Defining 'We' collectively
Mr Heng (third from left) enjoying a lively discussion with (from left) Mr Devan; Ms Debra Soon, Head, Family (English) and Premier Segment, MediaCorp TV; Mr Kausikan; Prof Wang Gungwu, LKY School Chairman and NUS University Professor; Mr Ho Kwon Ping, Ch
Ministers and academics came together to share their views on collaborative governance, cohesive diversity, inclusive growth and the future of Singapore at the Singapore Perspectives 2016 conference on 18 January. The event was organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), a research centre of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) at NUS.
IPS Director Mr Janadas Devan opened the conference with an examination of the National Pledge, beginning with the word ‘we’. He stressed that the foremost point to note about the word was that all Singaporeans “are urged to accept our plurality…and go beyond our separate racial, linguistic, religious, cultural identities, so as to encompass the imagined community that lies beyond our differences”.
Similarly, Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung touched on the National Pledge during a panel discussion titled “Inclusive Growth?”. Inclusive growth, said Mr Ong, meant providing Singaporeans with justice and equality and allowing them to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress. Embodying a spirit of collaborative governance, Mr Ong said that the people of Singapore “will decide what package, what measures and where we stand in that whole [left–right political] spectrum”, adding that the nation must be contented with the choices made in order for everyone to enjoy happiness, prosperity and progress.
Mr Ong speaking on inclusive growth
Professor Tan Kong Yam, Co-Director, Asia Competitiveness Institute, commented that unlike Hong Kong with its Umbrella movement and Taiwan with its Sunflower movement, Singapore has not had an “Orchid flower movement”. He attributed this to the effective government which has a system in place, adding that “we better make sure we sustain this system and don’t tinker with it”.
Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat participated in another panel discussion titled “The Future of ‘We’”, where he spoke on several possible areas of change — hopes, borders, kinship and dialogue. “The hopes and aspirations of our people will change,” he said. Citing an example of borders, he said that information and communications technology had changed the notion of businesses. Similarly to Mr Ong, Mr Heng advocated a consultative approach, saying that through dialogue, “we can agree on certain action...we can then work together to achieve what we’re going to do”.
NUS Trustee and Ambassador-at-Large Professor Chan Heng Chee kicked off the panel discussion with a sobering comment on racial harmony. “Race, language, religion. These are primeval forces…we’ve worked hard at it, and keeping this harmony still requires work. We’re getting on reasonably well because if we don’t keep managing and working at these issues, things can fall apart.” Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan, IPS 2015/16 S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore, concurred with Prof Chan, saying that a strong state was needed to serve as a neutral arbiter among different races and religions.
Prof Chan sharing her views on Singapore's future
In response to Prof Chan’s question on his scenario for Singapore in 10 years’ time, Mr Heng said, “At the end of the day, what matters most to me is our people and the relationships among the people…this sense of kinship, having that sense of care and concern for one another”. He hoped that Singaporeans would be strong, enabling the country to stay united in the face of new challenges, and that the “care and concern that cuts across race, language and religion will be a part of the Singapore DNA”.
Other panel sessions featured Mr Chan Chun Sing, Secretary-General, National Trades Union Congress and Acting Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng, who spoke on collaborative governance and cohesive diversity respectively. Associate Professor Elaine Ho from NUS Geography spoke during the latter session, suggesting that the government discontinue classifying people by race, as the country becomes increasingly diverse through inter-racial marriages and immigration.
Assoc Prof Ho (second from right) raised the possibility of stopping the practice of classifying people by race
Some 900 public servants, academics, business leaders, young professionals and students attended the annual event at the Raffles City Convention Centre.
See media coverage.
