Racial tensions are a potential issue for Singapore's development.
The official media of Singapore, "Lianhe Zaobao", on the front page, this year is the general election year in Singapore, electing the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament. On September 5, the new session of the Singapore Parliament opened. Due to the extramarital affair of the previous Speaker of the Parliament, Chen Chuanren, the former Speaker, Chee Soon Juan, will also serve as the Speaker again.
At the opening of the Singapore Parliament, the ceremonial President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, delivered a speech. His speech repeatedly mentioned "unity".
Singapore, as an immigrant country, the biggest problem is the unity of the people and racial integration. Singapore is a multi-ethnic society composed of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and other ethnic groups, each with unique festivals and customs. Although the Singapore government has implemented policies such as bilingual education and joint celebration of festivals (such as the Spring Festival, Eid al-Fitr, and Deepavali) to promote racial integration and form a social consensus of a "big family," in reality, it is a long road. If not handled properly, it could lead to "a catastrophic outcome."
The difficulties in Singapore's racial integration and the unity of its people mainly include the following aspects:
1. Policy and cultural contradictions
The Singapore government has long promoted policies for racial harmony, emphasizing the coexistence of multiculturalism, but this policy may strengthen the sense of identity of "Singaporeans" among locals, leading to a sense of exclusion towards new immigrants. For example, locals often question the loyalty of new immigrants, believing that they see Singapore as a stepping stone, or that they do not fulfill local citizen obligations such as military service.
2. Language and cultural differences
Singapore uses English as the administrative language, but there are differences in language ability among new immigrants. When new immigrants (especially Chinese) are misunderstood by locals as unwilling to integrate into the local community due to language problems, it can exacerbate conflicts. In addition, new immigrants often choose international schools to educate their children, reducing opportunities to interact with the local community.
3. Social structure limitations
Singapore's social structure is highly procedural, with repetitive life trajectories, which may weaken individuals' motivation to actively integrate. At the same time, the efficient governance of the government contrasts with the conservative mindset of the people, aggravating social stratification, and ordinary people tend to be resistant to the influx of immigrants.
4. Historical and current conflicts
Locals often regard new immigrants as competitors in the job market and academia, while new immigrants believe that locals have low cultural standards and crude communication styles. This mutual misunderstanding leads to the formation of "isolation points" between communities, reducing the possibility of interaction.
5. Muslim people are easily influenced by external factors, especially from the Middle East, which can create potential instability in Singapore.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842482743435340/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.