Wrong to imply new citizens can’t become ‘true’ S’poreans

THE late deputy prime minister S. Rajaratnam said: “Being a Singaporean is not a matter of ancestry. It is conviction and choice.”

The message is that one’s identity as a Singaporean does not stem from the ancestry of Chinese, Malay, Indian, or Eurasian culture.

There is no guarantee that an individual who is born and bred in Singapore will have an idea of what being a Singaporean means.

Besides, given that Singapore has been independent for less than 50 years, what makes a person Singaporean is still unclear.

Hence, to imply a new citizen could be incapable of being a Singaporean does appear biased.

While the decision to accept large numbers of economic immigrants as new citizens may be a cause for concern, invoking cultural emotions to cast doubt on their ability to adopt a Singaporean way of living is contrary to the principle of multiculturalism.

The decision to accept or reject immigrants must be made based on rational thinking and logic rather than fear and guilt about the people losing their identities as Singaporeans.

Mr Rajaratnam also said: “There are people who talk about preserving Chinese culture, Malay culture, or Indian culture, as though each of these cultures is a fixed and unchanging thing. But, in fact, this is not so. The individual elements within a culture are constantly being changed, modified or discarded.”

Indeed, the culture of the people 50 years ago is not the same as today’s. There has been a conscious choice to abandon many components of the ancestral culture in favour of multiculturalism.

Let’s not undermine the high precepts set by Singapore’s founding fathers, or invoke cultural arguments in public debates.

Sabaratnam Ratnakumar
Mar 4, 2013, ST Forum