Singapore: Sunlight Shines on the Merlion

Author: Xu Ge
Publisher:
Publish Date: Not Available
Features: "We Are All Singaporeans" - Strolling through the streets of Singapore, one sees a colorful "rainbow" of different ethnicities, which is a beautiful sight. Yellow-skinned, black-skinned, white-skinned, and brown-skinned people—different races, yet they laugh, sing, and dance together in this Southeast Asian metropolis. People of various skin colors live together in harmony, indistinguishable from one another. This is a "humanity museum" at the crossroads of the oceans, and also a paradise on earth that envy the world. They are not just Chinese, Malays, Indians, Filipinos, Afghans, Burmese, Arabs, Africans, Europeans, or mixed-race people—most importantly, they all share a common identity—"Singaporeans." Among Singapore's total population of 4.1 million, 76% are Chinese, 15% are Malay, and 6% are Indian. From the above population ratios, it can be seen that the Chinese, Malay, and Indian ethnic groups are the three major ethnicities in Singapore. Due to differences in origin or dialect, these three major ethnicities also consist of various subgroups: In the Indian community, there are Tamils, Punjabis, Singhalese, Sikhs, Gujaratis, Bengalis, Telugus, Pathans, and Sinhalese, among others; in the Malay community, there are Malays, Javanese, Bugis, Benggole, and Minangkabau people, among others; and the Chinese community is even more diverse, with six major dialect groups based on ancestral regions and languages: Fujian, Chaoshan, Guangdong, Hakka, Hainan, and Sanjiang. Indians speak Tamil or Hindi among themselves, while English is used in business; Malays speak Malay among themselves; Mandarin is currently the most popular Chinese dialect, while Cantonese, Teochew, Minnan, and Hakka were once common vernacular languages for many Chinese people. When Singapore gained independence in 1965, Lee Kuan Yew pointed out: "In Singapore, we will be a multi-ethnic nation. This country is not a Malay nation, not a Chinese nation, and not an Indian nation. Regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, or culture, every citizen should first have a sense of national identity and recognize that I am a Singaporean." One of Singapore's key national policies is to achieve national unity among its diverse ethnic groups. All permanent residents of Singapore, regardless of ethnicity, are citizens of the Republic and enjoy equal rights, as Lee Kuan Yew emphasized—"loyalty to the flag, regardless of race." The government advocates mixed-ethnicity living arrangements, and the original practice of ethnic groups living in isolated communities has largely disappeared. Mixed-ethnicity living has improved relations between different ethnic groups and promoted mutual understanding. Today, most Singaporean youth can fluently speak two to three languages and have a strong sense of identity as "Singaporeans." However, such identity was not as natural in Singapore 30 years ago. Older Chinese Singaporeans still remember that teachers would tell elementary school students in class: "I am a Singaporean," while specifically instructing them not to say "I am Chinese," "He is Malay," or "He is Indian," but to remember that "We are all Singaporeans." From primary school to high school, every day, students attend the national flag-raising ceremony.