S’pore’s cohesion depends on confidence in identity, building bridges: Lawrence Wong

Published Sep 12, 2026, 08:20 PM

Updated Sep 12, 2026, 08:20 PM

Singapore builds a multiracial, multireligious society by ensuring every community can practise its faith, language, and culture while sharing common spaces for interaction and trust-building.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong highlights challenges like economic disparities and racism but stresses ongoing efforts to strengthen social bonds and inclusivity.

The Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim League (SKML) plays a key role in community support, education, and bridging Indian and Muslim groups, launching a $250,000 education fund for tertiary students.

SINGAPORE – Where race and religion are fault lines that divide societies elsewhere, Singapore chose to deliberately build a multiracial and multireligious nation, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Speaking on Sept 12 at the 85th anniversary celebration of the Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim League (SKML), a Tamil Muslim group that founded the first Tamil-medium secondary school in South-east Asia, PM Wong said Government policies helped create the conditions.

He added: “We made sure that every community has its place and can practice its faith, speak its language, and celebrate its culture and traditions.

“At the same time, we have common spaces and shared experiences in our schools, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our national service, where Singaporeans from different backgrounds can mix, socialise, make friends, and grow up together.

Ultimately, cohesion is built through people, he said.

“ It depends on all our communities being confident in their identities, at the same time being willing to reach out, build bridges, and develop trust with one another, ” added PM Wong.

The work Singapore does to keep its society cohesive and strong is becoming even more important as societies around the world are becoming more fragmented, divided and polarised , partly due to economic challenges, he said.

“ Some segments of society don’t do as well, and they become disappointed and frustrated.

“But beyond the economic issues, the challenge comes when these economic dislocations get fed into a sense of identity, belonging, and perceived unfairness.

“That’s when divisions really start to become more entrenched, and people start to build walls between us versus them,” said PM Wong.

Singapore is not immune to these challenges, he said, adding that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore saw racism rear its ugly head in Singapore.

“More recently, when we talked about investments in India, racist comments have surfaced again online.

“Even in Singapore, while we generally have a harmonious and stable society, from time to time you will see segments drawing lines between foreigners and Singaporeans,” said PM Wong.

He said even between Singaporeans, some will draw lines between local born and naturalised, even as they draw lines between race and religion.

“While we keep on improving policies to tackle concerns around cost pressures and jobs, and make sure that every Singaporean gets a share in the nation’s progress, we must at the same time, keep working at our relationships and strengthen the bonds of trust that hold our society together,” added PM Wong.

He said SKML is an invaluable partner in such an effort, citing the community’s expansion of partnerships with self-help groups from other communities, with these tie-ups addressing practical needs like Mendaki’s Community Leaders Forum on digital literacy and scam awareness.

Paying tribute to the SKML’s efforts to help its community, PM Wong quoted a Tamil proverb: “If the seed is good, the harvest will be rich.”

From the start , the organisation had planted good seeds, especially in education, self-help and service, said PM Wong.

In 1941, the SKML was founded by migrants from the town of Kadayanallur, India, who helped one another in Singapore.

Over time, it started the Umar Pulavar Tamil School in 1946 to give the next generation a better future.

While the school closed down after 36 years, it lives on today through the Umar Pulavar Scholarship Trust Fund that gives financial assistance to the needy and the Education Ministry’s Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre, which teaches the Tamil language in Singapore.

In many ways, the self-help group’s journey mirrors Singapore’s story, said PM Wong.

He noted how in the earlier years, people naturally relied on their closest ties to give them support and security in uncertain times, but the circle widened as generations put down roots here.

In his speech, PM Wong noted the SKM Co-Operative, which SKML established in 1948, continues to provide savings schemes and community-based loans to help members meet practical needs.

In homage to its migrant member’s origins, the Kadayanallur Street was named in 1952 as a lasting reminder of the community’s place in the Republic’s history, he added.

Since then, the group , which considers itself as Singapore’s largest Indian Muslim organisation, h as developed people and leaders through SKML’s involvement with the Indian Muslims Professionals Network.

It has also preserved and shared the community’s history through initiates like the Singapore Indian Muslim microsite and the Encyclopaedia of Singapore Tamils.

“As a trusted and long-standing organisation, SKML can play an important role in various efforts, including to strengthen connections across different Indian organisations, which we are doing through a new initiative led by (Minister of State for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Dinesh Vasu Dash),” he added, calling on the group to also serve as an important bridge between Singapore’s Indian and Muslim communities.

In March, Singapore announced a new Indian Engagement and Development Initiative (INEI) committee, which was formed to strengthen the Singapore Indian identity, coordinate community efforts and develop youth leadership over the next five years.

Concluding, PM Wong said SKML started with the instinct of coming together and looking after their own, but has since widened to include contributing to Singapore, reflecting the Republic’s own story.

He added: “Our own no longer means those from our same family, the same language, or the same faith.

“Our own means Singaporeans, regardless of race, language, or religion. Because whatever our different roots and backgrounds, we are all Singaporeans, and Singapore is our country and our home.”

The good seeds planted by earlier generations have yielded a rich harvest here in Singapore, which is enjoyed by current generations, he said, urging SKML to continue planting these seeds for future generations to inherit a more cohesive and united Singapore.

The event saw SKML launching its Ascend Education Fund, a $250,000 fund that will serve as a financial safety net of last resort for high-achieving tertiary students, primarily from the Indian-Muslim community.

Its anniversary was attende d by some 800 people, including Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad as well as Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport Murali Pillai.

Also present were Minister of State for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Dinesh, members of parliament, representatives from various trade associations and chambers as well as local charities.

发布于2026年9月12日晚上8:20

更新于2026年9月12日晚上8:20

新加坡通过确保每个社区都能实践自己的信仰、语言和文化，同时共享互动和建立信任的公共空间，从而构建了一个多种族、多宗教的社会。

黄循财总理强调了经济差距和种族主义等挑战，但同时也强调了为加强社会联系和包容性而持续做出的努力。

新加坡卡达亚纳鲁尔穆斯林联盟（SKML）在社区支持、教育以及促进印度裔和穆斯林群体之间的交流方面发挥着关键作用，并启动了一项250,000美元的高等教育基金。

新加坡——总理黄循财表示，在种族和宗教成为分裂社会的断层线的地方，新加坡选择刻意建立一个多种族、多宗教的国家。

9月12日，在新加坡卡达亚纳鲁穆斯林联盟（SKML）成立85周年庆典上，黄循财总理表示，政府政策有助于创造这样的条件。SKML是一个泰米尔穆斯林团体，在东南亚创办了第一所泰米尔语中学。

他补充道：“我们确保每个社区都有自己的空间，可以进行自己的信仰活动，说自己的语言，庆祝自己的文化和传统。

“与此同时，我们在学校、社区、工作场所、国民服役等公共空间和共同经历中，让来自不同背景的新加坡人能够交流、社交、交朋友，并共同成长。

他表示，归根结底，凝聚力是通过人建立起来的。

黄总理补充说：“这取决于我们所有社区对自己身份的自信，同时也要愿意伸出援手，搭建桥梁，彼此建立信任。”

他表示，随着世界各地的社会日益分裂、分化和两极分化（部分原因是经济挑战），新加坡为保持社会凝聚力和强大所做的工作变得更加重要。

“社会上有些群体境况不佳，他们会感到失望和沮丧。”

“但除了经济问题之外，真正的挑战在于，当这些经济动荡与身份认同感、归属感和感知到的不公平感交织在一起时。”

黄英贤总理说：“正是在这种情况下，分歧开始变得更加根深蒂固，人们开始在我们和他们之间筑起高墙。”

他表示，新加坡也无法免受这些挑战的影响，并补充说，在新冠疫情期间，新加坡出现了种族主义丑陋的一面。

“最近，当我们谈到在印度的投资时，网上再次出现了种族主义言论。

黄英贤总理说：“即使在新加坡，虽然我们总体上拥有一个和谐稳定的社会，但你也会不时看到一些人在外国人与新加坡人之间划清界限。”

他说，即使在新加坡人之间，有些人也会像划分种族和宗教界限一样，划分本地出生的人和归化公民。

黄循财总理补充道：“在我们不断完善政策以应对成本压力和就业问题，并确保每个新加坡人都能分享国家进步成果的同时，我们也必须继续努力改善彼此关系，加强维系我们社会的信任纽带。”

他表示，SKML 是这项工作中不可或缺的合作伙伴，并指出该社区正在扩大与其他社区自助团体的合作关系，这些合作旨在解决实际需求，例如 Mendaki 的社区领袖论坛，该论坛旨在提高数字素养和防范诈骗意识。

黄总理在赞扬SKML为帮助其社区所做的努力时，引用了一句泰米尔谚语：“如果种子好，就会有丰收。”

黄总理表示，该组织从一开始就播下了良好的种子，尤其是在教育、自助和服务方面。

1941 年，SKML 由来自印度卡达亚纳鲁尔镇的移民创立，他们在新加坡互相帮助。

随着时间的推移，为了给下一代创造更美好的未来，该组织于 1946 年创办了乌玛尔·普拉瓦尔泰米尔学校。

虽然这所学校在办学 36 年后关闭了，但它如今仍然通过 Umar Pulavar 奖学金信托基金和教育部 Umar Pulavar 泰米尔语中心得以延续。Umar Pulavar 奖学金信托基金为有需要的学生提供经济援助，而教育部则在新加坡教授泰米尔语。

黄循财总理表示，从很多方面来看，这个自助团体的经历都反映了新加坡的故事。

他指出，早些年，人们自然而然地依靠最亲近的人在不确定的时期获得支持和安全感，但随着一代又一代人在这里扎根，这种关系圈也扩大了。

黄总理在讲话中指出，SKML于1948年成立的SKM合作社，继续提供储蓄计划和社区贷款，以帮助成员满足实际需求。

他补充说，为了纪念其移民成员的出身，卡达亚纳鲁尔街于 1952 年被命名，作为对该社区在共和国历史上地位的永久纪念。

从那时起，该组织（自诩为新加坡最大的印度穆斯林组织）通过参与印度穆斯林专业人士网络，培养了人才和领导者。

它还通过新加坡印度穆斯林微型网站和新加坡泰米尔人百科全书等项目，保存并分享了社区的历史。

“作为一个值得信赖且历史悠久的组织，SKML 可以在各种努力中发挥重要作用，包括加强不同印度组织之间的联系，我们正在通过（文化、社区及青年部政务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什）领导的一项新举措来实现这一点，”他补充道，并呼吁该组织也成为新加坡印度社区和穆斯林社区之间重要的桥梁。

今年 3 月，新加坡宣布成立新的印度人参与和发展倡议 (INEI) 委员会，旨在加强新加坡印度人的身份认同，协调社区努力，并在未来五年内培养青年领袖。

黄总理总结道，SKML 最初是出于团结互助的本能而成立的，但后来发展壮大，开始为新加坡做出贡献，这反映了新加坡共和国自身的发展历程。

他补充说：“我们自己人不再指来自同一家庭、说同一种语言或信仰的人。”

“我们自己人指的是新加坡人，无论种族、语言或宗教信仰。因为无论我们有着不同的根源和背景，我们都是新加坡人，新加坡是我们的国家，是我们的家园。”

他表示，前人播下的美好种子在新加坡结出了丰硕的果实，造福了当代人。他敦促新加坡商会继续播撒这些种子，让子孙后代继承一个更加团结和凝聚的新加坡。

在本次活动中，SKML 启动了其 Ascend 教育基金，该基金规模为 25 万美元，将作为成绩优异的高等院校学生（主要来自印度穆斯林社区）的最后经济保障。

约有 800 人参加了周年纪念活动，其中包括首相办公室部长英兰妮·拉贾、穆斯林事务代理部长扎基·穆罕默德以及法律部兼交通部高级政务部长穆拉利·皮莱。

出席者还有文化、社区和青年部国务部长迪内什、国会议员、各行业协会和商会的代表以及当地慈善机构的代表。