Too often, we have read that Singaporeans are apathetic, that Singapore has no soul, and foreigners treat Singapore as a hotel.
The issue is that every country needs a "soul" - that is, a set of stories that glorify the country, as a force to reckon with. These stories or myths must include great role models to follow, upon whom legends are created, to motivate future generations, to help them navigate through tough times by recalling the valour and spirit of their predecessors. The "American Dream" and "Long March" are some examples - they were forged during times of great crisis, and as they say, character is usually formed in times of great pain.
We do have have our own stories - the separation from Malaysia from which we emerged nimble and hardworking; the great economic downturns of 1984, 1997, 2001 where we emerged ready for more challenges and better equipped for a new economy; the race riots of the 1960s from which we learnt the importance of religious and racial tolerance.
Unfortunately, these stories are generated by leaders of our times. They've had to do it in order to rally the nation together to a common purpose - to recharge and forge forward. It is also no coincidence that in each of these crises, the Government played a major role in saving the day. The creation of public institutions such as HDB to build cheap housing, the formation of People's Association and grassroots networks to create an active ground, the drive to retrain workers via WDA are all major efforts of the Government to save the economy or foster social cohesion.
However, the catch is. to create a soul of the nation, it is the work of all actors, not just the Government. The people who are undergoing crisis must create their own stories. They must form an active civic space to come to their own conclusions, think about their own heroes, and create an identity which they feel is worth fighting for. There is a danger now that people don't feel anything or care about anything because it seems the Government seems to be doing it all for them.
If that's the case, we are in trouble. If we don't create a vibrant civic space, then all we'll be worried about is about jobs, incomes, security and less about community, friendships, the "big picture" of what Singapore means to us. Some may argue that the Government itself has caused such a mood, by clamping down on free speech and alternate views. But if you look closely, the Government is only hypersensitive about political freedom - everything else is not out-of-bounds, provided it does not harm others.
What I'm saying is not to push to envelope - what I'm saying is that there is a lot of space in Singapore to create a civic space. This simply means bringing together small groups of people and making an identity for the group, to give it a meaning and purpose. This is why RCs and CCs are so important - they are meant to cultivate social networks, which should have led to an active civic society. But the Government-led notion of grassroots has made the grassroots synonymous with "gah-men" and has put off huge chunks of Gex Xers and Yers.
But how do we wean off this feeling that because the Government is doing everything for us, we don't have to do anything? Should the Goverment do less? But will that not create a backlash? It will. How the Government, in wanting to promote a civic space, should calibrate its pulling back of some issues, is something it really needs to think about. If need be, it would require a fair amount of Government-bashing and political unpopularity (nothing Singaporeans aren't familiar with!) to push it through.
The issue is that every country needs a "soul" - that is, a set of stories that glorify the country, as a force to reckon with. These stories or myths must include great role models to follow, upon whom legends are created, to motivate future generations, to help them navigate through tough times by recalling the valour and spirit of their predecessors. The "American Dream" and "Long March" are some examples - they were forged during times of great crisis, and as they say, character is usually formed in times of great pain.
We do have have our own stories - the separation from Malaysia from which we emerged nimble and hardworking; the great economic downturns of 1984, 1997, 2001 where we emerged ready for more challenges and better equipped for a new economy; the race riots of the 1960s from which we learnt the importance of religious and racial tolerance.
Unfortunately, these stories are generated by leaders of our times. They've had to do it in order to rally the nation together to a common purpose - to recharge and forge forward. It is also no coincidence that in each of these crises, the Government played a major role in saving the day. The creation of public institutions such as HDB to build cheap housing, the formation of People's Association and grassroots networks to create an active ground, the drive to retrain workers via WDA are all major efforts of the Government to save the economy or foster social cohesion.
However, the catch is. to create a soul of the nation, it is the work of all actors, not just the Government. The people who are undergoing crisis must create their own stories. They must form an active civic space to come to their own conclusions, think about their own heroes, and create an identity which they feel is worth fighting for. There is a danger now that people don't feel anything or care about anything because it seems the Government seems to be doing it all for them.
If that's the case, we are in trouble. If we don't create a vibrant civic space, then all we'll be worried about is about jobs, incomes, security and less about community, friendships, the "big picture" of what Singapore means to us. Some may argue that the Government itself has caused such a mood, by clamping down on free speech and alternate views. But if you look closely, the Government is only hypersensitive about political freedom - everything else is not out-of-bounds, provided it does not harm others.
What I'm saying is not to push to envelope - what I'm saying is that there is a lot of space in Singapore to create a civic space. This simply means bringing together small groups of people and making an identity for the group, to give it a meaning and purpose. This is why RCs and CCs are so important - they are meant to cultivate social networks, which should have led to an active civic society. But the Government-led notion of grassroots has made the grassroots synonymous with "gah-men" and has put off huge chunks of Gex Xers and Yers.
But how do we wean off this feeling that because the Government is doing everything for us, we don't have to do anything? Should the Goverment do less? But will that not create a backlash? It will. How the Government, in wanting to promote a civic space, should calibrate its pulling back of some issues, is something it really needs to think about. If need be, it would require a fair amount of Government-bashing and political unpopularity (nothing Singaporeans aren't familiar with!) to push it through.
