Something about being Singaporean Date: 26/2/2001 5:58:25 PM
Being S'porean: A unique, collective experience
Feb 22, 2001
I REFER to the article, 'I want to be proud of Singapore... but what about?' (ST, Feb 20).
It is heartening to know that many Singaporeans are looking beyond their identity cards and passports for answers to what makes them Singaporean.
They are also not rushing to embrace the Government's symbolic gestures to promote national pride and awareness via patriotic songs.
Being world No 1 - from airports to international mathematics and science competitions - has already been taken for granted.
It is not something to be celebrated collectively for most Singaporeans.
Furthermore, we have been told recently not to be proud of our grammatically-incorrect, colloquial brand of English, or 'Singlish', which allows us to identify a fellow Singaporean instantly, even in a foreign country.
Associating ourselves with our physical environment and neighbourhood is difficult in a constantly changing landscape, where few buildings survive for more than 30 years and where the faces of our neighbours and colleagues change frequently.
While grand parades, like the annual National Day Parade, serve as momentary affirmations of our national identity, the feeling fades away eventually, as we revert to our mundane chores.
Finally, creating a 'us versus them' xenophobic mentality through soccer matches or foreign bogeymen is definitely not a healthy and rational means of fostering a collective sense of belonging.
However, we should not be alarmed that we have difficulty defining a national identity. In an increasingly globalised environment, the challenge to define ourselves according to our nationalities has become tougher.
For a long time, in our quest to make ourselves relevant to the international economy, we have been quick to show the world what we can offer in terms of infrastructure and facilities.
In the process, the line between local and global is blurred.
However, as our society becomes more established and confident, Singaporeans will be less inclined to conform to the simplistic prescriptions of tourist brochures, government policies or slick marketing gimmicks of global corporations.
I am glad to see some local organisations like the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs beginning to acknowledge these sentiments.
In particular, as part of its efforts to encourage Singaporeans to think global and feel Singaporean, the SIF has set up the 'Singapore Internationale'.
The programme supports and recognises Singaporeans, from artists to scientists, who are able to show the world something as complex as the Singaporean identity through their works.
To conclude, rather than seeking fruitlessly for the 'real' Singaporean founded on a set of imaginary benchmarks, we should be asking ourselves who we are, based on our unique experiences on top of our collective achievements as a nation.
LIEW KAI KHIUN