Common S’pore identity has yet to develop: Former president Nathan

[HTOLAS]

Many years ago, I was chatting with my ex-gf on a beach in Bali when a white woman seated not far from us came over to ask if we were from Singapore. I said yes and asked how she knew. She explained that she was a hairdresser from Hawaii and had some Singaporean clients. Over the years she began to pick up the nuances of Singaporean speech. I should add that I do not speak in what is often said to be Singlish.

That incident suggested to me that at least in our speech, we have been evolving a distinct identity. Yet, like every other aspect of our culture, the PAPzis have told us we are inadequate and that we should sound more like some other people.

 

[coolguy]

Actually we have developed a spore identity.
But the pappies destroy it by condemning singlish and take preference of FT over local sporeans.

 

[Ash007]

So that bugger singlish exterminator is actually trying to eradicate Singapore's culture?

Actually we have developed a spore identity.
But the pappies destroy it by condemning singlish and take preference of FT over local sporeans.

 

[Windsor2012]

We never did have a chance to establish an identity apart from the negative ones such as kiasu. Singlish is still very much part of our identity but that is not very desirable.

 

[HTOLAS]

It is not about Singlish - it is about a discernibly distinct variety of English that is also internationally understood. Instead of allowing that variety to emerge, the PAPzis have tried their best to kill it. The resulting impact is, of course, completely the opposite - the educated shied away from pushing that variety, leaving any variation from the norm to the uneducated Singlish.

We never did have a chance to establish an identity apart from the negative ones such as kiasu. Singlish is still very much part of our identity but that is not very desirable.

 

[Simbian]

Of course we had a Singaporean identity - it emerged even as the Brits tried their best to do their 'divide-and-conquer' thing and we were pretty much part of a larger Malayan culture.

If anything, the obvious conclusion you can garner that it has kept mutating over the years, due to various forces - primarily government - shaping our society.

BTW, if any of you guys took any sociology or similar modules in Arts and Social Science, you will know that this topic has been flogged so many times that this is pretty much a dead horse among the faculty there.

Frankly, I would have thought Nathan had enough sense to keep his mouth sealed after his retirement. After all, it is better to keep silent and be thought as a fool, then opening your mouth and removing all doubt.

 

[batman1]

Frankly, I would have thought Nathan had enough sense to keep his mouth sealed after his retirement. After all, it is better to keep silent and be thought as a fool, then opening your mouth and removing all doubt.

So what has he been doing to earn at least $40 million for the last 12 years as president ?
Flipping roti-prata ?

 

[huahero]

文化部长
We used to have a Ministry of Culture led by Culture Minister, S Rajaratnam. I guess they must have given up and lump everything together into Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA).

 

[legal_bastard]

So what has he been doing to earn at least $40 million for the last 12 years as president ?
Flipping roti-prata ?

people like him are considered clever and intelligent simply because they are clever to make money by any means

perfect example

 

[Windsor2012]

It seems he has failed his presidency by not doing enough to make the country and it's peoples more cohesive. 12 years was not long enough to achieve it or was it because he tried but the government's policies was undoing his good works?