Towards a more conscious and inclusive capitalism

WHEN a Chinese man blatantly made racist remarks against an interracial couple along Orchard Road in 2020, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam commented: "I used to believe that Singapore was moving in the right direction on racial tolerance and harmony. Based on recent events, I am not so sure anymore."

To draw a comparison with the situation in the US, activists in America have loosely banded together in the Black Lives Matter movement, resembling those of 1919, 1943 and 1968, when simmering hatred was seeded by the long, festering history of white violence and police brutality against African-Americans.

Today's demonstrations are noticeably interracial. African-American, Asian-American, Latino and white faces, while covered by masks to counter the spread of Covid-19, appear in city centres, obstructing bridges and highways. This suggests a new phase of opposition that is uniting groups who historically did not share any commonalities. Where conflicts have erupted, those assaulted, tear-gassed, or shot with rubber bullets are of all races.

In America, it seems that racial events trigger rippling incidents of deep-seated anger showcased against a reactional chain of events around the country. No matter how you look at it, racial aberrations exist, be it overt or covert.

In Singapore, racial disparities tend to fuel calls for solidarity against individuals who sow hatred for others, denting the core of becoming one united people regardless of race, language or religion.

Here, we tend to dive into the core issue at hand - why it happened and what we need to do to stop it. At some stage, it seems to point back to the perpetrator as having some kind of mental challenge; as in the case of Tan Beow Hiong who made headlines in 2021 for making derogatory remarks that incited racial prejudices. The court sent her for psychiatric observation.

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Racial identity is constructed, then reconstructed, by individuals in the presence of others, implied, imagined and real. The process of constructing a racial identity has been described by Stanford University social psychologist Hazel Rose Markus as: "You think therefore I am", a twist on the 17th century French philosopher Rene Descartes' famous statement.

My perspective is that it may not be racial tensions that exist in Singapore per se, but a gap between the haves and have-nots.

No matter how you look at it, there is always a hierarchy, an internal mechanism that tells you that you are not good enough compared to others. Expand this thinking beyond our peripheral vision and you will see that it is not that much different between technologies, countries and economies.

This spirit of competition breeds a combative, fighting attitude that fuels creativity to new heights. Major world superpowers and their space programmes are competing to see who can get everyone to Mars first. After that, what is next? The rat race will always continue; and everyone is clamouring to get the top of the food chain.

Step into the void, towards inclusiveness

In today's world, in which volatility, uncertainty, chaos and ambiguity are new norms, individuals are progressively overwhelmed as they navigate stress correlated to work and play. The Covid-19 crisis has delivered some valuable life lessons. Home-based learning has forced parents with young children to pivot between online classes, Zoom meetings and entertaining bored kids at home. It is multitasking at a new level.

While the Singapore government has provided emergency funding to support small and medium-sized organisations affected by the pandemic, companies must transform their businesses, or stay stuck in the same conundrum.

Action creates change. It is the only path to success. Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there, waiting for life to happen. We can only progress. The speed of change is accelerating at a pace that is so fast, yet slow in current times. This means that if we are unable to pivot and adapt, communicate and collaborate, we will find ourselves forgotten, declared irrelevant and archaic.

I think it is great that the Singapore government champions the evolution of a lifelong learning culture that meets the demands of a dynamic future. This plants the seed for a learning imperative, nurturing an environment that stimulates personal and professional development and growth.

To truly live a future where Singapore is one united people takes a level of conscious capitalism - a socially responsible economic and political philosophy that requires reinvention at the highest level. Reinventive models of cooperation that have the speed, scale and impact of transformational change can only come together with deep purposeful collaboration.

This means that cross-sectoral, public-and-private partnerships across all sectors of non-government organisations, governments, civil society and academic organisations need to join forces to leverage each sector's strengths and expertise, collectively boosting expectations and making a difference where it counts the most. Grouping by racial homogeneity has no space in this future, and working alone can no longer thrive. Being responsible and choosing to lead is the only way up.

If anything, Singaporeans, because of their multiracial heritage and history, are well-placed to be leading examples of such an inclusive society. We just need the courage to reinvent policies, quieten some old thoughts, and be willing to bury old habits. After all, living an inspired life is way more fun, and much more colourful.

The writer is a marketer, adult educator, consultant and event producer. This extract is from one of 23 essays in the newly-launched book One United People: Essays from the People Sector on Singapore's Journey of Racial Harmony.