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SINGAPORE: Recent offensive remarks posted online have raised the question of whether Singaporeans are becoming less gracious and tolerant.
But Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts and Education Mr Lawrence Wong said he believes "there is kindness in all of us".
He said some of the anger expressed on the internet reflects genuine concerns about bread and butter issues, such as jobs, housing, transport or population.
Speaking at the Singapore Kindness Movement conference on Saturday, Mr Wong called social media a "24/7 echo chamber" which amplifies the most inflammatory soundbites.
"When you surf the internet, you'll find a lot of angry and nasty comments being circulated. Perhaps it is also a reflection of our present circumstances - we live in a globalised world of rapid change, forcing us to compete like never before. And these kinds of changes and challenges cause stress and tension. So they make people worry about the future, and sometimes people get riled up," he said.
But Mr Wong said acts of kindness are not always visible to the public eye.
Citing his experience from various sessions of the Our Singapore Conversation, he said that kindness was ranked as one of the top virtues that mattered most to Singaporeans.
While he urged Singaporeans to build a kinder and more gracious society, Mr Wong also noted that it took personal commitment and discipline to get into the habit of kindness.
Joining him in the conference was Professor Tommy Koh, special adviser to the Institute of Policy Studies.
While agreeing with Mr Wong that Singaporeans are a kind lot, Professor Koh said that more could still be done. This includes being kinder in the treatment of the elderly, the disabled and foreign workers.
But Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts and Education Mr Lawrence Wong said he believes "there is kindness in all of us".
He said some of the anger expressed on the internet reflects genuine concerns about bread and butter issues, such as jobs, housing, transport or population.
Speaking at the Singapore Kindness Movement conference on Saturday, Mr Wong called social media a "24/7 echo chamber" which amplifies the most inflammatory soundbites.
"When you surf the internet, you'll find a lot of angry and nasty comments being circulated. Perhaps it is also a reflection of our present circumstances - we live in a globalised world of rapid change, forcing us to compete like never before. And these kinds of changes and challenges cause stress and tension. So they make people worry about the future, and sometimes people get riled up," he said.
But Mr Wong said acts of kindness are not always visible to the public eye.
Citing his experience from various sessions of the Our Singapore Conversation, he said that kindness was ranked as one of the top virtues that mattered most to Singaporeans.
While he urged Singaporeans to build a kinder and more gracious society, Mr Wong also noted that it took personal commitment and discipline to get into the habit of kindness.
Joining him in the conference was Professor Tommy Koh, special adviser to the Institute of Policy Studies.
While agreeing with Mr Wong that Singaporeans are a kind lot, Professor Koh said that more could still be done. This includes being kinder in the treatment of the elderly, the disabled and foreign workers.
