29 January 2002 1504 hrs (GMT) 2304 hrs (SST) MPs welcome setting up of Inter-Racial Confidence Circles by Farah Abdul Rahim
Associate Professor Yacob Ibrahim

Several MPs have welcomed Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's announcement of the setting up of Inter-Racial Confidence Circles, saying it is a timely initiative which can prevent emotions from spilling over.

The IRCCs, which will be set up by the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs), will offer a platform to build and strenghten the trust among the different communities.

It will also offer a mechanism to deal with racial or religious problems on the ground, if they ever occur.

Associate Professor Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister of State for Community Development and Sports, said: "I suppose if I can understand what PM is trying to do is to set up a mechanism of people who are of different persuasions - from mosques, churches, the police and school principals - to come together periodically to discuss some of the issues and have this institution in place such that when an occasion arises - supposing there's conflict within the nation - this group could be activated because they have been meeting together, understand one another - and find the most logical rational response to deal with whatever crisis that may appear."

Mr Seng Han Thong, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, said: "All along, we have been promoting racial harmony among various groups through various activities. That's racial harmony, now is confidence building.

"In the past, through such activities, it was I know you, you know me. But now we want to go one step further - to I trust you, you trust me."

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Mayor of Northeast CDC and MP for Aljunied GRC, said: "Through these groups, we can bring about goodwill and confidence when we see familiar faces around us.

"With multi-racial composition, we can bring about that calm and once we have that calm and confidence, we will be able to instill whatever we want to achieve in terms of bonding and a situation where we can minimise the cracks and even overcome the cracks."

Building bridges - of trust and confidence between the different races and religions in Singapore - that's the aim of the IRCCs.

And the MPs whom Channel NewAsia spoke to agreed that such a focus on mutual trust is all the more important, after the recent ISD arrests.