- 5 months ago
His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, Sultan of Perak and Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, delivers the keynote address at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) 2025 in Singapore.
Organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), ICCS 2025 explores the theme: "Cohesive Societies, Resilient Futures."
HRH Sultan Nazrin offers a thoughtful reflection on unity, mutual respect, and the shared responsibilities of building peaceful multicultural societies amidst a complex global environment.
📍 ICCS 2025 | Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore
🗓️ 24–26 June 2025
🎙️ Organised by RSIS | Supported by MCCY
Organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), ICCS 2025 explores the theme: "Cohesive Societies, Resilient Futures."
HRH Sultan Nazrin offers a thoughtful reflection on unity, mutual respect, and the shared responsibilities of building peaceful multicultural societies amidst a complex global environment.
📍 ICCS 2025 | Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore
🗓️ 24–26 June 2025
🎙️ Organised by RSIS | Supported by MCCY
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, a very good morning.
00:30It gives me great pleasure to be here today as we consider a pressing challenge how to navigate the rising tides of uncertainty that define our age.
00:46Before I begin, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to two individuals whose leadership has shaped both the purpose
01:01and the spirit of this international gathering.
01:06To President Halimah Yaakob, whose vision brought the International Conference on Cohesive Societies into Being.
01:17This conference is a brainchild and it is a privilege for us all to continue the endeavour she set in motion
01:29with gratitude for the foresight that continues to guide us.
02:05He is so clearly articulated as we begin to chart the complexities of uncertainty.
02:12This uncertainty is not merely a temporary squall.
02:23Uncertainty is the condition under which we now sail and this storm is likely to be with us for some time to come.
02:36The 2022 United Nations Human Development Report describes our current predicament as an uncertainty complex.
02:51A confluence of destabilising global pressures, sweeping social transformations and deepening political polarisation.
03:03We are being tested not by a single crisis but an overwhelming, sometimes frightening interplay of conditions,
03:17whipping up into a perfect storm.
03:23New chapters in the narrative of global fragmentation are added by the week, day,
03:30day, sometimes it seems by the hour.
03:35The COVID-19 pandemic lent us a new norm of close borders and social distancing
03:45is a me-first mindset among countries, communities and individuals.
03:52We have seen war return to Europe and West Asia.
03:58Food and energy systems are fragile, vulnerable to both geopolitics and climate change.
04:07Climate extremes have intensified with record heat, flooding, wildfires and loss of biodiversity.
04:19And trust in governments, media, experts, politicians and perhaps more sadly, each other has eroded alarmingly.
04:36Meanwhile, technologies we barely understood five short years ago, at the start of that same pandemic,
04:47are reshaping how we live, work, relate, play and govern.
04:55Perhaps, most extraordinarily, all of this innovation in digital connectivity is unfolding against a backdrop
05:09of growing alienation, polarisation and loneliness.
05:16So, let me introduce three complex interlocking factors that have fueled uncertainty and challenged social cohesion.
05:31First, the digital transformation of our society.
05:36Second, the dynamics of human migration.
05:41Third, the uneven economic impacts of globalisation.
05:50Let's start with what I would call the paradox of digital societies.
05:58We live in the most connected era in human history.
06:03Over 5 billion people now have access to the internet.
06:09Digital platforms shape public discourse and private thought.
06:16The impact on our economies, our politics and even on our minds is transformative.
06:26The pandemic was a watershed moment in our living history.
06:32Not least, in how it accelerated our virtual connectedness.
06:40It brought wide-ranging digital communities into our very living rooms.
06:46We conducted schooling, office work, legal trials and endless group quizzes on screens.
06:57The potential for simpler, more streamlined communication exploded into public consciousness.
07:07Our expanding virtual worlds promised increased inclusion and accessibility.
07:16And a tangible sense of a shared global experience like never before.
07:22And it was a very human experience.
07:27Social cohesion was reshaped by a dynamic online global community.
07:36One held together by innovations both marvellous and challenging.
07:43Digitalisation has brought knowledge to our fingertips and given rise to new forms of solidarity and community.
07:55Online, people are exploring identity in freer, more fluid ways.
08:02Digital society also has fantastic scope to amplify the voice of marginalised communities.
08:13Take, for instance, movements such as Black Lives Matter or Me Too,
08:21which have brought systemic issues of abuse and inequality to the forefront of international discussion
08:32and rallied people across race, gender and borders.
08:38People can connect with others all over the planet,
08:42forming communities not limited by geography or ethnicity,
08:48but united by shared values and causes.
08:53We are fostering a kind of global empathy, a sense of collective responsibility.
09:01We can see this in globally coordinated environmental protection campaigns and anti-war protests.
09:12The cohesive potential of this digital society is truly exciting.
09:22Yet, we are also entering a digital disruption age.
09:31The multiple benefits from this relentless digitalisation of our lives, unfortunately, come at considerable cost.
09:41Our digital spaces, which should be so good at opening doors and minds, are instead responsible for closing them.
09:54The very technologies that promise inclusion can entrench exclusion.
10:02Our information ecosystems have become battlegrounds.
10:07Algorithms have the unfortunate habit of trapping us in digital echo chambers,
10:16feeding prejudice and starving nuance.
10:21This results in fragmentation, a kind of online tribalism, if you will.
10:31Information, while accessible, is becoming decentralized.
10:38Online hate, as does the spread of conspiracy theories, the propagation of extremist ideologies and even violence.
10:52And with truth itself now up for grabs, with the rise of fake news, trust in institutions and in each other breaks down.
11:05The very real dangers of this were realized last summer in the United Kingdom, in the race riots that followed the tragic murders in Southport.
11:19The fabric of our social cohesion is being unraveled in the digital realm.
11:30And so, it is there also that we must focus our efforts to weave it back together.
11:39Let me now turn to international migration.
11:46Migration is one of the oldest human responses to uncertainty.
11:55People move in search of safety, opportunity and dignity.
12:02They always have, but never in such numbers.
12:09According to the United Nations, as of last year, the global number of international migrants had almost double compared with 1990.
12:24From 154 million to 304 million.
12:31It could hit 1 billion by 2050.
12:38Climate change, conflict and economic and political stability are forcing masses of people to move,
12:49often faster than host countries can adapt.
12:54These forces are rewriting the geography of human life.
13:01They challenge not only our infrastructure, but also our compassion.
13:09Sudden demographic changes can trigger backlash, especially in communities who are unused to diversity.
13:22Extremist voices love to claim that multiculturalism has failed.
13:29Minority communities are made to feel unwelcome, even threatened because of their religious customs or the colour of their skin.
13:42And this in turn fosters insularity in those communities.
13:49An unwillingness or inability to integrate an us-versus-them mentality on both sides.
14:03Isolated events are turned into sweeping generalizations,
14:10feeding fears about so-called culture dilution.
14:16And because multiculturalism is so often tangled up with immigration,
14:24it ends up being framed as a threat to national identity.
14:31And of course, no one ever quite agrees on what this national identity actually is.
14:40But that is a discussion for another conference.
14:43The challenge is worsened if people feel institutions are not on their side.
14:58Minorities may feel unheard.
15:02Majorities overlooked.
15:05Populists often put across unsubstantiated stereotypes of minorities and migrants,
15:17presenting a false and negative picture of them as benefit-seekers and criminals.
15:24They are certainly not reporting their important positive contributions to the economy and the citizens' well-being.
15:36We have all seen violence or crime being wrongly blamed on whole communities.
15:45The flames of prejudice being fanned by the press.
15:50And social media, with its pensions for misinformation, populist clamour and partisan biases,
16:01magnifies tensions and undermines social cohesion in nations with diverse or migrant populations.
16:14And as global crises continue to escalate, so too will migration.
16:21So, what can we do as a global community?
16:27We must work together to find homes for those who have lost theirs.
16:33Try to alleviate the strain on countries that are overwhelmed.
16:39We must be welcoming to those we can accommodate.
16:45And we must strive to tackle the root causes that drive people from their homes in the first place.
16:54Meanwhile, at national level, governments must work harder to foster inclusion and integration,
17:07and to build harmony and understanding between diverse communities.
17:13It is a challenge that governments cannot afford to ignore.
17:20The consequences of a fractured society are severe.
17:27In my home country of Malaysia, we are all too acutely aware of the way in which
17:34a lack of social cohesion lowers resilience.
17:39Which is why we have placed racial harmony at the centre of our Rukun Negara,
17:48our Declaration of National Principles.
17:51These words affirm that Malaysia, and I quote,
17:55Nurtures the ambitions of achieving a more perfect unity among the whole of her society.
18:06Creating a just society where the prosperity of the country can be enjoyed together, unquote.
18:16We have striven to celebrate the diversity of race, religion, and culture that is so integral to our country.
18:27I firmly believe that that is one of our most precious assets,
18:35making us stronger, happier, and more prosperous as a nation.
18:41And of course, it makes us better at navigating uncertain times.
18:51Later this morning, we will hear about this year's Southeast Asian Social Cohesion Radar.
19:02The findings of the last survey conducted in 2022 show that the majority felt there was a strong social cohesion in the region,
19:15with Singapore and Malaysia near the top of the list.
19:21We should take pride from this strength, evidence even in the context of the pandemic,
19:28as tension and mistrust increased across the globe.
19:34Here in ASEAN, we have worked hard to sow the seeds of social cohesion,
19:42and that work is bearing some fruit.
19:47It stands out that of all the factors that pointed to social cohesion in that 2022 Radar study,
19:58the most significant were grouped under the heading Social Relations.
20:06This describes participants' ability to trust in other people, the strength of their social networks,
20:16their perception of the acceptance of diversity.
20:21Interpersonal trust was found to be more important for cohesion than trust in institutions,
20:30social rules, civic participation, and even in the perception of fairness.
20:38Social cohesion is built from the ground up, on the foundation of humanity,
20:46and we must not take it for granted, nor stop striving for improvement.
20:55It starts small with everyday interactions, the friendly word, the favour offered, the meal shared.
21:08What then is the core foundation to foster this trust?
21:15I believe a core foundation of social cohesion is simply to be a good neighbour.
21:24And it seems highly fitting that we reflect on that ideal for a moment.
21:31As a Malaysian, I am proud to call Singapore my neighbour.
21:38And I value the close bond that we share.
21:42Yet, elsewhere in the world, at this very moment, countries are turning on their neighbours.
22:02The very worst of the international violence we have witnessed in recent years,
22:09and even today, have been perpetrated across borders.
22:15The backlash against multiculturalism in many countries means that some communities
22:25no longer feel welcome no longer feel welcome in their own hometowns.
22:31Far from being friends or allies, neighbours have become enemies.
22:41Of course, behind every movement of people is a wider movement of capital, labour, and power.
22:52So we turn to the third key dynamic, globalisation.
22:59Since World War II, and especially since the 1980s onwards,
23:05trade liberalisation, that is, removing barriers to trade,
23:12has been a crucial driver of development progress and of bringing nations closer together.
23:21The push for open markets and international rules helped shift the world away from isolation and toward cooperation.
23:33And more recently, the rise of digital communication has supercharged global trade in services,
23:44connecting economies in ways we could not have imagined a few decades ago.
23:53Globalisation has brought immense benefits.
23:57Higher incomes, reduced poverty, and narrowed gaps between countries.
24:05But these benefits have not been evenly distributed.
24:15Within nations, it has been a different story.
24:20One of winners and losers.
24:24Some people, often those in struggling regions, in lower skilled jobs, have lost out.
24:35While others, especially the highly educated, and those working in thriving global cities, such as here in Singapore, London, or New York, reap the rewards.
24:51The rise of a small, multi-billionaire elite have led some to contend that today's rich are living through a new gilded age,
25:10exceeding even the excesses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
25:19with enormous riches and power heavily concentrated, especially in the top 1%.
25:28Inequality has deepened further since the pandemic.
25:35Between 2020 and 2022, nearly two-thirds of all new wealth created globally went to the richest 1%.
25:51While nearly two-thirds, while nearly the bottom half of the world's population, nearly 4 billion people received just 2%.
26:10Moreover, the extremes of inequality enable the ultra-rich to fund political influence through lobbying, political financing, and their control of traditional and social media.
26:31Such vast inequalities impede social mobility, intensify economic insecurity, weaken social cohesion, and eventually can ignite social conflict.
26:53So, while globalisation has brought unprecedented prosperity, there has been, as observed by the famous Oxford economist Sir Paul Collier, a contrary process,
27:12a widening patchwork of places and communities that have fallen behind.
27:21In some countries, the successful have even seemed to disregard left behind people, places, and communities, all subject to political neglect.
27:35This is another factor in the rise of nationalist politics and populist politicians.
27:45Where vast inequality exists, populist movements and protectionist politics soon follow, with both local and international consequences.
28:00Both international institutions and national governments have failed to adequately address deep, spatial inequalities within countries.
28:16They have often been slow to set up mechanisms to compensate losers or put in place social protection systems to prevent or alleviate poverty.
28:34The upshot has been a pushback on globalisation at national policy level, driven by the growing antipathy to it by those left behind.
28:52So what does it mean to navigate uncertainty wisely?
28:59Amid such upheaval, the pull of familiar certainties can feel deceptively comforting.
29:08There is a temptation to retreat, to retreat into narrower circles of identity, to hoard privileges, and to romanticise a past that,
29:25that if we are honest and stripped away nostalgia, never was.
29:32But I am confident that the answer to uncertainty is not withdrawal.
29:40Navigating these uncharted waters demands resilience and reinvention.
29:48But most importantly, it will take collaboration and collective courage.
29:57I would like to offer four guiding principles.
30:03First, rebuild trust.
30:09We must reinvest in the social contract.
30:14We need transparent institutions, accountable leadership, and civic spaces where people feel seen and heard.
30:28Building trust means investing in media literacy, digital integrity, and honest communication, not just control.
30:41Second, prioritize equity.
30:46Social, economic, and ecological justice must be at the heart of policy.
30:55We must expand our understanding of equity to include not only disparities among people, but also the imbalances between people and planet.
31:11A just and resilient future means closing human gaps and healing our relationship with the planet.
31:25Third, embrace pluralism.
31:30I believe social cohesion does not demand uniformity.
31:37It requires the respectful accommodation of diverse culture, religion, identity, and origin, as well as of social and political perspectives.
31:55It is about recognizing human dignity and opportunity in accepting differences,
32:04reframing how we think about migration, and rejecting fear-based politics.
32:12Trust in our shared humanity is fundamental.
32:17Compassion and love for your neighbor is a value taught by every major religion and philosophy as represented here in our conference.
32:34And in our connected world, it has never been easier to see people on the other side of the world as our neighbors too.
32:53Fourth, imagine boldly.
33:00Resilience is about more than survival.
33:05It is about vision.
33:09Education must equip people to think critically and act ethically.
33:19Cities must be designed for inclusion.
33:23And policy must be guided by moral imagination.
33:32Excellencies, distinguished guests.
33:35There is an old saying.
33:38Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.
33:43We are certainly not living in tranquil times.
33:49And as I said at the beginning, this uncertainty is not merely a temporary storm.
33:57But we are not adrift.
34:00And we are not without modern tools.
34:04Uncertainty, if met with clarity and courage, can become a valuable compass and a crucible for renewal.
34:18It can inspire us to build societies that are not just more secure, but more just.
34:29I have often wondered how best to approach leadership in times like these.
34:39And I have come to believe, good leadership is not the art of prediction.
34:48It is the practice of moral clarity in the face of ambiguity.
34:58It is the strength to hold space for difference without surrendering to division.
35:07It is simply to captain the ship, to steady the course in uncertain seas, and to ensure no one is left behind.
35:21So let us not only navigate the unknown, let us chart it.
35:29Let us map the conditions where uncertainty becomes not a threat, but a threshold.
35:38And may our work here ripple far beyond these walls, into communities, into institutions, and into the hands of generations who will steer the course next.
35:55Uncertainty is here to stay, but allow me to close with a popular saying of enduring wisdom,
36:05ambitiously attributed to Aristotle, and I am told also to Dolly Parton.
36:14You cannot change the wind, but you can adjust the seals. Thank you.
36:26Thank you, Your Royal Highness. Thank you, Sir.
36:35Thank you. Thank you, Sir.
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