Fostering the Singapore Identity

As Singapore enters a new decade, what can be done to make our country more cohesive?

While Singaporeans may be divided on the advantages and disadvantages of having one party dominate politics, the longevity of the People's Action Party does enable policies to be designed and implemented not just for the short or medium term, but also for the long term. Capitalising on this advantage, the Government can do more to coordinate policymaking across different ministries. For instance, an issue such as workforce productivity can be addressed together with our over-reliance on foreign labour, housing availability and pricing, and national integration by all relevant parties.

Apart from questions of efficiency or practicality, policies also influence a person's commitment to society. How Singaporeans view their place in Singapore will depend greatly on which segment of the population they belong to. The greater their levels of economic and emotional well-being, the more confident they are going to feel about their future, and the more likely it is that they will believe that they are able to work, play, live and flourish here.

Avoiding the economic and emotional marginalisation of any group is a key step to making Singapore a united society. If someone believes that he has as much chance at a good life as the next person, he is more likely to remain engaged with society. No one group must be left behind. The Economic Strategies Committee recently recommended that Singapore make skills, innovation and productivity the foundation for economic growth. The push for these three qualities offers a perfect opportunity to further advance the economic and emotional well-being of all Singaporeans.

But a cohesive society requires more than well-coordinated and well-implemented policies; it needs interested and involved citizens. Singaporeans are showing increasing signs of wanting to be part of their society's evolution, as can be seen from the greater diversity of views in matters ranging from the learning of a second language to the integration of new immigrants. This is a healthy phenomenon which we should embrace and encourage.

In the new decade, more and more Singaporeans will not be content to simply sit on the sidelines. They will want to be part of the national conversation, to share their views, often with great passion. Increasingly, they may even welcome having their opinions debated. There is often a tendency to think of Singaporeans as a socially apathetic lot. This view is common even among Singaporeans themselves. But today's Singaporeans are descended from a people who built up a nation, sometimes at great personal cost. Those who came before us created a country from bits and pieces of different cultures. While the patchwork frays in places, it still holds.

Whether Singapore subscribes to the idea of the melting pot or a mosaic as the mode for national integration matters less than the fact that pluralism is, and will continue to be, the order of the day. Whether Singaporeans, permanent residents or holders of work or student visas, all of us must accept that pluralism is part of this country.

Singapore needs to go beyond politics that is merely pragmatic; it also needs politics that unites and uplifts. How best to reignite Singaporeans' sense of pride and patriotism? If we focus on what unites and uplifts, rather than on what divides and depresses us, I think Singaporeans will find in their country much to rejoice in and be excited about. This could take the form of remembering national achievements, such as the distinction of holding the world's first F1 Night Race or surviving the Great Recession intact, or anticipating new challenges or projects like the integrated resorts.

The decade remains to be experienced but we already have the answer to the question of how to make this society pull together. The answer is within us. The answer lies with all Singaporeans.