The New Racial Disharmony
Posted in religion, Social Commentary by mathialee on July 19, 2009
MM Lee says Singapore needs to do more to achieve nationhood
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
With the huge influx of immigrants in the recent years, I think harmony has gone down. We’re still sticking to the old labels of Chinese Malay Indian Others. Which is not useful anymore given that greater divides have appeared as where. It is not realistic to expect that new immigrants would neatly fall into one of these categories. It is very naive to think that just because we are of the same biological race, we can be treated as a same cultural race. We need concrete steps — like what was done in the years after the racial riots — to be taken to systematically/consciously integrate new immigrants — beyond the ceremonial pledges-recitations and get-to-know-you parties. History and global events should have already shown us that, left on it’s own, the situation would not gravitate towards harmony but violent conflict.
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Am not sure exactly what kind of “concrete steps” need to be taken……….. this is a tough, touchy issue…..
At this moment, i think i’m just trying to learn more, understand more. I’m really glad for my experience in the labs at the Biopolis, where 80% of labs can be foreigners. It’s a mistake to think that they can be the same as us, but it’s also a mistake to think that just because they are different means that we cannot be good friends.
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Well, thank God someone of prominence has finally said a fraction of what I’ve been saying for quite some time.
Now, perhaps, some might start paying this issue the attention it deserves.
Firstly Mathia,
I must again say I greatly enjoys your provocative thoughts on the many issues surrounding our everyday lives that might escape the otherwise indifferent people in this island.
I have many opinions on all these issues but unlike you, I do not spend alot of time thinking about them or to provoke different thoughts and discussions on it, rather I just do my own part quietly and influence those I could influence. Well I guess whatever works haha.
I think you are not wrong to say that harmony generally seems to have reduce or however you would like to measure harmony.
When the first batch of immigrants started arriving in Singapore, everyone has a common goal to fight for. While there were obvious racial clashes and differences, I would like to suggest that it was maybe easier to rally these different groups of people together for a common cause then: to build a home for themselves in this foreign land. And maybe together with the country leadership then, the people could see that they NEED to put down differences and instead channel energies to building a home and thus naturally, the people learnt to live together and racial and religious tolerance were at a bigger threshold then.
However, with this so called new racial divide having new immigrants joining us in the workforce, as new citizens, as PRs etc, it is now another challenge to bridge this divide. The issue here in my humble opinion is that the people already here do not feel the need to specifically welcome anyone or to extend their friendly hands to anyone because…..why is there a need to do so? Everyone’s future (I do not really mean every single person), is pretty much very secured in this very safe homeland of Singapore. How we looked at a new immigrant is different from how my great grandfather would have looked at his malay neighbour during his time. He would have saw the malay neighbour as the person who is going to help him look after his zinc roof home when he leaves to work. They will see each other as people who will lend them salt when they run out of it. They see each other as people who are gonna help each other build a safer home for one another.
But, now, I would think we looked a new immigrant as just another person here in Singapore. They do not need us to help them build their home. We do not need them to help us build our homes either.
And I would sum this as apathy really. We just do not think that it is important anymore compared to our forefathers.
Hi Siong, thanks for your kind words and thanks for sharing your views!
I see that you have compared the current wave of immigrants with the wave of immigration that our grandparents were a part of. Do you think we can draw parallels from how the local chinese (peranakans) felt during then, and how we feel now?
Hmm, if I may try to use the Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs to try to illustrate my point. Maslow’s hierachy of needs state that we have different level of needs, with Physiological needs as the most basic level of needs, then to Safety Needs, then to Social needs, then to Esteem needs and then to Self Actualisation needs.
In our forefathers time, I believe as a society, what they are pretty fighting for are at the Physiological needs and Safety needs. The needs then were by large basic. The need to ensure there is water, there is food etc and also the need for security, the need for employment etc, health etc.
But in our time, we have moved beyond those level of needs. Not many people in Singapore worry at that level of needs anymore. I would suggest that most of us are in the Esteem needs level where we are seeking achievements, respect etc.
Why then would this have anything to do with what I said? I would boldly suggest (though I do not know how credible my suggestions are haha) that as we move up the level of needs, we actually become more individualistic. That as we move up the level of needs, the level of cooperation between people to meet those needs actually become lower. When trying to achieve safety, peace, it is normally very common to see people coming together to achieve those needs. But when the majority are seeking personal achievements, it can be seen that all these are more individualistic activities and issues.
Hope again it makes sense haha.
But to me interestingly, the next level of maslow’s hierachy after Esteem needs which is self actualisation needs, could actually bring the individuals into a more harmonious relationship with other people. Because at this level of needs, a person would be more accepting of fact, would maintain a high level of morality, going beyond material achievements and I feel if a person moved into this level of needs, he or she might really be seeking to fulfill the potential of what he or she could be in a more deeper and “spiritual” way. But that is just my opinion and with researchers tried to argue that only 2% of people will ever reach this level of needs.
Personally, I am somewhat conflicted in both directions.
During my graduate studies, my lab only have 2 Singaporeans, so most of my pals are foreigners. It was essentially the same thing when I was in A*star. I have a lot foreign friends, PR or otherwise. And in general, they are pretty nice people, and I don’t really mind having them around.
But at times, despite my friendships with them, I felt that Singapore is no longer what it was – just like we don’t really see much sparrows anymore. I do miss the Singaporean feel that was when I was younger. Maybe I am just being nostalgic, but I do miss the good old days.
The main issue I have is that there are too many and too fast, considering the relative vast difference in culture between my foreign friends and me. We don’t grow up in the same environment/culture, and at times there is only so much we can talk about.
But mostly, is the fact that our “culture” are being overwhelmed. I am not being xenophobia (well, not a lot at any rate), but sometimes I just want to hear the local accent when I buy my lunch from the coffeeshop. It just doesn’t feel like home anymore when more than half the people you meet in a day aren’t local.
And I do agree with Siong’s analysis. I share the same view.
Can’t really blame our locals for being uncomfortable with foreigners. This sort of thing takes time to get used to. Meanwhile, as someone who has lived 8 out of the past 12 years overseas, in various places, I have been fortunate enough to experience very few cases of actual xenophobia.
I visited Dubai last March. It was a real eye-opener. The tiny emirate has an uncanny ability to attract talented people from the region and beyond, and to feel comfortable emplacing foreigners in senior positions. Of course, there are vast differences compared to Singapore. The local Emiratis are a relatively privileged and protected minority. The whole place is really a family business run by the Al-Maktoum Sheikhs. Everybody sticks around because they want to make money. All the other existential questions of nationhood are considered less relevant.
For a interesting take on ethnic relations, check out this article in The Atlantic. Basically introduces research by Joshua Epstein on artificial societies, particularly how simple computer simulations can model what happens as a result of ethnic tension. Worth a read.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200204/rauch
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