Since the beginning of Singapore’s independence, the government has been trying to foster a Singaporean identity among Singapore citizens. The government recognises that a common identity is very important to nation building. People with the same identity usually feel that they share something in common and hence will tend to cluster together. With this in mind, the government has been trying to create a Singaporean identity that all Singaporeans are able to identify with. The government has invented the slogan ‘uniquely Singapore’ to express the identity of Singaporeans. I do recognise the government’s effort in promoting nation building, yet as a Singaporean I find myself unable to agree with this Singaporean identity imposed upon us.

                Having lived in Singapore all my life, I must say I really enjoy being a Singaporean. One of the things I love about being Singaporean is our creation of a new language, Singlish. I find it particularly disturbing that the government has been trying to do away with it in order to portray a professional image. Singlish is a language created by Singaporeans and is something unique to us. In fact, it is what I use to identify fellow Singaporeans when I am overseas. I am sure this is the case for many others as well. I believe this is what identity aims to do; allowing us to foster something in common with others. Singlish is part of Singaporean identity and the doing away of Singlish is akin to cutting away part of our flesh.

                Another thing which I feel makes us Singaporean is the unwillingness to speak up. Singapore has claimed to be a democratic society, one that seeks to make every citizen’s voice heard. Yet, it is very uncommon to see Singaporeans publicly voicing out issues pertaining to the government. Perhaps it is due to the very limited opportunities that Singaporeans have to voice their opinions. Perhaps it is due to the consequences associated with speaking up. Or perhaps it is due to the need to conform, the need to be the same as everyone else and the fear to be criticised for being different. My friend once told me ‘in Singapore we have to follow others, if not we die’. Indeed, it seems like this idea of conformity deters us from voicing our opinions.

                I feel that Singapore citizens have a set of identity, but the government is trying to create another set of identity for all Singaporeans. It seems to be that the government is trying to impress foreigners by creating this new set of identity. For instance, the speak good English campaign is quite obviously trying to promote a professional and educated image for Singaporeans. The emphasis on Singapore as a cosmopolitan city state with many different racial groups seems to me as a bait to attract foreigners. The portrayal of Singapore as unique and full of Asian flavour is perhaps a stint to attract more tourists.

                Studying Singapore closely and carefully, we would be able to find many characteristics that make us unique, but perhaps not those which are portrayed by the government. In the past, the government wanted to foster a Singapore identity for the ease of nation building. However, today, the government seems to be trying to foster a new Singapore identity in order to gain further economic growth. These governmental actions make me wonder whether we are ‘people of the state’, or are we just ‘people for the state’. At present, it seems to me that the situation is the latter.

This is quite interesting.