Jun holiday blog assignment - Democracy or Social Responsibility?

Singapore, an increasingly democratic country, is becoming more open over the years as the country loosens its laws and allow more freedom for its citizens. With the recent loosening of censorship laws and the greater emphasis on citizen's choice, it is evident that the republic is moving towards a more free society.

However, the island nation must also remember its multi-racial and multi-ethnic nature and that the peace between the different races is vulnerable and short-lived. The Singapore government must take note of the volatility of the situation to prevent potential outbreak of racial conflict.

Hence the government is once again faced with the question: whether to liberalise society or protect and restrict freedom to protect groups of people who are victims of criticism.

In context of Singapore's multi-ethnicality, the upholding of social responsibility is clearly a more feasible approach than allowing total freedom of society. With Singapore's history laden with racial conflicts, it is no wonder that many say Singapore's racial harmony is to be cherished. Coupled with the recent terrorist scare and sensitive issues such as the caricature of Prophet Muhadmad by a Danish newspaper, Singapore government has gone down hard on racist statements and inflamatory remarks that may spark off ethnic conflicts.

No doubt Singapore wishes to be seen as a democratic country on the rise, but racial conflicts is something it cannot afford. With large proportions of its 4.4 million population belonging to so many differnt races, any racial conflict will severely handicap the country and adversely affect its economy.