Joyce Chua, of the Central Singapore Community Development Council, said yesterday that a new book of cartoons depicting "community values such as racial harmony and respect for the elderly" would help focus on such positive behaviour.

The cartoons "have Malay, Indian and Chinese talking to each other or playing games together", said Ms Chua.

About 78 percent of the Southeast Asian island republic's four million people are ethnic Chinese. Roughly 14 percent are Malay, 7 percent are ethnic Indian and the rest are Eurasians and others.

Other values illustrated in the book, which is being launched today, include safety, arts appreciation, sports and voluntary work.

One cartoon, which depicts elderly people fixing cars, promotes "lifelong learning", in line with the government's drive for older people to learn new skills as layoffs rise in the recession-hit country. Another shows police arresting a graffiti vandal.

Singapore's government is known for its behaviour-modification campaigns, including media blitzes urging the public to be more polite, speak better English, perform acts of kindness and keep public toilets clean.

The government also pays a S$30,000 (HK$126,000) bonus to couples who have a third baby, in an effort to boost slowing population growth, as well as running an official match-making service for university-educated Singaporeans.

Ms Chua said the values depicted in the cartoon book needed to be "continually promoted" to adults as well as children.

She said cartoons were chosen so that children would be able to understand the messages.