Singaporean citizens have to register their race, and this is also indicated on their ID cards (not for foreign residents, we have "nationality" instead). In response to the growing number of mixed marriages, the registration law has been adjusted this year to allow the inclusion of two races, such as Caucasian-Chinese, or Malay-Indian. The two parts must obviously come from the parents, and it is not compulsory to use both: it is possible to use just the father's or (new from this year) the mother's classification. There cannot be more than two, however; a Chinese-Indian's child with a Caucasian-Malay will have to pick two. The registration must be done before the child turns fifteen.

The most prominent example where race plays into Singapore public policy is the allotment of public housing, which includes a quota system to prevent concentrations of ethnic groups in certain areas.

In a speech yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong commented on the debate regarding racial classification that he believes it is necessary to have policies and systems in place to deal with problems arising in a multi-ethnic society. He contrasts it with France, where all French are considered equal and racial classification is illegal. According to the PM, ignoring the existence of ethnic differences has not solved the issues arising from them.