It is a false notion that Singaporeans are inherently unkind, says Junie Foo. While unkindness is sensationalised by social media algorithms and mainstream media outlets, everyday kindness remains largely inconspicuous, explains the chairperson of the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM). She draws this conclusion from SKM’s Graciousness Survey, in which 70 percent of Singaporeans report having received or witnessed acts of kindness in public spaces.
Of course, there are reasons when people don’t choose kindness; it may be inconvenient, illogical, something they didn’t even consider, or an absence of self-awareness. Foo emphasises that this is on top of context-specific challenges. For instance, Singapore’s density can encourage self-preservation instincts without consideration for others.
Moreover, our highly-competitive environment can foster a perception that kindness is a liability, particularly in scenarios where performance and outcomes are closely scrutinised. “This is why driving graciously has become a challenge. Some people feel that having a COE means they are entitled to personal space on the roads,” she analogises.
When Foo was a banker, she was the first woman to occupy a management position in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s corporate banking division for Asia and Oceania. She later served as the CEO of Methodist Welfare Services from 2018 to 2023, and the president of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations from 2020 to 2024. She assumed her current role at SKM in 2021.
SKM was established in 1997 by then-prime minister Goh Chok Tong to promote kindness and a more gracious society and succeeded the National Courtesy Campaign. It now operates as a non-profit organisation. One of its key programmes is Kindness@ Work, which equips corporate partners with structured resources, training, and toolkits for embedding kindness initiatives.
Foo sees kindness as strength, not weakness. “It takes courage to help a stranger. It takes confidence to acknowledge a colleague’s contributions, and it takes character to be gracious under pressure,” she explains. With the Be Greater campaign, SKM positions kindness as an act that elevates individuals and communities rather than diminishes them.
It is not that kindness is synonymous with permissiveness or the absence of standards, Foo clarifies. On the contrary, kindness requires us to hold people accountable because perpetuating harmful behaviour hurts everyone, she avers.
“Kindness can include having difficult conversations while considering the other person’s dignity and long-term growth. A manager providing honest feedback on an employee’s underperformance while actively supporting their development is a great example of kindness.”
This explains SKM’s advocacy for compassionate accountability— holding others to lofty standards while simultaneously preserving their humanity. “The two are not in tension, but they are complementary.”
“A society without accountability descends into chaos while a society without kindness becomes cold, transactional, and emotionally brittle. Singapore should aspire to have both.”
Junie Foo on fostering positive connections
To help develop a culture of kindness and tolerance from an early age, SKM is currently working with MOE to implement infrastructure that promotes a culture of kindness among secondary and tertiary students. Among other initiatives, educational institutions are encouraged to facilitate dialogue across disagreements.
In an era where people spew vitriol behind the veil of anonymity, Foo wants us to remember that kindness usually fails when we can’t imagine another person’s perspective. But this could be a lack of oversight on our part.
“We need to have better awareness, be other-centred, and consider the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you’.”
Photography Mun Kong
Art direction Ed Harland
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Photography assistant Melvin Leong
