Fostering Multiculturalism and Harmony: The Singapore Approach

This case is set in February 2025, when Chang Hwee Nee, CEO of the National Heritage Board (NHB), a statutory board under Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth (MCCY), reviewed the newly published 2024 survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and OnePeople.sg, which revealed that trust in racial and religious groups had increased significantly from the previous year, and felt optimistic about the journey ahead.

The NHB had been the custodian of Singapore’s heritage since 1993, promoting heritage and multiculturalism through a variety of programmes and initiatives, both independently and in collaboration with community partners. The NHB also managed nine heritage institutions and museums.

In May 2023, NHB published “Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0” , designed to cherish the nation's heritage, preserve what was special, as well as promote it. It aimed to ensure that Singapore’s multicultural and vibrant society that was built through the hard work of its founding generation continued to thrive and evolve.

Since gaining independence in 1965, the Singapore Government had maintained an unwavering focus on maintaining racial and religious harmony. Singapore’s approach to multiculturalism could be described as highlighting inclusivity and representation. From the outset, Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore, recognised that a sense of multicultural inclusivity was crucial for building the nation.

The multiculturalism strategy could be considered a success as shown in the IPS and OnePeople.sg survey, and the 2023 Pew Research Center report that highlighted Singapore’s remarkable achievement as a multicultural and multi-religious nation. What more could NHB do, through heritage, to enhance multicultural understanding in Singapore?

Through the case discussion, students will be able to understand the Singapore model of multiculturalism, learn about the different models of multiculturalism, and compare and contrast governmental approaches to multiculturalism. This case is suitable for undergraduates, postgraduates and executives, on topics related to multiculturalism, social tolerance and nation-building.

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