I am from Bangsa Singapura

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Friday, 07 January 2011

Muhd Shamin

When I was younger, I used to ask my parents about my grandparents. Who were they? Where did they come from? Why was I darker than most Malay people and yet I spoke the Malay language and not Tamil? Why did some of my extended family members look Chinese and Middle-Eastern?

I remembered my mother explaining to me that my grandfathers came from India, my paternal grandmother was Javanese and that my maternal grandmother was of Malay-Arab mix.

If I were to put it fully on my Identity Card, I am not sure if there would be enough space. If I declared partially, then I would be denying the other parts of me, and that would not be fair. My birth certificate shows that I am an Indian.

During primary school, I was first sent to an Indian language class. I was puzzled. After sometime, I was transferred to a Malay language class. It was a very confusing time for me.

I showed my identity card to some friends during my internship when I was in the European Parliament last year as an intern. They were aghast. “What is this? A Nazi country?” one of them commented. It reminded them of the terrible time that engulfed Europe.

That is how complicated my "racial" identity is. But that is, in a way, a reflection Singapore. It has always been the melting pot of cultures. It is because of that that we get to enjoy various kinds of food. The quaint mixture of Chinese and Malay ingredients gave rise to peranakan cuisine. Then we have dishes like Roti John, a combination of Malay and Indian foods. Even the name is a mixture.

This mish-mash of people is also where we get our Singlish. People of older generations knew more than one language. Indians, Chinese and Malays spoke Singlish and Malay patois.

Later on, I came across people who were like me yet they were declared as “Malay”. They then told me that my grandfather changed his race after independence because if they were Indians they could not get free education and privileges. I didn't know how to respond. Out of hardship and for material gain, people resort to denying a part of them.

Which brings me to the question about race. What relevance does it hold for me? Nothing. The diversity that we have in Singapore is a blessing for us all. It makes us more tolerant of each other's differences. It makes us know more things about the world.

No race is superior. It is just a myth created by those in power to instill intolerance. Aren't there Malay graduates who are just as competent as Chinese and Indian graduates? Aren't there Indian businessmen who are just as rich as a Malay or Chinese businessmen?

In the SDP, we do not focus on race. the colour of our members' skins are not important. Nor is there a need to create a bureau to represent a specific group of people.

Of course, there are still problems that affect specific ethnic groups. These are caused by PAP policies. But when we speak up on these issues, we speak up as a a party, Chinese for Indians, Indians for Malays and Malays for Chinese. We speak as Singaporeans for all Singaporeans. I am confident that it will remain that way.

And through this party, the idea and ideal of Bangsa Singapura - the Singaporean People - will prevail.

Shamin is a member of the Young Democrats.

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Comments (16)

Fri 07 Jan 2011 10:40 PM | g_e - What we DON'T need is a great big melting pot...

Melting pot of cultures? All our people of various races rubbing along perfectly happily together? Able to communicate in a common patois? Are you completely mad sir? That's no way to rule a country for any length of time! Why, the next thing you know they'll be joining hands and demanding transparency, human rights, political freedoms and whatnot and where will we be then? I'll tell you where: out on our well-padded backsides and out of a job, that's where.

No, no, what we need is a good dose of inter-racial strife (carefully managed so as not to frighten off foreign investors of course), mutual suspicion, and general mistrust of one another so that a benign govt i.e. we, can step forward as keepers of the peace and claim that without us and draconian oppression the streets would simply run with rivers of blood.

A little tweak to the electoral system here, a little rule to break up enclaves of people sharing the same culture there and voila! we're in for the long haul to fame and fortune. Especially fortune.

The secret to political success is divide and rule, my boy, divide and rule! Now what did you say your race was again?

Fri 07 Jan 2011 10:59 PM | Jufrie - Race matters to the PAP

It is really unfortunate that under the PAP, race matters -and matters a lot.

If you happen to be a member of a certain race you cannot be in certain places. If your numbers exceed a certain quota set by the PAP you are barred from living in certain areas.

If you happen to run a certain kind of business you are allowed to employ only workers from certain countries.

If you are an Indian, Mendaki or CDAC is not for you.
When our population began to decline a large number of people are brought in from one particular country to enable a certain group to retain its overwhelming dominance.

The "One People, one nation, one Singapore" slogan sounds very hollow indeed. It borders on absurdity.

But the most absurd thing which the PAP insists on is the requirement that every time a minority candidate wants to stand for elections in a GRC he or she should first be certified to be a member of a specified minority race. As if a person's race could undergo change in between elections.

This is the kind of nonsence that the PAP has become famous for nowadays.

Sat 08 Jan 2011 12:10 PM | quantum - Homo sapien

The SDP is incredibly enlightened about this. There is a lot of smoke in the air, and people simply cannot think properly.
We are just one species:- Homo sapiens, period. If a Chinese marries a Japanese, what race is the baby? If my grandparents belong to 4 separate races , what race am I?
This is so simple a logic, but simplicity is always so profound.

Sat 08 Jan 2011 3:05 PM | freedomT

I agree with Jufrie that the PAP are bringing mainland Chinese into Singapore to keep the status qouta. With local Chinese not reproducing as many as the Malays, the Malays will be the majority of Singapore as what happen in Pulau Pinang aka Penang. This is a dishonest way for the the PAP to keep their power. Already these PRC are bringing in trouble everywhere. More PRCs, more call girls to please them and more crimes. Let nature take its course.

Sat 08 Jan 2011 4:14 PM | quantum - Call girls lower crime

Hi FreedomT:

There is this argument which I heard :-

If there are more call girls, then the needs of the foreign workers will be satisfied. Hence there is a reduce need for them to rape. So our Singaporean women can now walk safely on the streets.

What do you think?

Sat 08 Jan 2011 5:28 PM | Brendan - Take a leaf from Israel.

Israel doesn't care if you are Chinese, Indian Polynesian or African or Caucasian or Midle Eastern Jews or if you share their blood or even Gay, Straight or Bi you are welcomed!

And for a country which (ironically) retains conscription is truely amazing. What they would not tolerate is, however extremism and violence. Look at how united against they are !

Sat 08 Jan 2011 6:53 PM | freedomT

quantum if your areas are already occupied by calls girls and foreign workers, I don't think you are happy about it am I right? My area is not ok and the foreign workers even think my sister is a call girl ok and what did our PAP MP Hawazi do about it, NOTHING. zZZZZZzzzz

Sat 08 Jan 2011 8:35 PM | quantum - Call girls infested area

FreedomT

Where is your area? I would like to investigate.

Sun 09 Jan 2011 9:04 PM | freedomT

Its the same place that they found the dead body in the Woodlands town garden river. You are welcome to view the pimps and call girls at the garden and at the area and road in front of Woodlands sec and Marsiling sec schools. There are 4 apartment buildings that used to house the Malaysian Navy personals and their families but after Singapore government kick them out, they convert it to foreign workers hostel right in the Woodlands neighbourhood. You can see Thai, Indians nationals and Chinese nationals roaming around the area late into the night.

Sometimes you can see them perform their ritual at the forested area around the schools. The area is known for its crime, murder and gang fights. Many times the area appear in the locals news. Behind block 1 Marsiling. Murder, dead body found, rape victims and robbery. You can see foreign workers sit in groups under the flats late into the night. Maids having a good time with these workers. It is not safe especially when the sec school girls leave the school compound and being trouble by these workers.

Did the PAP MP know about this? Yes he does. But did he do anything about it? NO!! Did the resident complain about it, Yes they did but do you know what is the answer from MP Hawazi. I will provide more police patrol thats all. He think that can solve the problem. Better tell him to walk in that area at night and see whether anyone will do him harm. The answer is to move out all these foreign workers from our neighbourhood. In 2006, I voted for SDP because how insensitive the Sembawang GRC PAP people are.

Mon 10 Jan 2011 11:28 AM | quantum - Thanks for Facts

Thanks, freedomT. Really appreciate your rather detailed information.

Mon 10 Jan 2011 1:33 PM | eklektro - Doesn't "bangsa" mean race?

‎"Bangsa" means race. Imho, it would be more appropriate to call it "Rakyat Singapura". "Rakyat" roughly translates as "common people" or nation.

Mon 10 Jan 2011 3:59 PM | Seelan Palay - Bangsa means nation

Hi eklektro, "Bangsa" means nation. Google translator result: http://translate.google.com.sg/translate_t?q=bangsa&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGLL_en-GB___SG411&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wT#auto|en|bangsa

Mon 10 Jan 2011 10:56 PM | freedomT

Seelan, bangsa means both race and nation but we can use it in different context for different meaning. The Malay language is a bit complex comparing with English. A single word such as bangsa can mean either a individual race or a nation as a whole. For example the State of Singapore can be called in Malay as Negeri Singapura or Negara Singapura. Both explain that Singapore is a state but the weightage of the meaning are different. In the first context, negeri Singapura means Singapore state but at a lesser extent comparing to the world as if not a member of the world for example while negara Singapura is of greater extend to the world as a member of the world. Bangsa Singapura when translated to English means both a Singapore race and the people of Singapore.

Tue 11 Jan 2011 11:24 AM | seebeng - Singaporean Singapore

S Rajaratnam, the architect of our National Pledge once said to the people of newly independent Singapore: "If you think along the line that you are Chinese Singaporean, Malay Singaporean, Indian Singaporean or Eurasian
Singaporean, then you are 'finished'. Think of yourself as Singaporean."

Tue 11 Jan 2011 3:23 PM | freedomT

Seebeng but to LKY and PAP, they must handle it as each individual race in Singapore. Calling Singaporean as a single race will result in PAP lost the election as a whole. Only by racial policies of the PAP such as HDB racial qouta will infact preserve the PAP as there will not be a Malay or Indian Majority areas but only Chinese majority areas in Singapore. Remember that the PAP depend heavily on Chinese votes.

Thu 24 Mar 2011 9:48 PM | PotatoSALAD

The problem lies with the government's love to pigeon hole people, map them out like biological diagrams meant for textbooks.