Singapore Inc.

  In ‘A Multi-national Singapore’, I have talked about the imminent ‘minoritization’ of the native Singaporean. A recent report in Channelnewsasia website, Low fertility rate, no immigration will lead to S'pore's population decline, posted on 7/Septemper by Tan Qiuyi, highlighted the necessity and unavoidability of this trend.

  In the report, according to a study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), with current birth rate and zero net migration, Singapore’s population will decline to 3.03 million in 2050. Even if the total birth rate were to be raised, from the current 1.24 to 1.85 births per woman by 2025, with no new immigration, population size can only hit 3.37 million in 2050. Amid growing concerns about the influx of foreigners, Associate Professor Paulin-Tay Straughan from the National University of Singapore hinted that immigration is an unavoidable outcome if ‘we all want to strive for this quality of life’.

  The Singapore government has time and again openly stated that immigration is the only path for maintaining Singapore’s prosperity- not just in terms of boosting the population numbers, but also in nurturing the talent of the population. Perhaps there is some element of truth there. *Studies have shown that a mere forty-five minutes of exposure to a different culture could boost creativity (by Psychologists Charlan Nemeth and Julianne Kwan). In companies, the people who interface with multiple different units tend to be greater sources of innovation than people who interface only with their own. While nobody knows for certain what causes this effect, it’s likely that foreign ideas help us break open our categories.

  Singaporeans - let’s face it, like it or not, we are going to see an influx of foreigners into Singapore. Singapore will never ever be the same as the one we all knew 10-20 years ago. So, instead of complaining about this inevitable outcome; let’s just channel our energies into providing the government with ideas on how to manage and run this country going forward. This is my take:

  In the 70s and 80s, when I was still a kid growing up in Singapore, the government was very keen at promoting a Singapore Identity. Having separated from Malaysia in 1965, we were still a very young country trying very hard to be recognized. During those early years, the National Day celebration was a grueling parade of armies, service men, artilleries and civil servants who had to march many hours through the housing estates in show of their patriotism. As kids, my siblings and I had stood along the road where the parade passed by and waved our flags. Later on, the long hours of marching were done away and National Day Parades were held inside the National Stadium. Every year, my family watched the live telecast of each National Day Parade faithfully. At these times, patriotism became magnified, and I was always so proud of my nation and to be a part of it.

  In the mid 80s, the Singapore government, in wanting to promote unity and patriotism, started encouraging locally written nationalistic songs to be made. These songs became National Day Parade theme songs. It was during these years that many of the songs like ‘Stand Up for Singapore’, ‘We are Singapore’, ‘Count On Me, Singapore’, ‘One people, One Nation, One Singapore’, became a household hit. Growing up singing these songs, I would like to think that people of my generation truly believe that there is something unique about being a Singaporean. Throughout the 80s and 90s, as Singapore became more and more affluent and developed, the sense of pride at being a Singaporean got deeper. Once ashamed, we were proud of our Singlish. Once divided, we stood side by side our fellow Singaporeans of all races. My generation, people in their 30s and 40s now, (I’d like to call myself the ‘golden’ generation) grew up searching, then finding and becoming proud of who we are. We all had this common identity, the Singapore Identity.

  Then came the past decade, in which the influx of foreigners seemed to have eroded this sense of identity. A major portion of the Singapore population now does not share the same set of ideals and thoughts that we hold so dearly. Many of them don’t even speak Singlish! Worse, (this is my best part) some don’t even like curry! As the proportion of native Singaporean gets ever smaller, the sense of unity among Singaporeans is bound to break down. Already, there is a clear divide between Us (native Singaporeans) and them (foreigners). As the number of foreigners outweighs the local-breed Singaporeans, social disorder becomes a real threat.

  I think the first thing the government should do immediately is to stop promoting a Singapore Identity (it is dead). Promoting a Singaporean identity will only highlight and accentuate the differences between local and imported Singaporeans. Any form of division, be it race or country of origin, should be minimized. A Chinese from China is so different from a native Chinese Singaporean. Likewise, an Indian from India is so different from a native Indian Singaporean. This is true for all the other races. So why bother to categorize the population into races? Country of origin? Does it matter now that these people are holding Singaporean passports? Categorizing people leads to stereotyping and prejudice.

  Singaporeans should just be listed as Singaporeans, regardless of race, language or religion. The Singapore government may find itself loosing critical knowledge of the masses and in turn, the tight control that it is used to have over its citizens. But I think, in the long run, the Singapore population will become less divided. In the future, the Singaporean should evolve into someone who can be of any colour, religion and culture. Multi-nationalism will become the new Singaporean identity. We are anything and everything all rolled into one.

  A friend of mine had told me that Singapore is like a business unit, a company run by its owners with their sights fixed on profits. I can’t agree more with this view. In fact, Singapore is such a successful company that it is one of a few nations in the world which still has a large reserve of money and is financially healthy. Michael Bloomberg runs New York like a business unit, so why not Singapore too? Our leaders can then be measured objectively and, replaced accordingly once they become redundant or viewed to be incompetent.

  So, if Singapore is to be run like a corporation, we might as well be the best! As a model of a well-run company, I have a good suggestion here – Tokyo DisneyLand & DisneySea. Out of a total staff of 21,018, 18,025 are part-time employees (as of April 1, 2011). Although majority of the employees are part-timers, there is no sloppiness in work performance. Every staff, from the guy who sweeps up rubbish, the restaurant waitress, to the performer sees themselves as an integral part of the park. All are proud to be working at Disney and conduct themselves as if they are all part of the entire performance. If you have ever visited Tokyo DisneyLand or DisneySea, you will never forget the services that you have received from the staff there. It is an experience no short of ‘magical’. On March 11, 2011, when the Great Earthquake struck Japan, staff at Disney was selfless and spontaneous in rendering help and assistance to the thousand of visitors trapped in the parks. The management of the parks was later commended on their efficient and effective handling of the crisis. How can a theme park, with so many part-timers as employees, be so coordinated and well-managed, to bring on such a dazzling performance?

  How can Singapore, with so many foreign intakes, be united and smoothly-run, to bring on a dazzling economic performance (amid social stability)? Perhaps the answer lies in a simple change in the attitude of the top management (ruling party). It is time to start treating the average resident as an integral part of the success story of Singapore Inc. Stop treating the average resident as a part of the masses, ‘the general public’. However small and insignificant a job may be, it is still a part of the performance. Stop imposing a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. Being dictated top-down, treated like just another worker, does not inculcate a sense of belonging and pride that is the ultimate bond needed to hold the society together. A corporation is never owned by one man, but the countless shareholders who hold a vested interest in the success of it. The daily workings of a corporation is never done by just a few men on top, but the many employees at ground level who keep the wheels of the company running. Every single employee should have a vested interest in this company. He/she should not see himself/herself as just drawing on a salary.

  Talking about salary, many well-run companies do not pay their staff extravagantly. Not all awards are in monetary terms. People are willing to give up some material comfort for a better quality of life. A good quality of life does not only means being able to afford all the luxuries of life. It is also about being able to do what we love, to feel proud of who we are, and be happy at where we are. Ultimately, our leaders must learn to strike a balance between economic performance and social stability.

  I believe Singapore is at a cross road now. We can end up suffering from an identity crisis, or we can re-invent ourselves and become a versatile citizen of this ‘NewFoundLand’, a land where people from all over the world comes in search of their dreams. Many of our grandparents and parents were immigrants too. It was their cultures, practices and beliefs which had been mixed and blended into what we see in Singapore today. Let us be generous and share our home with these newcomers now.

  We were not, and never will be the sole owner of this land which many have come to call home.

Note : *The Filter Bubble – What the Internet Is Hiding from You, by Eli Pariser