The writer is a visitor from China. He was greatly impressed by Singapore's racial harmony and it prompted him to write this article to relate his personal experiences during his stay here.
One early morning at a busy road, an elderly Chinese man ignored the “No Crossing” sign and hobbled across the road, supporting himself with a walking stick. Suddenly, an Indian teenager carrying a knapsack rushed forward and held him by his arm. The cars on the road stopped and made way for them. A potential disaster was averted.
That was a harrowing scene on the road, but it was also a typical and vivid portrayal of racial harmony. At this moment, that scene keeps flashing across my mind.
At the void deck of a block of flats, two Chinese and Malay children were causing a ruckus, as they fought over a toy and pushed and jostled each other. Their parents quickly pulled their children apart and disciplined them. Then they apologised to each other. Though they could not speak each other's language, they smiled and shook hands, and the two young ones also stopped their tears and broke into smiles.
In the supermarket, my coins were dropping all over the floor because of a hole in my pocket. A Malay youth behind me picked the coins up and returned them to me. He pointed at my pocket and walked away with a smile. As I watched him walking away from me, I kicked myself for having not thanked him in my state of confusion.
I teach taiji at a neighbourhood park on a voluntary basis. A middle-aged Indian man had been watching us from the sides for many days. One day, he finally joined us out of his own accord. Because we did not speak each other's language, I found it hard to teach him and it was difficult for him to learn. Those who knew English volunteered to be interpreters. All of us ended up having a good time talking and joking. Later, when he took his own initiative and helped some Chinese newcomers with taiji, we were all glad to see him taking it so seriously.
Although I had come across the above examples by chance, they encapsulated a common truth： that racial harmony augurs well for the welfare of the people and the well-being of the nation. Just as it was true in the past, this still rings true today. The situation in Southeast Asia today underlines the value of racial harmony. Those living in harmonious societies should therefore appreciate their good fortune even more.
Having been in Singapore for almost a year, I have come to take certain things for granted in this multi-racial country. But on quiet reflection, I realise that these things have not come by easily, and are of utmost value to society. In our schools, for instance, students of different races learn together, play together and compete with one another in the sports arena. In banks, post offices, libraries, parks, playgrounds, kindergartens, immigration offices and town council offices, I can see people of different races working and playing together in harmony.
In the block of flats where I live, my Malay and Indian neighbours would greet me and sometimes we even communicate by sign language. In Singapore, I have experienced different festivals like the Lunar New Year, the Hungry Ghost Festival, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and so on. During these festivals, everyone has his or her role to play. There is mutual respect and non-interference. People of different races even congratulate one another.
Racial harmony should encompass three main factors：mutual respect, social harmony and good public security. The beneficiaries of racial harmony are the people of all races in the society, but they, in turn, are also the sowers of the seeds of racial harmony. We reap the bountiful harvest of what we have sown. Racial harmony is a hard-won prize treasured by all of us. No one should try to spoil it.
種族和睦百姓得福
作者是訪新的中國人,他在文內(nèi)表達對新加坡各種族和諧共處的良好印象。
清晨,繁忙的街頭,一位華人老翁對“不能橫穿馬路”的標志視而不見,手柱拐杖步履蹣跚地朝馬路對面走去。突見一位肩背書包的印族少年急步過去攙扶他,過往汽車也停車相讓,終于化險為夷！
這場虛驚是街頭的實況,卻是種族和睦的精彩典型寫照,此刻一組組鏡頭映現(xiàn)在腦海。
組屋樓下,華族和馬來族兩個孩童因爭玩具而你推我攘大聲吵鬧。雙方家長趕忙過來拉開自己的孩子嚴厲責備,然后各向?qū)Ψ奖硎厩敢?。大家言語不通,但還是握手言歡,兩個孩子也破涕為笑。
超市內(nèi),我因褲袋有洞,硬幣不斷落地,身后一位馬來族青年尾隨于后拾幣并交還于我。對方指指我的褲袋笑而不語地走開了,我看著他的背影,后悔慌忙中沒說聲謝謝。
我在鄰里公園義務教幾位華人學太極拳,一位印族中年人多日一旁觀看,后主動加入我們的行列。由于言語不通,教和學都困難,此時懂英文的主動當通譯。大家在一起有說有笑很是愉快。后來他又主動幫助新來的華人學拳術,看他那股認真勁,大家更是喜上眉梢。
以上雖是我所遇的幾個偶然,但卻蘊含著一個共同的深刻必然：種族和睦百姓得福,國泰民安,從古至今歷來如此。當今的東南亞更顯得種族和睦的珍貴,人應在福中更知福。
來新加坡已近一年。在這個多元種族的國家里,對一些現(xiàn)象我也習以為常,似乎司空見慣,但靜下來細想這些現(xiàn)象其實得來不易,應是值得珍惜的寶貴社會財富。如在學校里,不同種族的學生共同學習、結(jié)伴而行,運動場上歡聲雀躍地進行體育比賽；又如在銀行、郵局、圖書館、公園游樂場、幼稚園以至移民廳和市鎮(zhèn)會辦公處,我見到不同種族的工作人員和諧地在一起工作。
在我所住的組屋區(qū),無論馬來人還是印族人,都會主動與我打招呼表示友好,有時還做出各種手勢相互溝通。在新加坡我經(jīng)歷了春節(jié)、中元節(jié)、開齋節(jié)、屠妖節(jié)等不同種族的節(jié)日,大家各得其所、互相尊重、互不干擾,甚至相互祝賀。
種族和睦應該擁有三要素：相互尊重、社會生活協(xié)調(diào)、良好的社會治安環(huán)境。種族和睦的受益者是不同種族的全體社會大眾,全體社會大眾又是種族和睦的種植者。乃是眾人植樹,眾人享受豐碩果實。
眾人珍惜來之不易的成果,誰也不應傷害它。
One early morning at a busy road, an elderly Chinese man ignored the “No Crossing” sign and hobbled across the road, supporting himself with a walking stick. Suddenly, an Indian teenager carrying a knapsack rushed forward and held him by his arm. The cars on the road stopped and made way for them. A potential disaster was averted.
That was a harrowing scene on the road, but it was also a typical and vivid portrayal of racial harmony. At this moment, that scene keeps flashing across my mind.
At the void deck of a block of flats, two Chinese and Malay children were causing a ruckus, as they fought over a toy and pushed and jostled each other. Their parents quickly pulled their children apart and disciplined them. Then they apologised to each other. Though they could not speak each other's language, they smiled and shook hands, and the two young ones also stopped their tears and broke into smiles.
In the supermarket, my coins were dropping all over the floor because of a hole in my pocket. A Malay youth behind me picked the coins up and returned them to me. He pointed at my pocket and walked away with a smile. As I watched him walking away from me, I kicked myself for having not thanked him in my state of confusion.
I teach taiji at a neighbourhood park on a voluntary basis. A middle-aged Indian man had been watching us from the sides for many days. One day, he finally joined us out of his own accord. Because we did not speak each other's language, I found it hard to teach him and it was difficult for him to learn. Those who knew English volunteered to be interpreters. All of us ended up having a good time talking and joking. Later, when he took his own initiative and helped some Chinese newcomers with taiji, we were all glad to see him taking it so seriously.
Although I had come across the above examples by chance, they encapsulated a common truth： that racial harmony augurs well for the welfare of the people and the well-being of the nation. Just as it was true in the past, this still rings true today. The situation in Southeast Asia today underlines the value of racial harmony. Those living in harmonious societies should therefore appreciate their good fortune even more.
Having been in Singapore for almost a year, I have come to take certain things for granted in this multi-racial country. But on quiet reflection, I realise that these things have not come by easily, and are of utmost value to society. In our schools, for instance, students of different races learn together, play together and compete with one another in the sports arena. In banks, post offices, libraries, parks, playgrounds, kindergartens, immigration offices and town council offices, I can see people of different races working and playing together in harmony.
In the block of flats where I live, my Malay and Indian neighbours would greet me and sometimes we even communicate by sign language. In Singapore, I have experienced different festivals like the Lunar New Year, the Hungry Ghost Festival, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and so on. During these festivals, everyone has his or her role to play. There is mutual respect and non-interference. People of different races even congratulate one another.
Racial harmony should encompass three main factors：mutual respect, social harmony and good public security. The beneficiaries of racial harmony are the people of all races in the society, but they, in turn, are also the sowers of the seeds of racial harmony. We reap the bountiful harvest of what we have sown. Racial harmony is a hard-won prize treasured by all of us. No one should try to spoil it.
種族和睦百姓得福
作者是訪新的中國人,他在文內(nèi)表達對新加坡各種族和諧共處的良好印象。
清晨,繁忙的街頭,一位華人老翁對“不能橫穿馬路”的標志視而不見,手柱拐杖步履蹣跚地朝馬路對面走去。突見一位肩背書包的印族少年急步過去攙扶他,過往汽車也停車相讓,終于化險為夷！
這場虛驚是街頭的實況,卻是種族和睦的精彩典型寫照,此刻一組組鏡頭映現(xiàn)在腦海。
組屋樓下,華族和馬來族兩個孩童因爭玩具而你推我攘大聲吵鬧。雙方家長趕忙過來拉開自己的孩子嚴厲責備,然后各向?qū)Ψ奖硎厩敢?。大家言語不通,但還是握手言歡,兩個孩子也破涕為笑。
超市內(nèi),我因褲袋有洞,硬幣不斷落地,身后一位馬來族青年尾隨于后拾幣并交還于我。對方指指我的褲袋笑而不語地走開了,我看著他的背影,后悔慌忙中沒說聲謝謝。
我在鄰里公園義務教幾位華人學太極拳,一位印族中年人多日一旁觀看,后主動加入我們的行列。由于言語不通,教和學都困難,此時懂英文的主動當通譯。大家在一起有說有笑很是愉快。后來他又主動幫助新來的華人學拳術,看他那股認真勁,大家更是喜上眉梢。
以上雖是我所遇的幾個偶然,但卻蘊含著一個共同的深刻必然：種族和睦百姓得福,國泰民安,從古至今歷來如此。當今的東南亞更顯得種族和睦的珍貴,人應在福中更知福。
來新加坡已近一年。在這個多元種族的國家里,對一些現(xiàn)象我也習以為常,似乎司空見慣,但靜下來細想這些現(xiàn)象其實得來不易,應是值得珍惜的寶貴社會財富。如在學校里,不同種族的學生共同學習、結(jié)伴而行,運動場上歡聲雀躍地進行體育比賽；又如在銀行、郵局、圖書館、公園游樂場、幼稚園以至移民廳和市鎮(zhèn)會辦公處,我見到不同種族的工作人員和諧地在一起工作。
在我所住的組屋區(qū),無論馬來人還是印族人,都會主動與我打招呼表示友好,有時還做出各種手勢相互溝通。在新加坡我經(jīng)歷了春節(jié)、中元節(jié)、開齋節(jié)、屠妖節(jié)等不同種族的節(jié)日,大家各得其所、互相尊重、互不干擾,甚至相互祝賀。
種族和睦應該擁有三要素：相互尊重、社會生活協(xié)調(diào)、良好的社會治安環(huán)境。種族和睦的受益者是不同種族的全體社會大眾,全體社會大眾又是種族和睦的種植者。乃是眾人植樹,眾人享受豐碩果實。
眾人珍惜來之不易的成果,誰也不應傷害它。