Singapore is far from a monolithic society. Culture shapes society. Culture is also a product of society.
Further fragmenting Singapore mainstream culture will perhaps work towards objectives
such as reducing locals' aversion towards FT population growth.
Will Culture dilution achieve a colony of FT welcoming Singaporeans?
Singapore was always a multinational, multicultural city. There was never a time Singapore did not welcome foreigners, who usually arrived as tourists to sample the potpourri of sights and sounds of this oasis in the East.
As a young nation, the 3 major races came together and build the country after gaining independence. We are very proud of Singapore and felt we belong. As a young man who traveled widely and extensively, there was always a sense of home-coming once I stepped into an SIA plane and pick up a Straits Times to read and while away during the flight. Landing at Changi Airport, a sense of relief after touching down and taxiing to the terminal, I was in a hurry to reach home. That, in essence, was what to me is being a Singaporean, proud of out country, familiar with the people, the foods, the cultural events and familiarity with the languages spoken.
With the influx of foreigners in our midst that was unusual in previous times, we feel threatened by their close proximity, their strange languages and their ever-growing presence that intrude upon us. There is no possible way to avoid them once we leave our homes. Even then, we get unsolicited calls from strangers speaking English with foreign accents or we call Singtel or a bank and we are answered by a foreigner.
I believe we can adjust to a certain percentage of foreigners in our midst but there is a certain threshold when one more addition becomes a little too much, and I think we have passed that threshold, hence the anger directed at the government.
The National Pledge is:
We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.
How then can we ever be one united people when the government adds more and more foreigners into our country and diluting our unity?