Prior to arriving in country, my preconceptions of Singapore were superficial. Singapore is a young country, and so I had not anticipated the cultural diversity and rich history that has moulded society today. Upon arrival, my first observation was the greenery, and soon after it was brought to my attention that the tropical gardens and urban landscaping that we see today is a product of Lee Kwan Yew’s foresighted policy implementation.
Lee Kwan Yew may have envisioned Singapore as a garden city (The Straits Times, 1967), however, today Singapore stands to be a city built within a garden. This is illustrated by figure 1., a photograph of the strategically placed greenery in Singapore’s urban neighbourhoods. The plants and green landscaping serves as both an aesthetic element to Singapore’s landscape as well as a mechanism to reduce the temperature and humidity of the local climate.
infrastructure, technology, land and public transport were efficiently allocated to support Singapore’s rapid urbanisation (Kwek & Hung, 2017), and establish a nation that is self-sufficient, and a trade partner that is globally competitive and influential in ASEAN initiatives. This made me reflect on the significant influence that political leaders and their ambitions can have on a country, and the vital role that politicians have in shaping the future of a nation for the better.
Political leaders such as Lee Kwan Yew demonstrated integrity, accountability and charisma to inspire the young, mature and old citizens of Singapore, and continues to do so today as is observed in the tone of our tour guide. Perhaps the most significant influence that Mr Lee has had on the young people of Singapore is in the educational legacy that he leaves behind (Milne & Mauzy, 1990).
The policies that Mr Lee laid down promotes racial harmony and cultural diversity as a central part of the school curriculum, requiring students to learn both English and their mother tongue. Whilst learning Malay at the National University of Singapore (NUS), a quote by one of the lecturers continues to resonate with me until today, it is that cultural tolerance is not the same as cultural harmony, and whilst at the surface I had initially thought otherwise, I soon came to realise how different the two were. As reported by Dialectic Singapore 2016, 43% of Singaporean’s state that they are racially tolerant, whereas 57% indicated that Singaporean’s have achieved racial harmony. Cultural tolerance refers to bearing a different culture without understanding, whereas, cultural harmony refers to accepting and understanding individuals from different cultural backgrounds (Dialectic Singapore, 2016). To me, cultural harmony forms a stronger community, which sets an example for both the children and elderly of Singapore. I mention elderly in this context, as they may have been raised in an age where cultural diversity was not celebrated and racial harmony was unheard of. From this experience I have learnt first-hand the power of uniting people from different cultures and demographics to inspire change, and foster a vibrant city that drives global economic development.
Furthermore, through the series of cultural lectures at NUS I have observed a clear disparity between the way Singaporean’s and Australian’s refer to “race”. In Australia, “race” is not commonly used due to the associated negative connotations, and instead is replaced by “cultural background”. Whereas in Singapore “race” is commonly referenced and promoted by the Singaporean government to preserve the historical cultural roots of Singaporean families today. Singapore adopts the cultural mosaic framework, which refers to the recognition and celebration of different cultures as individual aspects of Singapore’s overall identity (Giam, 2009). Upon reflection, I have noticed that the cultural mosaic framework exists not only as a racial label on citizen identification cards, but also permeates into the observed urban infrastructure. Figure 2. Illustrates the pastel colour schemes favoured by the Peranakan’s. The Peranakan’s seamlessly fused Malay and Chinese cultural practices with aspects of European living, and is demonstrated in the exterior of their homes. The decorated columns and shuttered windows reflect British influences, whereas the accents of calligraphy and foo dogs were inspired by Chinese culture.
However, it was interesting to note that by recognising the many races and ethnicities in Singapore, it became apparent that individuals from similar cultural backgrounds congregated, to the extent that social segregation becomes apparent.
Overall, the NCP program has been an incredibly rewarding and challenging experience. As a business student my key take away from this experience has been to think fast and flexibly, whilst respecting local cultures. As globalisation continues to expand with improving information and communications technology, this program has both inspired and motivated me to learn and respect the cultural ways of the world to better understand Australia’s trading partners.
Jenny Liu
Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science student
Reference list
Afrobella. (2009). Remembering old Marcus Garvey. Retrieved December 15, 2017, from http://www.afrobella.com/2009/08/17/remembering-old-marcus-garvey/
Dialectic Singapore. (2016). Has Singapore achieved racial tolerance or harmony. Retrieved December 15, 2017, from http://www.dialectic.sg/discuss/has-singapore-achieved-racial-tolerance-or-harmony
Giam, G. (2009). Singapore: multiculturalism or the melting pot?. Retrieved December 15, 2017, from http://geraldgiam.sg/2009/07/singapore-multiculturalism-or-melting-pot/
Kwek, D., & Hung, D. (2017). Making a common future: Lee Kuan Yew’s values for the 21st century. Lee Kuan Yew’s Educational Legacy, 1, 141-159.
Milne, R., & Mauzy, D. (1990). The legacy of Lee Kuan Yew. Westview Pr.
S’pore to become beautiful, clean city within three years. (1967, May 12). The Straits Times, p. 4.
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