complicated simplicity

Mr Rajaratnam died a lonely man on 22nd Feb 2006. Not many Gen(X-Y)ers would remember this man, for he was retired before we headed our way into schools. However, it was the ideas of this man who made the difference in his time, and his contributions to Singapore would forever be remembered. He, as the first Minister of Culture, set our paths onto a Singaporean’s Singapore. He led Singapore into the world as our first Foreign Minister after independence, with no help from experienced diplomats, no defined foreign policies. He was the man whose idealised country has now become Singapore. Mr R. penned the National Pledge, where his ideas of a Singaporean Singapore - a multi-racial society whose citizens lived in harmony, progressing based on merit, not race - was enshrined. In short, he was the first and foremost advocate of the idea of Singapore, where we live as Singaporeans, not Chinese, Indians, nor Malays.

‘As a Singaporean, I have no difficulty, in a single lifetime, forgetting in turn that I was a Ceylon Tamil and Sri Lankan though I was born there. I had no difficulty forgetting I was a British subject, or the formative years as a Malayan and where most of my kith and kin still are. That I and my colleagues fought bitterly the communists and communalists on both sides of the Causeway to be a Malaysian and am now totally happy that I will die, I hope, a satisfied Singaporean.’

‘On my IC, it says my race is Indian. But I don’t care if you call me an Indian or an Eskimo. What is important is whether you consider me a good man.’

‘If you think of yourself as Chinese, Malay, Indian… Singapore will collapse. You must think of yourself as, ‘Singapore - this is my country, I fight and die for Singapore, if necessary.’ MR S. RAJARATNAM in 1984

Why did I bring this up? It’s a simple thing. Racial harmony is something many Singaporeans take for granted. Many people do not realise how fast racial relations can change, easily as fast as the blink of an eye. Many GenXers and GenYers would not understand the fragility of racial harmony. Racially incited social disharmony is indeed a scary thing, and something which I hope would never happen in Singapore. The recent proposals by the Singapore opposition parties to remove the racial quotas and GRCs, in my opinion, is bullshit. “Singaporeans are mature enough such that we no longer need these safe guards and we can trust them to vote for the good of the nation.” Trust me, it’s bullshit. I’m not condemning Singaporeans, for I believe we are mature. But there will never come a time in that we would be mature enough that racial lines no longer matters. No nation in this world can proclaim that. None. We will also need safeguards to protect our social integrity, the fabric of our nation. I rather have less Opposition in the Government than to risk such actions. And that’s why I condemn the opposition parties at home, for sometimes I feel they really do not understand the crux of the matter. I would not have an incompetent government destroy what people like Mr R. have fought for all their lives. A Singapore in which everyone matters. Many of the people I know are from good schools, with good family backgrounds and are affluent. And sometimes I feel these are the people who take racial harmony for granted most. It’s not until you see things, and realise that it might have been you, that you would think otherwise. The grass is always is greener on the other side, until you actually realise your folly. Singaporeans live in a safe place, I hope everyone would treasure the society we have, and not look down on other people, whatever the case. Because everyone is different, we make decisions differently, we will have a different outlook on life. And no doubt where my vote as overseas elector #117 would go at the next General Elections.

Tags: Discussion and Opinions, Personal

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