Former Temasek CEO Ho Ching calls for an end to racist excuses in a Facebook post, echoing Minister Shanmugam's actions against divisive online content.
In a heartfelt Facebook post on June 9, Ho Ching , the former CEO of Temash Holdings and wife of Singapore Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, urged Singapore ans to practice kindness and reject racism.
She responded to a post by former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng, who criticized Singaporean Chinese who claim to accept locally born Indians but discriminate against recent Indian arrivals, derogatorily calling them 'cecas'. Cheng called this hypocrisy 'rubbish', and Ho Ching agreed, stating that such excuses for racism must stop. She acknowledged that humans have tribal instincts and that inclusivity requires conscious effort.
Ho Ching noted that Singapore's multicultural upbringing makes its people generally open to different races, but warned that insecurities can foster parochialism, xenophobia, or racism. She reminded everyone that regardless of skin color or birthplace, all humans share the same blood, urging constant kindness. Her post garnered widespread support. One commenter reminisced about childhood friendships across racial lines, emphasizing that race was irrelevant in their interactions.
Another commenter quipped that skin color is just melanin, and yet another highlighted that in a blood transfusion, one does not know the donor's skin color, underscoring common humanity. The discussion comes amid broader societal concerns about racial harmony in Singapore. Recently, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam addressed the issue, noting that the Police had issued Disabling Directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act to block access to videos attacking Singapore's multiracial society.
Those videos, believed to have originated from overseas, sought to divide people based on race. Minister Shanmugam affirmed that every community in Singapore is valued and that narratives undermining racial harmony will not be tolerated. The combined messages from Ho Ching and the government highlight a collective effort to uphold mutual respect and counteract divisive ideologies. Singapore's model of multiculturalism requires constant nurturing, and public figures play a crucial role in setting the tone for inclusive discourse.
Ho Ching's intervention adds a personal, moral dimension to the institutional responses, reinforcing the idea that combating racism is both a legal and societal responsibility. The episode illustrates how online hate can spur public figures to reaffirm shared values, and how individual actions and government measures can work in tandem to preserve social cohesion. As Singapore continues to navigate a diverse population, calls for empathy and understanding remain vital to its harmony
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