SINGAPORE, Sept. 6 -- Singapore will never be entirely insulated from racial division, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned, as he condemned racist abuse directed at the Indian community following the Nepal flood tragedy and urged Singaporeans to "reject hatred".

In a Facebook post today, Lee said the episode was a reminder that race and religion remained enduring fault lines even in a society that had spent decades trying to foster tolerance and mutual respect.

"Human beings are not race blind, and race and religion will always be a fault line in society," he said.

Lee described the hateful remarks that emerged after the disaster as "deeply troubling", saying moments of tragedy should instead bring out compassion and solidarity....