SINGAPORE

1
CELEBRATING A MULTIETHNIC HERITAGE
WITH THE SUPPRESION OF LANGUAGE
SINGAPORE ?????? REPUBLIK SINGAPURA ???????????
???????
JOEY HORNE
2
SINGAPORE BACKGROUND
AN ISLAND CITY-STATE OFF THE COAST OF PENINSULAR
MALAYSIA RESULT MALAY HERITAGE SUBTLE TENSIONS
WITH MALAYSIA
FORMER BRITISH COLONY INDEPENDENCE 1965 CLING
TO COLONIAL PAST
OFFICIAL LANGUAGESMANDARINBAHASA
MELAYUTAMILENGLISH OFFICIAL ETHNICITIESCHINESE
(75)MALAY (15)INDIAN (8)OTHER (2)
3
BUILDING NATIONALISM
GOVERNMENT NEEDED TO FOSTER A SENSE OF NATIONAL
PURPOSE THE SINGAPORE PROBLEMMANAGING A
MULTIETHNIC STATE WITH A LARGE CHINESE MAJORITY
THE ANSWERA STEAMBOAT INSTEAD OF A MELTING
POT ETHNIC GROUPS SHARE IN CIVIC PARTICIPATION
BUT RETAIN DISTINCT CULTURES
DIVIDE AND RULE MENTALITY LEGITIMACY BASED ON
PROPER MANAGEMENT OF ETHNIC CONFLICT SUCCESS
THROUGH 1. ENGLISH 2. MOTHER TONGUES
4
THE ROLE OF ENGLISH
THE ONLY TRUE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FIRST LANGUAGE
FOR MOST CHILDREN CROWDS OUT ALL OTHER
LANGUAGES
ALLOWS FOR NECESSARY CIVIC PARTICIPATION PROVIDES
(FALSE) SENSE OF COMMONALITY FACILITATES
CONSUMER IDENTITY
BIASED AGAINST NON-CHINESE SEPARATES GUEST
WORKERS FROM SPOREAN SOCIETY NEUTRAL LANGUAGE
ALLOWS LINGUISTIC SEGREGATION
5
MOTHER TONGUES
GOVERNMENT MANDATED LEARNED IN PRIMARY
SCHOOL FATHERS NATIVE LANGUAGE BUT ONLY FOUR
CHOICES!
CMIO CATEGORIES EASY MANAGEMENT OF ETHNIC
GROUPS PAP HAS VESTED INTEREST IN KEEPING PEOPLE
SEPARATED SINGLISH CREOLE DISCOURAGED
PAP DOMINATED BY CHINESE CONSOLIDATION OF
DIALECTS CREATES FALSE MAJORITY ADVANTAGES FOR
CHINESE SPEAKERS
6
CONCLUSIONS
PUBLIC SPACE NEUTRALIZED OF LOCAL
LANGUAGES IRONY BETWEEN MULTILINGUAL SOCIETY AND
PRO-ENGLISH ATTITUDE
SUBTLE SUPPRESSION OF LANGUAGES BOTH FORMALLY
AND INFORMALLY MULTIETHNICITY NOT THE SAME AS
HARMONY
A SUCCESS NONETHELESS NO SEVERE RACIAL
PROVOCATIONS SINCE 1964 RACE RIOTS
7
REFERENCES
Chew, Sock Foon. Ethnicity and Nationality in
Singapore. Vol. 78. Athens, Ohio Ohio University
Center for International Studies, Center for
Southeast Asian Studies, 1987. Chua, Beng Huat.
"Taking Group Rights Seriously Multiracialism in
Singapore." Murdoch University Working Paper (Oct
2005). Giok, Ling Ooi. "The Role of the
Developmental State and Interethnic Relations in
Singapore." Asian Ethnicity 6.2
(2005). Gopinathan, Saravanan. Language, Society,
and Education in Singapore Issues and Trends.
2nd ed. Singapore Times Academic Press,
1998. Ho, Wah Kam, and Ruth Wong. Language
Policies and Language Education The Impact in
East Asian Countries in the Next Decade. 2nd ed.
Singapore Eastern Universities Press,
2004. Moore, R. Quinn. "Multiracialism and
Meritocracy Singapore's Approach to Race and
Inequality." Review of Social Economy LVIII.3
(2000). "Rank Order - GDP - Per Capita (PPP)."
The World Factbook. 29 Mar. 2006. CIA. 8 Apr.
2006 lthttp//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook
/rankorder/2004rank.htmlgt. Srilal, Mohan. "Quick
Quick 'Singlish' is Out in Re-Education
Campaign." Asia Times Online 28 Aug. 1999. 7 Apr.
2006 lthttp//www.atimes.com/se-asia/AH28Ae05.htmlgt
. Suryadinata, Leo. Ethnic Chinese in Singapore
and Malaysia A Dialogue between Tradition and
Modernity. Singapore Times Academic Press,
2002. United States. Department of the Army.
Singapore Identity (From Country Studies/Area
Handbook Series). 9 Apr. 2006 lthttp//countrystudi
es.us/singapore/19.htmgt.