National Day is a week away. As we celebrate the 200th year of the founding of Singapore, the millennial Singaporean in me shall attempt to crystallise some of my thoughts into writing about our past, present and future.
Singapore has come a long way. It was as recent as 1819 that it was a nominal part of the Johor Sultanate, with barely a thousand people calling the island home. Before the arrival of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, its place in history was in relative obscurity, self sustenance, and stuck in a quiet corner of the world. It all changed in 1824, when the British took possession with a treaty signed between them and the Sultanate of Johor.
Things moved relatively quickly after that, by 1826 Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements, and became the regional capital in 1836, falling within the jurisdiction of British India. By 1860, the population ballooned to 80,000, with more than half of them Chinese immigrants who came the long trip across the high seas in search of a better life. By the 1870s, Singapore became a global hub for rubber exports (the first of many “hubs” to come), and by 1935, became home to the largest naval base in the region (the aptly named Singapore Naval Base).
This development ended when the Second World War (WW2) reached these shores in 1942. For three and a half dark years (1942–1945), Japan occupied Singapore and for many who lived in the period, it was the darkest few years of their lives. Following the end of the war, Singapore gradually moved towards self-government, joining and getting expelled by Malaysia in between and became independent in 1965.
Post independence, Singapore moved rapidly, with the creation of a safe domestic environment, developing a bustling economy with no hinterland, and from the ashes of post-colonialism, a global financial hub emerged. It is fair to say that Singapore has become a truly global city in this period, and as of 2019, has become one of the brightest lights in Asia.
That notwithstanding, such success must be taken into perspective, and it is worthy of note that as a country, as a people, we have made many sacrifices along the way in the pursuit for economic excellence.
As we move into the next stage of growth and development, I would like to narrow our future challenges to two main segments that remain to be surmounted. I have made an attempt to keep the following as brief as possible. These are 1) Our continued economic progress and 2) The creation of a unique Singaporean identity.
1. Economy
We started our economic progress by taking an Export Oriented Industrialization (EOI) approach, and developed ourselves as a low-cost manufacturing centre. In an effort to attract foreign investors, we took pains to create a stable labour environment with the creation of the tripartite arrangement.
However, as the rest of the region progressed, we moved ahead of the competition, developing a strong service industry, increasing productivity in manufacturing through machines, and with time, developed a niche for ourselves. We stabilized our legal system by creating fast and efficient commercial justice and developed a strong financial market to continue attracting foreign capital. As Singapore moves forward, the challenge continues to be about maintaining our competitiveness. A key approach that we have taken (with a declining birth rate), is attract a strong foreign workforce to support and maintain our productivity.
This approach has worked for the past 50 years, but it is reaching a point where this continued importation of a foreign workforce (especially at a Work-Pass or Special-Pass level) is having a negative effect on the national psyche.
In short, with regards to the economy, where we have done all the “easy” steps in the book to boost our attractiveness to foreign investors, we need to continue moving forward. When we lose this competitiveness, Singapore will cease to be extraordinary, and that is something that we should all worry about. However, our neighbours in ASEAN have continued to grow at phenomenal rates, with Indonesia and the Indochina countries being the chief drivers for growth in the region.
The contrarian view however dictates that it will take time for countries in the region to create markets that are as open and well-regulated as Singapore’s. Until that day happens, the most desirable place to live in South-east Asia for most international financiers and executives remains to be Singapore. For example, many multinationals continue to place their regional headquarters here.
To conclude, while economic progress is an important facet of our continued growth and development, it cannot be the paramount goal at the expense of growth in other areas. It would be an insult to our Westminster heritage if we as a people allow the democratic process of fair, transparent and accountable lawmaking to be subsumed under the pretext of maintaining economic success.
This brings me to my second point, the creation of a unique Singaporean identity.
2. Singaporean Identity
How do we continue to cultivate a Singaporean identity?
Critics have labelled the island as being sterile, devoid of free speech, and generally a city with a bustling economy but without a real soul that it can call its own. These perceptions are generally not helped by the inherent conservatism of our judiciary, a certain degree of insularity, and the rising danger of xenophobia, extremism and hate-speech.
For many Singaporeans, there is a consensus that while we have economic progress, the trickle-down effect has not happened. Viewed through certain lenses, traditional Keynesian economic theory has failed to benefit the majority of the population, and some boats have risen quicker than others.
The national mantra has always been wealth creation, and that all boats can rise together with a strong GDP. This strong GDP growth has to some degree, been created by a strong wealth-planting culture, where the rich gets richer and the poor unfortunately, stay the same. Our boats didn’t rise together, and some rose a lot more than others. If we are a country that takes pride in statistics, it is worth noting that from 2000 to 2012, average monthly household income for the 50th percentile rose 28.1 per cent in real terms to $7,608,compared to a 46.2 per cent increase for the top 10th percentile to $30,379. This is indicative of a shrinking middle class, and an underlying problem that needs to be addressed going forward.
Singapore has traditionally been run on a top-down approach, a large state, and a small civil society. Perhaps it is time to “trim the banyan tree”, and allow the civil society to grow. A strong civil society can step forward and help contribute to create a more equal Singapore, help to create a greater sense of ownership among the people that this is a home worth fighting for.
Ultimately, a home cannot be a home for a few, but a home for all. It requires sacrifice from all, it requires giving, and it requires tolerance. Above all, it requires maturity and respect, both towards our fellow citizens and residents who call this country home. Without it, it is nothing but a hotel, where we all keep to our little hotel rooms and not bother about what goes on outside.
Nonetheless, we have come a long way from 1819, from 1965, and as a small nation with no natural resources, we ought to be proud of where we are. With more social empathy, and a gardener willing to trim the banyan tree, perhaps we can truly develop an identity we can call our own.
