By Fang Zhi Yuan, Mohammad Fairuz and Lim Siow Kuan
(Note: we will be adapting a roundtable format for this article to solicit different opinions from our writers in the Editorial Team.)
Prologue
In an article titled "The centre must hold" published in the Straits Times Review on 29 September 2008 (page 22), Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told an international audience comprising 200 diplomats and academics at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London that Singapore was able to have a stable, peaceful society largely because of his policy of treating every race equally.
He next cite the example of Malaysia as having a divided society now because of a race-based education system catering to the needs of individual races instead of a unified system in Singapore where all Singaporeans attend national schools together from the primary to tertiary level irregardless of race and religion.
This is what MM Lee said:
"We also got everybody mixed up in the (housing estates), no longer in enclaves. Every constituency has its quota of the less successful. Everybody has the same chances in education and we choose a neutral language - English.
Malaysia threw out English and went with Malay. The Chinese and the Indians decided to have their own schools. Now they have got a divided society."
We now asked our panel of 3 writers what they think of MM Lee's remarks. Fang Zhi Yuan and Mohammad Fairuz are Singaporeans while Lim Siow Kuan is a Malaysian citizen and a Singapore PR now working in Singapore.
In addition, we have also invited a prominent Singapore blogger and social activist, Mr Ng E Jay who runs the popular sgpolitics.net and a Malaysian Miss Renee Lim to join the panel. We thank E Jay and Renee for their time and efforts to participate in this very interesting discussion.
Do you agree with MM Lee that Singapore's education system plays an important role in its stability and prosperity today ?
Zhi Yuan:
Though I am a self-professed anti-PAP "extremist" blogger as reported by Zaobao (laughs), I must say I do agree with MM Lee this time.
The use of English as the First Language and as a teaching medium for all schools in Singapore has brought up a generation of Singaporeans proficient in English and their mother tongue which has made the Singapore worker so prized and in demand in today's globalized economy.
As for nation-building and fostering unity, it definitely had the desired impact of lessening the differences between the races and setting a common platform for them to interact with one another.
Well, I do not know Bahasa and without English as the common language, I probably will not know Fairuz (laughs).
During my time in primary school, I played with kids from all races - Malay, Indians, Sikhs, Eurasians, you name it, you have it ! Some of my buddies in the army are non-Chinese. I do not see myself as a Chinese or is there any need to fight for Chinese education. I am a Singaporean first and an ethnic Chinese second.
Fairuz:
Haha, Zhi Yuan should learn some basic Malay (laughs) instead of relying on English all the time to communicate with me !
I share the same sentiments as Zhi Yuan and MM Lee. I am glad I had my education in English instead of Malay ! I took Malay as a third language in secondary school and stopped thereafter, so my melayu is quite atrocious by Malaysian standards ! (laughs)
English is the window of opportunities to the outside world. It is an undeniable fact of today. I would go on further to say that a good command of the English language is essential for one to move up the economic ladder.
E Jay:
Yes, I certainly agree that a good education system is one of the key pillars of a stable and prosperous society. However, our current education system is in urgent need of reform despite being one of the best in the world, as I will explain in my answer to Question 2.
Also, a sound educational system is not the only thing we have to provide. Equally important ingredients for a stable and prosperous society are civil and political rights, a free market economy, and rule of law.
Currently, Singaporeans are being denied basic civil and political rights such as freedom of assembly. The entrenchment of GLCs in the economy are also making us less competitive. So while I would agree with MM Lee that our educational system has enabled us to propser to some extent, other areas of society are in need of vast improvement.
From your own personal experience, being schooled in the Singapore education during your formative years, what are the areas do you think can be improved ?
Zhi Yuan:
The Singapore education system is too stressful. There is excessive emphasis on rote learning and memorizing of factual information with little processing or analysis involved. That is why we are churning out robots who can't think !
I doubt this "kiasu" phenomenon will change for the better any time soon. Why ? Because both the government and citizens are "kiasu" ! It goes both ways and they compound each other's problems. Now you see 2 year old toddlers going for special classes, next time we may even doing genetic testing on the fetus' IQ before it is born. No kidding, I am serious ! You know Singaporeans....(sighs)
Fairuz:
Every Singaporean should learn elementary Malay in Primary school till P6. Don't forget Singapore is after all part of the Johor Sultanate before Raffles somehow conned the Tengku to part with it. Hey, don't sneer, Chinese 'squatter' (point at Zhi Yuan).
We have our national anthem in Malay, our commands in the army is in Malay and our state emblem is in Malay, so why shouldn't Singaporeans learn basic Malay too ? I do not think our Chinese and Indian brothers will mind spending a hour a week learning how to say "Selamat Datang, Selamat Pagi". It will come in handy during your weekend shopping trip to JB, okay ?
E Jay:
While our schools are starting to make use of information technology to enhance the learning process and there is now more emphasis on project work rather than just written exams, much more needs to be done to cultivate creativity and independence of mind.
Students are still expected to be conformists rather than thinkers. Also, schools and universities are still not providing students a well rounded social and political education. Much of what is being taught in social studies classes is just shallow government propaganda that merely glorifies the achievements of the PAP.
Universities also prohibit political organizations from reaching out to students on its campus grounds, for example, SDP was recently told by NUS authorities that they were not allowed to distribute phamplets.
With such a closed-door educational environment, students grow up being politically and socially apathetic, and that is very unhealthy for the nation in the long run. The lack of creativity in the student body has also indirectly resulted in declining productivity in recent years, hurting our economy.
Let's ask the Malaysian here: do you agree with MM Lee that Malaysia society is divided now as a result of its education system ?
Siow Kuan:
I was brought up under the National School system during my time. The scenario then in the early 80s are pretty much similar to what Zhi Yuan has described of Singapore schools. All races mingle around with one another and celebrate festivals, weddings and birthdays together.
Sad to say, such harmony is no longer seen or felt in Malaysia today. The Islamization of the Malaysian civil service and society which was spearheaded by Mahathir in the 1980s not only accentuates the inherent differences between the various races, it also creates an atmosphere of mutual distrust between Malaysians.
Over here in Singapore, I am known as a Malaysian. Back across the causeway, I am a Chinese first, Malaysian second. Don't you see the irony of it all ? Mahathir and Anwar are the culprits of this mess we are in now.
In the 1990s, in order to stem the rising threat of PAS, Mahathir introduced a series of changes to make UMNO more 'islamic' in order to win the support of the rural Malays.
During his tenure as Education Minister, Anwar introduced numerous pro-Malay policies in the national school curriculum. One of the major changes that he did was to rename the national language from Bahasa Malaysia to Bahasa Melayu. Anwar is singing a different tune now, but his discriminatory policies during that time ailenated many Chinese who pulled their children out of national schools into Chinese or private schools instead. Till now, I still don't trust Anwar.
This myopic political expediency did have some short term gain at the expense of long-term interest of the country. I think Mahathir did realize his folly eventually and try to undo some of the damage with his Vision School concept before he stepped down, but it's too late, the rot has already set in.
Lim Kit Siang made a call to PM Abdullah Badawi today on his blog to promulgate the "Full acceptance of “Bangsa Malaysia” as primary nation-building objective and not ketuanan Melayu or any other communal, retrogressive or obsolete concept." before he relinquishes his post.
Kit Siang is trying to put on a brave front. He should know this is impossible to achieve in the next 50 years ! How can 'Bangsa Malaysia' ever become a reality while the most powerful political party - UMNO still parries its "Ketuanan Melayu" slogan to win votes ? Badawi is one of the more enlightened Malay leaders we had so far, yet there is nothing he can do to control the Malay ultras in his party.
For your information, the next likely Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak once swore to a crowd that he will not hesitate to "bathe the blood of the Chinese with the keris" should the rights of the Malays be threatened. That was in 1988, if I rememebered correctly. So there you have it - a 'Bangsa Malaysia' with Najib at its helm ? Fat hope !
Renee:
I came across your posting in Ani lNetto's website. As a mother of 3 school going children, I feel that I have to respond to your questions.
I cannot disagree with Lee Kuan Yew's statement that our eduction system divides the people as I haven't done any research. However, as a Chinese Malaysian, I prefer to send my children to a Chinese school. This is due to the fact that unlike Singapore, the national schools in Malaysia teach all subjects except Science and Maths in Bahasa Melayu. (And even this policy might be scrapped) If English were used as per the Singaporean school system, I might consider a national school. However for nationalistic and political reasons, this will never happen.
The standard of English in our primary schools is so low that I have to buy Singapore English textbooks for my children. Malaysian children who attend national schools whose parents cannot give their children extra tuition would only be able to converse in good Bahasa Melayu.
Outside of Malaysia, who would want to employ a Chinaman who “cannot speak Mandarin, can speak a little bit of English but very fluent Bahasa Melayu?” The Chinese schools here are open to all races and students in Chinese schools speak both good Malay and Chinese. There are many Malays in my children's school and they are mostly from the nearby kampungs.
As for meritocracy, I support it in theory, but does Lee Kuan Yew himself actually think it can be implemented here, now, without any repercussions? Once you give something to someone, you cannot ask them to give it back. It is not the education system that divides the people. It is the politics and culture of the people themselves.
I myself attended a national school. From the age of 13 onwards, I did not have a single Malay classmate. The good ones left, presumable due to being given scholarships to science colleges and those that stayed behind were in the lower classes. Rich Malay families nowadays also tend to send their children to international schools.
Due to the above reasoning, I would like to ask Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew to please stop telling Malaysia to have a uniform education system. We are not and can never be like Singapore. It is too late. Getting rid of the vernacular schools here would greatly reduce the potential of many of our school children to compete outside of Malaysia.
What will Malaysians think of MM Lee's rather sharp critcism of their country ?
Fang Zhi Yuan:
(Cringes) MM Lee obviously haven't learnt his lesson. He simply loves to stir a hornet's nest ! I do not think the Malaysian leaders will appreciate his remarks and will probably interpret it as another blatant attempt to interfere in their affairs.
I just hope this will go to past unnoticed without starting another diplomatc standoff after the Pedra Branca debacle. After all, it is an unspoken fact that UMNO leaders love to use Singapore as a bogeyman whenever their positions are under threat.
E Jay:
Malaysians will certainly react very aversely, as they have always done whenever MM Lee has unleashed his fury at them. No doubt, their averse reaction is to some extent stoked by the ruling regime in Malaysia. But beyond politics, Malaysians should examine their own situation dispassionately and recognize that their society and political system is in need of serious reform as well.
Siow Kuan:
Lee Kuan Yew is a controversial figure in the history of Malaysia. The younger Malaysians have little impression of him other than a respected influential statesman of Singapore. However, the older generation who have gone through Merdeka are divided in their opinions of him.
Most Malays in the Peninsula loathe Lee Kuan Yew. I am not joking, some really hate him that a mere mention of his name will make their blood boil ! Lee Kuan Yew was protrayed rather unfairly, I must say, by radical elements in UMNO and the Utusan Melayu as a racist, a Chinese chauvinist and an anti-Malay rabble-rouser during Singapore's time in the Federation.
Lee Kuan Yew's call for a "Malaysian Malaysia" and his outrageous move to cobble together the "Malaysian Solidarity Convention" together with Sabah and Sarawak was seen as an act of treason by the Malays who were traumatized by his repeated calls for equality amongst races.
The Chinese, on the other hand, were ambivalent towards Lee. Some see him as a dogged fighter who is brave enough to stand up to UMNO while others view him with suspicion. It may come as a surprise to you that Tan Siew Sin, who was the leader of MCA then, disliked Lee intensely and was one of those Alliance leaders who pressurized the Tunku to kick Singapore out of the Federation.
Even Lim Kit Siang, who re-organized the PAP branch in Malaysia after Singapore left in 1965 to the present day Democractic Action Party isn't enamored with Lee either though their political ideals are essentially the same. When I was with the DAP, a senior leader (whose name I can't recall) told me that Kit Siang wasn't too impressed with the autocratic tendencies of Lee which he felt are worse than the UMNO leaders.
Lee's words carry very little weightage amongst Malaysian Chinese today. In a way, he is quite foreign to them and has been out of the radar of their political consciousness for far too long. I do not know whether you notice this: the mainstream media in Malaysia rarely reports anything on Lee and there is a reason to it. So I do not think Malaysians in general will be influenced by Lee's words though of course I agree with Zhi Yuan that it may serve as useful fodder for UMNO.
We welcome your feedback on the above roundtable discussion.
Please email your thoughts to us at: [email protected]
Read More →
Supporting Chee Soon Juan's café I refer to The Independent Singapore’s news, “Singaporeans urged to support Chee Soon Juan's café despite their political preferences” (July 16).
The underlying objective of doing any business is to ensure it is viable and profitable. Otherwise, there is no point of undertaking risk for it.
It is natural for...
Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries? I refer to The TR-Emeritus opinion article, “Will PM Wong address the astronomical ministerial salaries” (June 14) by Mr Yoong Siew Wah.
It has always been a controversial topic which concerns about our top political leaders who receive their salaries that are many times higher than those foreign political leaders.
Our...
Steering with stability in transition times I refer to The Straits Times’ Editorial, “Steering with stability in transition times” (May 16).
Let us analyze and interpret this specific subject from a broad perspective, how Singapore should respond and adapt to the evolution of the entire international situation and formulate its foreign policy that is extremely...
Chinese villagers living on cliffs In the Liangshan Mountains of Sichuan Province in China, there is a small isolated village on a cliff 1,400 meters above sea level. This is the village of Atuler, known as the Cliff Village with 72 families who has been living there for almost 200 years.
All travel is by a ladder that leads to the sky at almost right...
Ukraine will cease to exist thanks to the west Scott Ritter is a former Marine intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union, implementing arms control agreements, and on the staff of General Norman Schwartzkopf during the Gulf War, where he played a critical role in the hunt for Iraqi SCUD missiles. From 1991 until 1998, Mr. Ritter served as a Chief Inspector...
Bride's family asked for RMB 500,000 in bride price Contrary to popular beliefs, many couples in China are unable to afford to get married. With the exception of rural villages, those in the cities mostly asked for hundreds of thousands in bride price (聘礼/彩礼).
According to our techie who has been in China for over a decade, the bride price may include monies intended...
Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for Asian... I refer to the Independent Singapore’s Featured News SG Economy, “Higher salaries lead Singapore to become top pick for Asian workers looking to move” (Feb 22).
In this era of rapid technological advancement, all countries are faced with the dilemma of being hungry for talent. Therefore, top talents in respective...
Where Romance Meets Finance Sugarbook was launched by Darren Chan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a luxury dating website designed to resolve financial issues through emotional support. It provides a platform to grow your relationships through mutual benefits that are not restricted to mentorship, companionship, wealth and emotional support.
It...
Marriage, children and practical concerns A couple bows before their parents and offers them tea, as is traditional in Chinese weddings.
I refer to The Straits Times’ Editorial “Marriage, children and practical concerns” (Feb 5).
Since the history of human civilisation, the formation of individual family and the issue of procreation have become two...
Not in my backyard I refer to the TODAY’s Commentary, “'Not in my backyard' — when some groups can protest more loudly, the most vulnerable ones suffer” (Jan 25, 2024).
A few good points from the article are worth to be probed further and discussed.
In December 2023, the announcement of plans by The National Environment Agency...
Educating the next generation I read with interest the Straits Times’ Editorial, “Educating the next generation” (Jan 5, 2024).
Any form of spontaneous learning should provide you with a happy, positive, and memorable experience. However, only a small number of children are in exception.
Therefore, based on this, parents should realize the...
GST increase in 2024 On 1 Jan 2024 GST rises 1% from 8% to 9%; this is a 12.5% increase in GST. I am not convinced that this is necessary. It will contribute to inflation, and cause economic hardship. The handouts to mitigate this are temporary and the increase is permanent.
In 2015, when the possibility of GST rising was an election issue...
Race relations in Singapore I refer to the Today’s “Commentary: In 1954, David Marshall spoke about race relations in Singapore. Have we made real progress since then?” (Dec 15).
For any country to be prosperous and powerful, it must first achieve political and social stability, and its people must live in harmony and be united. Only in this...
