This is what I am trying to say. Singapore was more united 40 years ago than it is today. how can this be? Should we not have gotten closer as a country? The reason all this happened lies squarely on the PAP and Old Goat. Instead of nurturing and creating more unity, they have done the opposite thing. With them, everything is politicised, even sports. Even NS, which has been claimed bymany PAP big shots to be the unifying force for singaporeans is a lie. There is much segregation in the SAF. Old goat should take himself out and should himself.
Can't blame LKY or the PAP. The rot was set right after the 1988 general elections when LKY proclaimed in the aftermath of the results - the "silent majority" had spoken.
That was the beginning of the disintegration of the Singaporean identity. Racial quotas in HDB (PAP fared badly in Geyleng Serai, Bedok, Eunos and Aljunied - dominant Malay ground). Clans were allowed and SAP schools setup. Speak Mandarin campaign was agressively promoted.
LKY himself identified himself as a Chinese Singaporean. In that same speech he admitted Singapore is not ready for an Indian PM.
The Chinese were heady with the new found cultural identity, which extended as far as the national anthem to be sung in Chinese instead of Malay for patrotic reasons, despite the warning of S Rajaratham persisted.
I will not provide an links but if any ignorant Ah Beng including that demogouge tounged Scroobal challenges the vericity of the statement I will point the arseholes directly to the article in question.
The point is the "silent majority" despite the race card being played had the option to choose their national identity over their cultural one. They went with the latter and the rest is history.
Today local Ah Beng is being displaced by FTs. Had they heeded the warnings of the minority perhaps Singapore might be a different place today.