Question 2)
What are the challenges of multi-ethnicity in Singapore?

The challenges of multi-ethnicity in Singapore is that the government have to meet the meets of people from all different races and religion so as to prevent conflicts and even riots.
Whatever the government can do, ultimately the responsibility is on us, singaporeans.
Therefore, all singaporeans have to work in hand regardless of race, language our religion :D

How religious issues could divide the people.
I different religion, they practice different practice and beliefs. If problems are not handed well, it could lead to riots and divide the people.


What were the events that led to the Maria Hertogh riots of 1950?


Legitimacy of the adoption of Maria Hertogh of many Muslims that lived in Malaya and Indonesia led to the riot.
Some people, like the Malayan nationalists wanted to use this incident as a chance to further weaken the colonial government's position of in the region.
This were the main events that led to the riot.



What were the causes of the Maria Hertogh riots?

Muslims were angered by the decision made by the court of giving the custody of Maria Hertogh to her biological parents even though she was raised as a Muslim by Aminah binte Mohamed.

Muslims also contributed to the riot as they gave their support, financial and moral to the organisations that were willing to fight for Maira Hertogh's stay in Malaya. The temptation of weakening of the colonial government's power was also the cause of the riot. This caused riots to occurred and therefore led to the Maria Hertogh riots.



What happened during the riot?

During the riot, the muslims attacked any Europeans and Eurasians they saw. Cars were destroyed and burned.
Police forces could not stop the mob attack. Until night, the riots then started to spread to other remote areas in the island. Some Muslims leaders also tried to voice over the radio for the riot to cease.
Police reinforcement arrived on 12 December. and were managed to control the situation only by 13 December.



What were the consequences of the riots?

18 people were killed, 173 were injured, many were suffering serious injuries, 119 vehicles were damaged and 2 buildings were being set on fire. 778 people were detained when the police set up a special investigation unit. Some were released and some were being sentenced to death.

What were the lessons learnt from the riots?


A riot can cause many innocent life to be lost and large amount of money is being invested into it and nothing is what they get back from the investment. Losing these important things were just to show their unhappiness and anger on a certain issues, hence all those time and efforts they put into the riot had gone to a waste.
The riot also teaches us how terrible racial riot would be. The importance of understanding each other's culture is therefore important.


Why do people react sensitively to religious issues?

It is because of the greed in them.
Everybody wished that their own religion or races to be treated as their way. Therefore if the government decided to use a different way that a religion appealed to treat a certain issue, the people of that religion will then want to change the government's way of doing. If the government persist, the people will then use violence to solve the problem.