During his 2021 National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the intention of the government: Racial Harmony Assignment, NIE, Singapore

During his 2021 National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the intention of the government to pass a new law on racial harmony, the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, which will consolidate all existing laws pertaining to racial issues and introduce “softer measures” to address offenses.

“The new laws would give the Government power to order someone who has caused offense to stop doing it and to make amends by learning more about the other race and mending ties with them.” The move towards a more educational and rehabilitative direction comes in the context of the COVID19 pandemic and an increase in race-related incidents. Please refer to the following references for background:

• With this intention of passing a new law on racial harmony, identify the function that the Singapore government is performing and discuss the intended objectives of the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act.
• Using at least two concepts from the social and behavioral sciences, explain in detail how the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to an increase in the number of race and religion-related incidents in Singapore.
• Discuss how educational and rehabilitative measures may work in addressing race and religion-related incidents in society. With reference to your response in (a) and (b), consider the effectiveness of such measures in Singapore, in meeting the intended objectives of the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act.