I REFER to last Thursday's report, 'Foreign Ministry responds to
UN expert's comments'. On the sensitive issue of race, Singapore's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that United Nations Special
Rapporteur Githu Muigai appears to advocate some form of
'affirmative action' to help the Malays progress in the area of
education.
This approach, according to the ministry, 'has been tried by
many countries without notable success'.
Even the president of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
(Muis) told Mr Muigai that the Malays in Singapore do not need any
affirmative action policy because 'the Malay community had a deep
sense of pride in its own ability to achieve steady progress under
the national system of meritocracy'.
If affirmative action is frowned on by minorities themselves,
why does the Government insist on keeping the group representation
constituency (GRC) system in the political landscape? The GRC
system, as propagated by the Government, ensures minority
representation. Thus it is an affirmative action policy.
Does it make sense that the minorities in Singapore need
affirmative action only to protect their political rights and
everything else can be based on meritocracy?
The minorities have spoken. They have the ability to achieve
progress under the national system of meritocracy. The Government
should recognise that and abolish the GRC system.
We are no longer living in the past. The tumultuous period of
our early years can only serve as a lesson for all ethnic groups to
maintain racial harmony at all costs. The past should not impede
the desire of our multiracial populace to achieve the goal of
becoming one nation, one people.
The GRC system, as an affirmative action policy, can take our
nation only one step forward in theory and three steps backward in
nation-building.
Png Eng Huat
