Self-help groups can help the various ethnic communities to work and play together instead of giving rise to a hardening of ethnic boundaries, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi said yesterday.

The Community Development Minister was speaking at the first anniversary of the Central Singapore Joint Social Service Centre at Toa Payoh West Community Centre.

The service centre aims to promote community spirit through activities and services for people of all ethnic groups. It is a joint project by the Central Singapore Community Development Council and five self groups - the Chinese Development Assistance Council, Yayasan Mendaki, the Singapore Indian Association, the Eurasian Association and the Association of Muslim Professionals.

Mr Tarmugi said what was important was the orientation and quality of leadership in these groups, as they set tone and direction for these organisations.

"We must ensure that they are led by men and women who share the natinal ideals of racial and religious harmony and to promote these ideals in the work and activities of the self-help groups," he said.

With such people at the helm, the groups had the potential to initiate inter-ethnic communication and co-operation through shared programmes and resources, joint activities and projects and mutual help which brought mutual benefits, he said.

He said the prgrammes organised by the centre provided a conducive environment for young people to interact and understand people of other ethnic groups.

This would foster a deeper sense of cohesiveness among Singaporeans.

The centre was a model which other CDCs could study.

"This is something I would......encourage because it is a good, workable concept and something which can be duplicated in other CDCs."