Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 2) | Page 97

Practice Issues

Dear Social Service Practitioners,
Singapore’s Report on Human Rights was discussed at the 24th Session of
the Universal Periodic Review Working Group Meeting in Geneva on 27 Jan
2016. Ambassador-at-Large Professor Chan Heng Chee’s opening statement 1
articulated the heart of the Singapore story of finding the right political,
economic and social strategies for the broad uplift of all communities and
groups and how a nation is forged out of this heterogeneity.
Singapore’s population consists of people of so many different languages,
religions and cultures that even a PEW study found Singapore to be the
world’s most religiously diverse nation. It is a nation that has similar elements
to some other new states which have resulted in them being pulled apart by
deep primordial racial and religious differences.
Our social harmony did not happen by chance, but by deliberate choices
and policies. Preserving the common space was a priority. Each community
did not insist on the primacy of its race, religion, language or culture, but
was prepared to live together and accommodate others in the context of a
multi-racial and multi-religious society.
There were times when the Government had to intervene for the common
good and take steps that were unpopular with a section of the community.
Because we lacked resources and space, we had to be pragmatic and
innovative in order to survive. Building our economy and keeping it
competitive went hand in hand with our social approach.

The Economic & Social Approach to Development
In the first three decades of our nationhood, we focused on the basics: security,
fair opportunities for good education, stable jobs and home ownership.
There was a broad-based social uplift of our people in one generation.
The economic approach was twinned with a social approach. We created
a culture of self-reliance, and also of mutual support. We provided equal
opportunities for all Singaporeans to succeed regardless of their starting
points in life and encouraged those who had succeeded to give back to
society. We invested in improving the quality of education, healthcare and
housing. These not only enabled people to seize opportunities but also
assured them that their basic needs were met.
1

United Nations. (2016, Jan 27). Singapore Review – 24th Session of Universal Periodic
Review. Retrieved from http://webtv.un.org/search/singapore-review-24th-session-ofuniversal-periodic-review/4725866340001?term=singapore
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