutual respect for each other.

The arts and culture play an integral role in fostering pride and belonging through a unique Singapore national identity. As a migrant society, we have created our own distinctive cultural identity over the years, which is reflected in our tangible and intangible heritage. Singapore's heritage belongs to every Singaporean. That is why it is important to preserve and promote awareness of our national monuments. This year, Singapore announced the gazette of the Singapore River bridges, which have witnessed our nation's transformation over the past decades. Preserving our built heritage not only helps us pass on our stories and memories to the next generation, but also serves as an important reminder to respect monuments important to all races.

The exhibitions at our community heritage institutions have strengthened appreciation for and preservation of the heritage of our major ethnic groups.  The distinctiveness of each culture has inspired Singaporeans in the creation of new works. These inter-ethnic collaborations encourage understanding between artists of different ethnicities, and strengthen people-to-people ties as well as our shared identity. The Open Score Project (OSP) is one such group in Singapore. The music ensemble comprises young musicians from different cultural backgrounds and musical influences, from different ethnic instruments such as accordion, cello, morin khuur, pipa, tabla, and venu. The OSP is working to develop a new sound that reflects Singapore's multicultural identity, drawing inspiration from different cultural traditions in Singapore for its original creations.

A strong national identity necessitates social cohesion, which in turn demands accessibility and inclusiveness. That is why Singapore has deliberately ensured our cultural programmes remain accessible to all. Singaporeans of all backgrounds are able to enjoy various cultural festivities, such as the Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts, the Pesta Raya Malay Festival of Arts, and the Kalaa Utsavam Indian Festival of Arts at our National Performing Arts Centre, the Esplanade—Theatres by the Bay. We brought cultural events to our heartland neighbourhoods through the Singapore Heritage Festival, PAssion Arts and Arts in Your Neighbourhood. Singaporeans are reconnecting with the spaces that they live, through heritage trails, open houses and hands-on activities. These interactive programmes connect people from all walks of life in a shared interest, which encourage learning and appreciation from one another.

Increasingly, we have observed that people want to do more than just to appreciate a finished product, especially among the youths. To deepen their engagement, Singapore ran the Youth Conversations platform last year that enabled the youths to talk about issues that mattered to them. To move from conversation to action, we have launched the SG Youth Action Plan in April this year to empower youths to have stake in shaping Singapore's future. Through this exercise, we have provided a platform for the youths to articulate their vision for our country and work with other youths, organisations and the Government to realise this vision together. An example is the Somerset Belt's masterplan which adopted a participatory place-making model with the youths to develop a master plan for the Somerset District. This ongoing initiative aims to develop a vibrant youth district that includes arts and cultural elements, which supports youth aspirations and encourages greater civic participation.

In a time of rapid technological developments and increasing geopolitical uncertainties, societies are becoming increasingly complex and polarised. Singapore will face similar issues, as we have had in the past 54 years. With respect for all, we work together to make Singapore a vibrant home for everyone.

In conclusion, Singapore has nurtured a diverse cultural landscape that has worked for us, and we will have to adjust as society evolves. This is the same for all countries with unique cultural histories. We can learn from each other's experiences, so that we can better our societies and move towards a brighter shared future for all. I look forward to the meaningful conversations at this forum on connecting cultural diversity.

Thank you very much.