On Identity:
Everyone is self-aware. This awareness is human identity. We want to know who we are and where we belong. These are identities derived in social context. These are:
Family, race, nation, gender, beliefs, social class position, education, role in family, community and society. All these and more make up our social identity.
How we think of ourselves is shaped by our social situation. But these aspects are underpinned out of sight are the urgings from the substance of our humanity encoded in our DNA. In time, this will emerge.
Before 1963, we were Malayans. Between 1963 and 1965 we were Malaysians. After leaving Malaysia in ’65 we became a “Global City.” This shaped our social identity till now.
We defiantly refused to be a “Third China,” in a largely Malay neighbourhood, instead we promoted Multi-racialism despite being a Chinese majority state.
Our original mix race Malayan identity under the CMIO culture created by the British who placed the colonial hand over all of us. They let us go to Chinese schools, Tamil schools, Malay schools and English Mission schools. That was CMIO at work to divide and rule.
Racial identity was thus cemented and had to be moderated post 1965 by Singapore law. It is a tough problem to undo the social divisions.
Extreme racialism was severely punished, the welfare and culture of the older members of each ethnic community was however served separately but under govt advice; a necessary step to handle racial identity…
The younger generations however grew up in largely non-racial schools, military service and live in mixed race housing estates. The new Singapore Identity in the making seems to be coming into being by policy design.
Singapore’s role as Global City under American hegemony meant a heightening of American values. This had a profound effect on identity. The uncertainty of building a small island city state drew assurance from the notion that, “West Is Best.”
The earlier unifying socialistic economy of the 60’s to the 80’s shifted towards Americanisation’s” full-blown profit maximisation and magnified payouts to top managers and political leaders gradually after LKY’s friendship with Kissinger in 1968 onwards.
This set a new social tone that has had an unsettling effect on identity. This is when the deeply buried DNA of humanity begins to stir. The sense of decency, justice and dignity began to stir and the dominant narrative of necessary trade off began to feel stifling.
A new stage in the form and expression of Identity seems to be forming. New global and local contexts are colliding. I will have to discuss in the next parts words like “Humanity”, “Civilisation” and “Progress”.
Leave a Reply