Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the government and civic leaders must work to maintain harmony among ethnic groups in Singapore, whose 4.2 million population is 80 percent ethnic Chinese. Malays, mostly Muslims, make up about 15 percent.

Loong spoke a week after Singapore conducted simulated attacks on its transport system to test its preparedness for a terrorist strike. The drill was conceived following bombings by Islamic militants in London last year and in Madrid in 2004.

"If there is an attack, we assume there will be tensions; we will have to work to manage those and keep the situation under control," Channel NewsAsia, a television news station, quoted Lee as saying on its Web site.

"The whole basis, the whole uniqueness of Singapore is that this is a multi-racial society," Lee said.

"We live in peace and harmony with one another and in a world where you see many cases of strife and bloody conflicts, here we live in peace and we are special. And if we are not special, then what is the basis for us to thrive, to prosper, to attract investments, to grow?"

Lee said all sectors of society, including schools, religious and union groups, should get involved in ensuring harmony among ethnic groups in Singapore, which endured deadly Chinese-Malay riots in the 1960s.

In 2001 and 2002, Singapore arrested several dozen alleged militants accused of plotting to blow up Western targets.

                                                      Home