The Management of Ethnic Relations in

Public Housing Estates

Edited by Ooi Giok Ling, Sharon Siddique and Soh Kay Cheng

In a world where racial conflict is increasingly the cause of civil wars and social instability, Singapore is notable for its stable race relations which, since the 1960s, have been unmarred by any incidence of tension and violence. This achievement is largely the result of the government policies and programmes which have been introduced to manage ethnic relations in the country. This book reviews the policies and programmes that affect ethnic relations in public housing estates, where 86 per cent of the Singaporeans live. The focus on three policy areas: the Housing and Development Board's ethnic integration policy; the Malay student quota policy in primary schools; and multiracial participation in grassroots organizations in public housing estates. These are examined and interrelated with the origins of the policy decision-making processes and recommendations are made for fine-tuning such policies for the most effective management of ethnic relations in Singapore.

Ooi, Giok Ling, Siddique, Sharon and Soh, Kay Cheng. 1993. The Management of Ethnic Relations in Public Housing Estates. Singapore: Times Academic Press for IPS.

(90 pages, ISBN 981 210 0482)