Racial discrimination in Singapore and how to deal with it.

An instance of discrimination would be that against minority races in Singapore. This issue is particularly sensitive, with signals coming from our government that discussing it is taboo. Lily Zubaidah Rahim raises many important points in her book, The Singapore Dilemma. For example, she raises the idea that the public housing scheme, which the PAP is so proud of, has the effect of splintering the Malay community into housing estates throughout Singapore. Though ethnic residential quotas introduced in 1989 to prevent ethnic enclaves from emerging and harming racial harmony, it also has its negative effects – Malays in Singapore, face difficulty gathering enough electoral support to push for their agenda. This, though not major, is an instance of discrimination in Singapore. It is also interesting to note that such views are not expressed in the mainstream media or published in our textbooks. Though there are certainly cases of racial discrimination in Singapore, open discussion of the issue is frowned upon, not bringing the problem any nearer to being solved and maybe even worsening the situation.

Several actions can be taken to curb such instances of discrimination in our country. For starters, to minimise incidences of domestic worker abuse, effective education campaigns and school programmes can be initiated with the intention of getting employers to respect their domestic workers, treating them as proper employees. If the employers change their attitudes toward foreign domestic workers and are able to overcome the traditional mindset that domestic work is of lowly status, they would be more likely to treat their employees better. The education programmes should also aim to cause this mindset to permeate throughout all Singaporeans in general, resulting in an increased show of acceptance towards domestic workers. This would definitely minimise occurrences of domestic worker abuse. As for the issue of racial discrimination, the first step to take would be more openness and increased willingness to discuss the topic, especially on the part of the government. Only through mutual understanding and collaboration can we work towards solving the issue of racial discrimination.

In conclusion, there are indeed instances of discrimination in Singapore, of which domestic worker abuse and racial discrimination are prime examples. However, actions can and should be taken in order to minimise their effects and eventually curb them – actions such as education and open discussion. Addressing the problem of discrimination in Singapore is a key step in further developing and building up our nation. Through undertaking these suggestions, we can hope towards a better future for Singapore, one free from discrimination and abuse of human rights