But when it comes to speaking openly on sensitive social issues, such as race, religion and politics, it seems that most people would prefer to keep the door firmly shut, according to a recent survey.

The running poll, conducted during a talk show on Channel NewsAsia, a local television station, found that an initial 76 per cent of 180 respondents agreed with the statement: "We lack the maturity to discuss things openly and we should continue to keep sensitive issues under the lid."

A further 13 per cent believed that "maybe we are ready" while only 11 per cent thought the country was fully up to the task.

While hardly conclusive, the findings are surprising for a nation whose gross domestic product per capita is US$28,000, just behind that of the US, given that high earnings are usually associated with decision-making.

An island of mostly ethnic Chinese sandwiched between two majority-Malay nations, Singaporeans are always a little nervous that sectarian conflicts of the sort raging in neighbouring Indonesia could one day reach them.

"Our [racial] harmony is still very fragile because there is still a big [wealth] gap between the Malay Muslims and other races," wrote one respondent to Channel NewsAsia's web site.

The city's racial sensitivities came to the fore last month when police arrested the president of a theatre company over attempts to stage a play examining marital violence and rape among the city state's Indian Muslim minority. The play, Talaq, had angered some in the community.

However, Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, says the city state's people are generally becoming more open on tough issues, despite themselves.

The problem was trusting their fellow citizens to be as responsible as them. "A lot of people don't have faith in the average Singaporean - without realising they are the average Singaporean."