More Singaporeans seek to build cohesive society

This article is more than 12 months old

Jan 17, 2020 06:10 am

It is heartening to see more Singaporeans willing to step up as well as build resilient ties within and across communities, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said during her ministry's annual year-in-review yesterday.

The session touched on topics including culture and heritage, charities and giving, sports and youth initiatives and their role in building a more cohesive, caring and confident society. Last year, six in 10 Singaporeans said they wanted to partner the Government in working towards a better Singapore, almost twice the number in 2017, Ms Fu said.

CULTURE AND HERITAGE

According to Social Pulse Survey, 72 per cent of Singaporeans feel they have enough chances to interact and engage with someone from a different background or belief system, up from 52 per cent in 2017. The Singapore Cultural Statistics showcased the cultural landscape in 2018.
There was an all-time high attendance at arts and culture events at 13.6 million in 2018, up from the previous high of 13.2 million in 2017.
The ministry's Heritage Awareness Survey last year showed 79 per cent of Singaporeans took part in heritage and cultural activities in the past 12 months, up from 75 per cent in the 2014 survey.
75 per cent said they had a better understanding and appreciation of Singapore's heritage would increase their sense of belonging, up from 66 per cent in 2014.
88 per cent agreed it is important to preserve heritage relating to everyday life, such as food, fashion and other activities that are part of Singapore's intangible heritage, up from 74 per cent in 2014.
Pledges of support for Singapore's Hawker Culture in Singapore bid to Unesco rose from about 850,000 pledges last March to more than 1.8 million by the end of the year.

CHARITY AND GIVING

Eight in 10 Singaporeans continue to donate every year.
Last year, the number of users on Giving.sg rose by 35 per cent to more than 220,000.
Volunteer.sg, a digital service for volunteers who support public agencies, now serves 31,000 volunteers, with almost 10,000 added last year.

SPORTS

More support for inclusive sporting opportunities, including two new gyms catering to people with disabilities opening at Ang Mo Kio Community Centre and Jurong Lake Gardens last year.
More staff and volunteers equipped to support disability sport programmes, with about 2,400 people, made up of around 300 SportSG staff, 500 coaches, and 1,600 volunteers, completing relevant courses to date.
SEA Games 2019 was Team Singapore's second best away performance after the 2017 Games.
More than half - 366 - in the contingent of 659 were making their Games debut, and they accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the gold medal haul. - CHEOW SUE-ANN