31 January 2002 1513 hrs (GMT) 2313 hrs (SST) PA to put up paper on inter-racial confidence circles next week
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The People's Association, tasked with setting up the new Inter-Racial Confidence Circles in every constituency, will present a paper on how this will be done to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong next week.

It's understood that PA intends for the confidence circles to be an extension of the CCCs or Citizens' Consultative Committees, and not a separate grassroots body.

The role of confidence circles will be to encourage regular interaction and strengthen the trust among different races.

This is one way to prepare the nation should a terrorist attack ever happen, Mr Goh said.

Mr Goh announced his decision to set up such circles during a dialogue with community leaders on the impact of the arrests of Jemaah Islamiah operatives.