"The most intrusive social policy in Singapore has turned out to be the most important one....And that is a rule on ethnic balance in every single block of HDB flats. Every single block and every single precinct has a rule on ethnic balance, which means that on the same floor and taking the same lifts up and down every day, you have a certain interaction that's quiet, unstated and normal.
But it also means, critically, that the kids go to kindergartens and primary schools that are quite close to where they live.
And when you grow up together, you're not just in the same classroom together, you play some sports together, you just become more comfortable with each other...
We can never think that the natural workings of society would somehow produce cohesion - usually the opposite happens in most societies."
- Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Source: The Sunday Times, April 12 2015
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