Tuesday, August 4, 2009 8:12
“We, the citizens of Singapore”
In Main Stories, Ravi Philemon, Top Story • 2,439 views • 51 Comments
Annoncement:
We apologise for the accessibility problems you have been facing the last two days or so. We’ve had problems with our servers. Do visit our Facebook page for updates if this should happen again.
As National Day approaches, our writers pen their thoughts on the meaning of each line of the National Pledge. We begin with “We, the citizens of Singapore…”
Ravi Philemon
The mere thought of “We the people of Singapore” paints a mental picture of strength in unity; and is truly empowering. But is true power merely an illusion for the ordinary Singaporean? Is true power reserved only for the select few?
What is the privilege of being “we the citizen of Singapore” for the thousands who turn up at the free meal centres, only to be turned away? What is the value of being “we the citizen of Singapore” for the likes of Peter and Sarah, the “new poor” for whom even the basic needs of a home remain a distant dream? How many continue to live in darkness with water taps barely trickling because they could not pay the power companies? What is the point of being “we the citizen of Singapore” for them?
For Sarah, a five-year old, whose pre-school education was disrupted because she could not pay the kindergarten fees, what is the use in being “we the citizen of Singapore”? For people like Rezal who might be made criminals because they want to ‘put bread on the table’ for their families, what does being “we the citizen of Singapore” hold? Why would the disabled like John and Ryan even identify themselves as “we the citizens of Singapore”, when they continue to remain at the mercy of transportation companies even for the basic right of affordable public transportation?
No wonder most ordinary Singaporean suffer from anterograde amnesia in remembering that we are indeed the citizens of Singapore. Ms Veena Bharwani, reporting in an article titled “Will you take the pledge?” in the New Paper , says that “it was disappointing but not surprising” that in a street survey of 100 people to gauge how well a Singaporean between the ages of 20 and 70 would know the National Pledge, “41 did not know the pledge at all and another 24 stumbled on the words. Only 35 could recite it without stuttering”.
Mr Craig Lim, a delegate from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Singapore to the United Nations, said at the 63rd United Nations General Assembly:
“The Government has continuously put in place policies that create an inclusive and harmonious environment. Every morning, across the country, school children recite the pledge that had been penned by one of our founding fathers, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mr S Rajaratnam, with the lines, ‘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.’ This is not rhetoric, but a statement of intent that has contributed significantly to Singapore’s nation building process. The idea of equality, based on the concept of meritocracy, has been a key building block of Singapore’s society today.”
But yet 65% of Singaporeans have seemingly forgotten the pledge which they had recited almost everyday, for at least 10 years of their lives from the ages of 6 to 16! It certainly looks like the pledge for these at least, is mere rhetoric. Have the people forgotten the social promise, the national pledge, because the government itself is amnesiac of its social responsibility – the social welfare of the ordinary Singaporean?
There is no Department of Social Welfare in Singapore. Social Welfare was discarded for upstream measures and community development. And even the community development is mixed in with youth and sports. Words like “social welfare” and “welfarism” still remain dirty in Singapore; and the whole government propaganda machinery is unleashed against the development of a ‘welfare state’ and a ‘welfare mindset’. How can the needy remember the power of “we the citizens of Singapore”?
School children seem to know what eludes the elites in government. Marcus Ho, Lek Kai Jie and Teo Yan Han of Hong Wen School recently said what the pledge meant to them. “We the citizens of Singapore pledge to help the needy…,” they said. “That no one should be left behind, that the sprinters should slow down for the stragglers, so that we all can move forward as one people, as ‘we the citizens of Singapore, into the new era.’”
The late Mr J B Jeyaretnam, who has often stood up against the propaganda that “nothing is free in this world”, that “there is no free lunch, no handouts, no subsidies”; and for highlighting the widening gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in Singapore, as well as for advocating the government to lessen the inequalities between the rich and low-income Singaporeans, often said, “Power does not belong to the government. It belongs to the people. They delegate it to the government.”
Mr Jeyaretnam, in believing in the power of “we the citizens of Singapore”, reiterated that social welfare is about fundamental rights. Dr Chee Soon Juan, in applying in court on 24 October 2008 to the trial judge to dismiss the charges brought against 17 activists for participating in a protest march in March 2008 said, “We are the citizens of Singapore and as citizens, we are guaranteed of our fundamental freedoms under Article 14 of our Constitution…”
Is the unwritten social contract of “I give you prosperity while you give me your votes”, between the government and the ordinary Singaporean, lopsided? Mr Jacob George, a political activist, says in his blog, “Ever since the ruling party came to power in 1959, we the citizens of Singapore kept giving in till they climbed over our heads and lorded over us.”
Mr Lucian Teo seems to aptly sum up in his blog how power could be devolved back to the people when he wrote, “We need to realise that we, the citizens of Singapore, are one united people. Our government – our representative servant-citizens – ought to help us see that we aren’t a flaccid, spineless people, even if it means we become less dependent on them.”
—–
Related posts:
51 Comments
ahkong
lisk
citizens of singapore? i was born in sg, NS Best unit, NUS engineering, silicon valley trained and worked for private sector and cheng hu.
I trying to come to terms why i’m now working overseas as FT when i should be shaking leg.
Race
“regardless of race…’ mean doing away with CMIO policy and labeling in our NRIC, as well as racial quotas in HDB lor. so contradiction.
Yamamoto
The late Mr J B Jeyaretnam, says that “Power does not belong to the government. It belongs to the people. They delegate it to the government.”
Which is akin to what Mr A Lincoln has said: ““We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.””
Our dear Mr LSS says “Upturn the downturn”, but the truth should be let’s right the wrong
I agree with #3 “Race” The issues today which the govt continue to pick on are exactly the same issues on Race, language and religion. After reciting for years on the pledge,the young Singaporean and the old like myself will wonder when will these be solved by our “multi-dollared ministers”. The reciting of the pledge in the morning continue to be like a magical words to ward off evil for the school children.
BS
“Regardless of race, language or religion. Base of Justice and Equality”
Who are you to fool. Equality. The gayman want talks about equality. First r they pledging it? Look at how many Malaysians and Indians are in the Parliamnent.
I am not surprise if some of the so call Minister does not know our history well.
Worst, they are too bz earning our Sing dollar and forgotten how this nation was built in the past. I will not sit still to be axed and watching Foreigners taking my job away. So gayman, if more ppl like me are jobless, you will see volcano erupt like nobody bz.
Crap
S’pore citizens now made less than 65% of the total population….so I strongly suggest to the garhmen that we change the “Pledge” to beging with:
“We the Rojak of Hotel Singapore. Pledge ourselves as several un-united enclaves…..”
A pledge of BS....
After 44 years, is our country a Singaporean Singapore? Or is it more of a PAP Singapore?
Have the people’s interests been taken care of are have we been exploited like no tomorrow by those who want to perpetuate their hold on power?
Are the PRs and foreign workers here better off than the citizens? They come here to earn their living and then retire comfortably back in their home countries. But for us retirement is but a dream except for the elites…..
Where is the equality and justice for the common man when those in power demand to be paid obscene salaries and yet are unable to account for their poor performance?
patriot
In the absence(devoid) of nationhood; remember ? MM Lee just said SIN is not a nation yet(after 44 years of independence, what has the Leadership been doing ?) !
Still celebrating National Day ? Only foreigners benefit from using SIN as a stepping stone and bridge to betterlands.
Btw, in the globalized world, citizenship means nothing. National Day here is just another bad day.
patriot
videoman
we the citizens of singapoor
pledged ourselves as 1 united organs
irregardless of race religion or blood group
for the kingdom of our lee dynasty
we freeLEE give full diplomatic immunity for those who failed against us
irregardless of position greeds or unity as lon as 1 is LEE familly
Singapore is going backward because of recent focus on getting in too many FTs and the stranglehold of power by the Lee empire.
Hopefully, things will change after the GE but I doubt so.
More people emigrating?
Sad…
Mr.E
“Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black”.
famiLee pledge $$$
When I see PAPies recite the pledge, I see incomparable hypocrites,
their deeds simply do not match the pledge.
I left some similar thoughts and questions on what Singaporean meant, in the face of massive immigration, on my site:
All Those Ramblings
Go ramble more Ravi……………the usual trite comments.
What about the JUSTICE & EQUALITY part in the pledge?
Boon Suan Ban has been deprived of JUSTICE and languishes in IMH at the President’s pleasure.
How many have been referred to IMH for reason YOU and TOC SHOULD know”
Dig the blockage from your blain lah.
anakin
we the guests of Hotel Singapore
pledge ourselves as one lot of economic units
regardless of age, heatlth and mental conditions
to pay all the accomodation, food, parking bills
until they day we drop death
or a younger FTs take our place
so as to acheive progress, properity and enrich the elites
Tan Yeong Hong
If activists organise a Take The Pledge event at Hong Lim park,how many of you would join?
How many of you would come and sign a petition to remind the government they need to remember and uphold the pledge?
:)
P/S : I forwarded the suggestion to activists yesterday.I hope TOC can support even though i keep getting moderated here. :)
A speech by LKY, Are we a Nation yet? After 50 years of Goverment in this small dot, He trying to tell U HE is a Lord in of this Island. U are all my slave. we have to take the pledge to be grateful . U people have been Con…… Ha…….Ha……Ha …..HA. U Goon_Doo People. See Bay Ho
Tan Yeong Hong
I’ve been discussing this with a few activists.How about something like this?
[ I just saw TOC's article by Ravi Philemon.That would be a good speech.So how about this?
Saturday event @ Hong Lim Park
"Take The Pledge" at Hong Lim Park!(By candlelight,very lomantic :p)
All participants have to do is remember the pledge(can put it somewhere for ppl to print out).Come with dish,candles,a pen and lighter/matches.
1)Say pledge
2)Sign petition
3)Cheer! :)
Remind the government their duty to uphold the pledge!
Do a petition!Petition going along the ideals that "We,The Online(And Offline) Citizens of Singapore,would like to remind the government that it is their duty to uphold the Pledge for ALL SINGAPOREANS,regardless of race,religion,social inequality blah blah.."
i will be there,but no organising experience. ^^ ]
66% OK everything OK
Through the PAP way, Singapore is very stable and peaceful. And 66% mandate at every election. What more do you want?
Yamamoto
It is not we, the citizen….but we, the disposable batteries…
chong lay sen
“Power does not belong to the government. It belongs to the people. They delegate it to the government.”
Bravo!
pop quiz
My fren gave me a quiz that i have no answer to .
please help suggest an answer:
Q: is there any, as in ANY, example in singapore’s history where the MAJORITY openly showed they Do Not Accept ANY policy? Yes / No ?
poppers
@23 depends on which SIngapore at which period. the majority of sgreans did not accept japanese policy of occupation, and british policy of colonialism. :)
Plesae lah
We recite the pledge but we don’t practise it. Mega sighz…
prettyplace
Are they jamming the servers….why is it so slow…and I can’t comment on what George Yeo said….
If we have people like George Yeo who is trying to pervert history itself…what to say…
This is a time of crisis….and what have they done ..nothing much …this shows how weak the PAP govt is…and how playing the MSM is very important for them.
They don’t have ideas and we are paying a bunch of clowns hefty sums of money.Their true colours are coming out during this time.
The pledge, it was true for the older generation….not us anymore. Gone are the days…Now it is the money, I think Singaporeans will want to follow the PAP leaders for more money and care less about the Singapore Pleadge and what it truly means.
It is a pity, our currents leaders are not up to building a better nation.
Decimated Digits
In this Digital Age, WE, the citizens of SIN-gapore, have SINNED the fundamental SIN of giving in too much for too few, despite great promises that only materialised for the few at the very top of the Pyramid Club and the Temasek Society.
We, the citizens of SIN-gapore have allowed the PAP to become so powerful that We, the citizens of SIN-gapore, have become decimated digits, whose sole purpose is merely to be subjected to the orders, instructions, directions, regulations, laws and whims and fancies of the ruling elites of the PAP elitists.
We, the citizens of SIN-gapore, an united people who unite only to give away power so freely and easily at each General Election to enable the recalcitrants to continue to treat us like slaves and decimated digits.
We, the citizens of SIN-gapore, have nobody else to blame and turn to but ourselves – the pathetic and apathetic souls of the walking deads in the concrete jungle of the unrealistically highly and exorbitantly priced HDB pigeon-holes.
Dan
When I was a boy, I loved parades n the simpler stuff of Nat Day. Fast forward, from 3rd world to 1st world. I feel like my parents can’t wait to kick me out of the house while welcoming adopted kids into the household like nothing. I feel the detachment, alienation, the constant need to be on my feet, the endless expectations, the lack of a helping hand, the increasing apathy, roots chopped off from my feet, on being casted aside when I can’t contribute economically, being in another foreign land when I am at home. Do I want my children to have this feeling? It’s a hollow feeling, when your parents judge you by your income contribution.
Time for change
I think the pledge is a good reminder to all of us that change is needed, especially when the people who lead us do not subscribe to its ideals anymore.
knoworNOT?
i dont think they ever care.
Jackson
“…based on justice and equality…..achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.”
tio bo!? What I see now in Singapore is crap!
Lefleche
Last week i heard the song ‘count on me singapore’. used to sing that passionately in school but now when i heard it, i dont know why i suddenly felt sick…maybe its because the ministers sing ‘pay me millions singapore’ while the people sing ‘count on me singapore.’
Funny
The New “Singapore” pledge:
We the citizens of Singapore, China, India, Malaysia etc
Pledge ourselves as non-united peoples
Regardless of race, religion, NATIONALITY
HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
JeffreyYap
28) Dan
I feel same as you. Singapore is an office or hotel but definitely not a home
tiredsingaporean
It’s very hard to open up TOC site the last few days till now, it takes a long time even mine is a high speed internet. Are you guys facing the same problems here? Something is wrong or is this site been sabotaged by who we all know? TOC please do something now or people will start moving away should these problem persist further, you know singaporeans no patience one.
joker
What pledge.
Regardless of race language and religion.
Base on Justice and equality.
Where are the equality. White horse must be pray pray in the Army
yet I get hammer upside down.
We have 11billions for defense budget but look at how much I have now.
Nothing much. I cannot even affort a place to stay yet worry about
being retrench day and night.
I can assure you the gayman. I m already pissed by your reckless atitute
in making we the Singaporean look stupid.
Especially to you our beloved GCT. You are the one that brag
about foreign talent. Hopefully one day you will end up like our Mr Seng.
No crazy man will be so pissed to burn someone unless situation is unbearable.
No one is so unlucky to be hit by someone and later get burnt by another.
Is time to reflect. That include our Big Toad DPM.
SoonToBeMinority
I don’t feel a thing when our national flag was raised and the anthem sang when i knew non of the sportsmen are true blue singaporean, born and breed and rooted here. (Is the ping pong girl still in Singapore or back home – HOME IS BEIJING)
What i see coming? Soon I will be the minority in this country.
FT is a big part of singapore culture now. That’s the way how things are run now from corporate to retail to restaurants to hawkers. The way this country has evolved, i don’t mind even if the president or ministers are FTs. And how about offering Michael Phelps citizenship and he can earn us more olympic medals?
Don’t be surprise if we have Jet Li and Gong Li appearing in coming NDP reciting the Singapore pledge on national tv!
Now many overseas artistes have become Singaporeans with the likes of Gong Li and Jet Li too :)
notsocatholic
donkeys years ago
i told every of my kaki
when the pledge ceremony is up
i would sit down
and turned my BACK
towards the flag or the holy crest….
i pity the dearly departed former senoir minister
who wrote this wonderful pledge
now if only he can rise from the dead
and knocked some nails on leekuanyew head
that would be nice…
Zzzzzz
ja ja
I disagree with the notion of meritocracy. After all, that is the disparity here, presented in this article. The poor man may not be able to afford a good education, and the rich one might have too many options to distract him from education. In a family, often one sibling is brighter than the rest. How can we as humans apply the concept of national selection by calling it meritocracy. So some people may not be as intelligent – that does not mean they should suffer. Intelligent people too, on the other hand, often suffer from intense psychological and psychosocial problems. The fact of the matter is that everyone is different, and in Singapore’s context, anyone having it easier than the rest doesn’t mean he or she leaves the rest behind.
Meritocracy has to go.
loop
People are taking the opportunity during the long weekend to drive up to M’sia. What celebration!!
Why So Few Comments
Only managed to get three comments? Why so few? Cannot be mah, unless …..
A New Pledge for the Nation
We, the citizen of the Sinking and Poor, pledging ourselves to become one divided nation, neglecting freedom, rights and constitution, so as to build an oppressive society, based on elitism and meritocracy, so as to achieve poverty, suffering and death of our nation.
Ashraf
43) Why So Few Comments
Are you still facing that problem now?
Us
Why is the gap between haves and have nots widening?
The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 4 Aug 2009
[...] Day 2009 – TOC: We, the citizens of Singapore – Rachel Zeng’s blog: A simple reflection and a wish for Singapore – BEYOND SG: The DNA [...]
V
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
If I write this kind of article in Myanmar ,I am sured to go to jail.”We,the citizen of myanmar”
I find it kinda sad that there are 7 negative articles written by TOC to commemorate our National Day.
Please put your money where your mouth is.
Singapore belongs to Singaporeans and not to the gahmen that you do not love.
We celebrate for Singapore’s National Day as Singaporeans.
george
Sorry to say I voted with my feet in 1984 after graduation because even then it was a struggle to get a HDB flat (we had a family of 10 including parents living in a three bed room HDB flat. I was offered a job in UK and so I took it and had never looked back since. My children had graduated from Oxford and I looked forward to retirement, no CPF problem here but a healthy final salary pension. I am sorry to read that many bloggers here had suffered because of poor government policies and also the uncaring ruling party. Singaporean must seriously think about how they exercise their vote come the next election. That is the voice they have at the moment. God Bless.
I suggest the national pledge be removed from schools as the PAP is behaving as though they are the royal family and not subjected to the pledge. They are above the laws almost everything there are.