Mohd Nizam Ismail
The recent brouhaha over remarks made by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in his book “Hard Truths” on Islam and integration shows that the issue of integration is one which is well alive in Singapore.
MM Lee has since “stood corrected” in his statement issued on 7 March 2011, accepting comments made by his parliamentary colleagues that the Malay/Muslim community (MMC) “have indeed made special efforts to integrate with the other communities, especially since 9/11, and that (his) call is out of date.”
Putting aside the issue of the timing of MM’s statement (made more than a month after PM’s earlier statement) and whether it amounted to an apology or not, what is clear is that there are still two important (and fundamental) questions relating to integration that needs to be addressed:
1) Who should bear primary responsibility for integration? Whilst MM’s statement has mentioned the fact that the MMC has made “special efforts” to integrate, what about the responsibility of the State and majority communities?
2) What is end state of integration in Singapore (if there is one)? What are we working towards?
Who is responsible for integration?
Turning to the first question on who should have responsibility for integration, I would argue that the State should carry the primary responsibility. It would be in the interest of the State to ensure that there is integration between the different ethnic and religious communities that it governs.
Whilst we have seen efforts at fostering integration (including the setting up of OnePeople.sg, which is tasked to ensure racial harmony), more can be done.
I would argue that policies such as having “race” mentioned in our identity cards, publication of data along racial lines and other forms of racial-based policies tend to highlight or even exaggerate racial differences. This is putting aside other inherent difficulties of force-fitting “race” of children of mixed marriages. In some countries, it is illegal to make reference to the race of a person in relation to certain practices.
Another factor that needs to be seriously relooked is the current model of relying on ethnic-based self-help groups (for example, MENDAKI, CDAC, SINDA, or even AMP) as the primary provider of self-help to different communities.
A lot of the issues, such as education underattainment, dysfunctional families, juvenile delinquency, cut across different ethnic communities. Oftentimes, the argument that help is best administered through someone of the same race is exaggerated. A counsellor who is sensitive to the needs of someone of a particular race is equally effective in giving help to a family in need. Also, it matters not whether a tutor who is helping an underachieving student comes from a different ethnic background.
Having a race-blind approach in coming up with self-help programmes could avoid any perception that a disadvantaged community comes from a particular ethnic background, and that help can only be provided by someone from your same ethnic background. This is over and above efficiencies that can be gained by pooling together counselors/educational experts.
I now turn to the role of majority community in integration. Here, the odds are always inherently stacked against the minority communities to do their bit to integrate. It would be far easier for the majority community to facilitate integration by reaching out to minority communities. This is not to say that the MMC (or other minority communities) should shirk away from any responsibility to integrate. If the MMC has made “special efforts” to integrate with other communities, surely there has to be a greater expectation on the majority community – being in a more advantageous position – to facilitate integration.
What is the end state of integration?
The more fundamental question that has yet to be addressed is this – what exactly are we working towards? What is the end state of integration? Can we reach a stage where we can happily conclude that Singapore has achieved integration, and therefore there is no pressure on any community to put in place “special efforts” to integrate?
The absence of clarity of an end state of integration is an omission that may cause confusion, as different groups may end up working in different (or worse, conflicting) directions.
It may be easier to define what integration is by stating what it is not.
Integration is not assimilation. Integration is not an end-state where Singaporeans adopt only one Singaporean identity and put aside whatever ethnic or religious identities that they have.
If it is at all possible to have an end state to integration, there must be a rich diversity of practices. Different ethnic and religious communities will still proudly display their respective ethnic and religious identities.
I prefer to imagine an ideal state of integration as one where there is free association of people from different racial or religious backgrounds. There is equal opportunity to all irrespective of ethnic or religious backgrounds. A manifestation of such an ideal state of integration would be to see minority communities being actually represented in terms of employment, political influence, socio-economic standing, educational attainment. The State draws on the richness of diversity of different groups and sees that as a strength rather than a liability. There would be no need to force conformity of any particular group to the identity of a broader community.
If we accept this ideal state of integration, then it becomes clear that the role of the State in achieving this ideal becomes critical. This is because achieving such an ideal only becomes possible if policy changes are made to remove barriers to integration.
To reach this end state, the focus would be on looking at areas where there are impediments to equal opportunity, and how we can strengthen minority communities such that they will be able to meaningfully seize the opportunities that are present.
In this light, I think it important that an Integration Forum be held, where there can be an open and constructive discussion on how we can foster integration in Singapore and remove or mitigate impediments to integration. The Forum can be represented by political and community leaders representing the various ethnic and religious groups in Singapore, including Malay/Muslim organisations.
We are also considering tabling the issue of integration at AMP’s upcoming Convention, as it is clearly an important issue that impacts the MMC.
Mr Mohd Nizam Ismail is the Chairman of the Association of Muslim Professionals’ (AMP). The above article is written in his personal capacity.
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HUH? , still encountering / happening don’t how to ” INTERGRATion” …. aiyo mari-lah kita, legal-lah LGBT marriage…. then we will disolved the problem for you….
Very good points for reflection.
Very open discussions and practical steps to be adopted towards
this vision while managing sensitivities during process to avoid
regression
Hi Mohd Nizam Ismail,
I agree with your conclusions although at first glance, your statement “I would argue that the State should carry the primary responsibility” might sound misleading. A closer reading of your article shows what you mean is that the state should actually do less, ie emphasise race less in public policy matters. I agree completely that an overemphasis on race has exacerbated, rather than reduced differences between the different communities.
An “end state” would be something like what the USA has achieved after 200 years of independence, where certain overarching qualities define an American and which go well beyond the individual criteria of the many communities that form that country. Today when we think of an American, certain features immediately come to mind, stemming largely from their rugged, frontier experience. Singapore needs to develop a similar ethos and it can only come from every Singaporean working together with the state helping to reduce, rather than exaggerate the differences.
@Peter Sellers
“An “end state” would be something like what the USA has achieved after 200 years of independence, where certain overarching qualities define an American and which go well beyond the individual criteria of the many communities that form that country.”
Out of the 200 years independence, how many years in slavery? Have attitudes changed? Coz blacks are still seen as stupid, uneducated criminals, aren’t they?
We don’t give a shit about the USA over here.
Integration should begin early. The best place and time will be from kindergarten. Children make friends easily. They are not race nor religion bias at this stage of their lives.
Promoting the national language can help in integration. NS is another one.
Impediments to integration are the religious based schools and SAP schools. They must be phased out and replaced with secular ones.
Good article. i applaud you in your well-thought out piece
Just stay true to the national pledge.
Why are Muslim food stalls always bunched together in one outside corner of the hawker centre? Why can’t they be dispersed throughout the hawker centre. If being next to non-halal stalls is a concern, why can’t they be grouped in the middle?
MM’s original comment on this issue may not be wrong come to think of it, though politically it had not gone down well with the readers. I think his personal observation even at his age was one of sound judgement, unbias and lucid. As GE2011 then was drawing near, he had to make personal sacrifice to “stand corrected”. Some hardtruth may be better said after GE2011.
Assalamualaikum,
Dear Nizam,
Its been many years since we last met and spoke. I am happy to see that you now lead AMP – an organisation which I was once a member of.
Anyways – be very careful with your suggestion to do away with ethnic-based self-help groups. Why ? Because as you well know – there are peculiarities of the MMC culture and Islamic practices – which makes most in the MMC comfortable only in dealing with social workers also from the MMC.
Secondly – the only Islamically acceptable attitude towards integration is precisely what the founding fathers of Malaysia and Indonesia have chosen viz, UNITY IN DIVERSITY. But of course the PAP cannot accept that as it is tantamount to a complete about-face to its so-called Malaysian Malaysia slogan. Nizam – the PAP knows this but they do NOT want to do anything about it. So long as LKY is around – it would be difficult to get the PAP to accept cultural diversity. Because Unity In Diversity is at odds with a Malaysian Malaysia ! Whether the PAP admits it or not – a Malaysian Malaysia does require some kind of cultural homogenisation in complete contrast to a Unity In Diversity which explicitly acknowledges cultural differences.
Finally – yes – I agree that we urgently need a conference to discuss the issue of integration of Muslim minorities. I suggest that PERGAS and MUIS along with AMP should spearhead this initiative.
At the end of the day – the PAP’s Malaysian Malaysia must be rejected – especially since Malaysia is a Muslim country and the PM of Malaysia must therefore be a Muslim ! Will the PAP dare to openly acknowledge that ? Don’t forget that the PAP still harbours ambitions of a re-merger with Malaysia. The way I see it – the PAP cannot change for as long as LKY is still around.
Nizam – for as long as the PAP views our Muslim neighbours – Malaysia & Indonesia – as some kind of unfriendly adversaries (enemies ??) – there will always be opportunities for them to cast doubt over the loyalty and sincerity of the MMC here in Singapore.
We need major policy changes. Politically this may not be possible just yet.
Whatever the case may be – I do agree with you that the MMC needs to sit down and talk about integration especially from an Islamic viewpoint.
Wassalam & Best Regards
Dr Syed Alwi
@ politically correct,
I’m a Singaporean Muslim and I can tell you that what MM Lee claimed about Islam being a hindrance to integration is pure nonsense.
I’m a Muslim and I know my religion, therefore I can tell the difference.
Below is the link to an open letter to MM Lee written by a Singaporean Muslim. Read it and ask yourself whether MM Lee was right.
http://asingaporeanmuslim.blogspot.com/2011/03/real-hard-truths-open-letter-to-mm-lee.html
integration 个屁，if ppl don’t feel justice in the court
A team dont know how to make its citizens integrate?
Wow…… then we dont need ‘A’ team right?
Integration only exists when a society is disintegrated. Leaders highlight and create disintegration to show people that they are trying to integrate the communities. As long as you leave each community alone, nature has the power to integrate people by its own doing.
For example, i trust my Chinese neighbour more than i trust a foreign Indian who is a PR or became a new citizen.
The truth is always hard and cannot be spoken or written. Once person speaks or writes it becomes a lie, and shows his egocentric behaviour that he knows the most of the knowledge. The Hard Truth was written to decentralise people out of their centre, so as to create more issues that actually does not exist. Like i have said, Fear only exists in someone’s imagination, it has no place if someone is fearless and we do not need to conquer fear.
As long as we stop thinking TOO HARD, Fear will disappear. The Hard Truths shows 1 person’s fear towards issues. Those are his fears’, not ours.
I agree, we took all of 50 years and are
still integrating.
When out of the blue, the PAP press huge numbers of FTs and PRs upon us – this delicate balance got thrown off.
I do not believe they even bother to consider these realities on the ground.
As usual we pay the heavy penalties for
their policy, they just pretend we accept
whatever they decide!
may i know what is the purpose of having a minister for muslim affairs??
To Dr Syed Alwi,
We have discussed with each other before on a different board.
It’s vitally important that we do not turn this into an election issue – as you yourself have posted.
Thank you, Mohd Nizam Ismail, for your sharing.
Am just curious with the so many articles which are surfacing only now…Why take too long to write these article which happened some time ago? Any agenda to release now? I prefer any issues of interest to be discussed anytime and here in TOC, or …. I hate to see them used to confuse readers at this time of our GE; worse if they create hatred and cause division amongst our own people.
There was no racial riot and hatred,in Singapore the races were more integrated between the races before LYK and PAP…. Why race become an issue after that?
Hi Nizam :
I agree with you completely, both in the sense that all segments of the community (including the State and majority groups) are responsible to promote healthy integration, and also with the integration does not entail the rejection of ethnic and religious identities. That said, integration does (imho) entail efforts to (a) reduce inequalities; and (b) find and maximize the common ground and spaces that all groups share in Singapore, which necessarily entails some elements of give and take. Would be interested to hear more about where we can do better to promote integration efforts.
TRAITOR NATHAN, WHEN WW2, YOU WORK FOR JAPANESE AS SPY, EAT FISH HEAD CURRY, WHEN ALL SINGAPOREANS EAT SWEET POTATO AND TAPIOCA, YOU ARE INDEED BLESS, BY SAI, I THINK.
MY GRAND PARENTS AND PARENTS HAVE TO WAKE UP AT NIGHT WHEN SOUND OF PLANES COME, JUST TO MAKE SURE BOMBS DON’T FALL ON US, BUT YOU, WHY, YOU MUST BE SNORING WHOLE NIGHT SINCE YOU KNOW OR THE JAPS WILL TELL YOU WHERE THE BOMBS FALL,
SHAME ON YOU TRAITOR NATHAN….
HEAVEN HAS TAKEN AWAY SAI, AND SOON, IT’LL BE YOUR TURN,
KARMA, NATHAN, KARMA WILL SEEK YOU OUT……….NOT THE JAP BOMB…
The only problem people have about integration is those who keep bringing it up and making a big fuss of it.
Get closer to the people and understand whats REALLY happening instead of doing costly surveys which everyone knows are biased.
You’ve lost touch with the ground, that’s a hard truth.
What is integration and are there some fundamental steps that can and should be taken to foster a more harmonious multi-racial society?
Communication is a basic bridge to get to know and interact with someone not of your own race and religion. Fortunately for Singapore, almost all speak English albeit in varying levels from excellent to poor standards. When you are in a group of your own speaking your mother tongue and someone, whose mother tongue is one different from yours, joins your company, switch to English wherever possible so that all can speak with and understand each other and feel comfortable in the mix company of each other. Do this at schools, work places and at public spaces and make it our standard culture and you will see integration visible and thriving in Singapore society in no time.
Another platform to encourage and enhance integration is through tweaking the Education system in respect of learning the mother tongue. Give students the option to learn it (from primary one onwards) from two possible pathways:
1 From Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, choose to do any two out of the three and obtain at least a 50% mark for one and 35 % for the other at ‘O’ level (to meet the second language requirements) to be eligible to enter polytechnic or University
2 Choose one and obtain at least 70% marks to enter polytechnic or university
(The % range can be modified to basic desirable levels)
I would not predict which option the Chinese parents would choose for their children. As for the minority the choice would probably be two vernacular languages as follows:
Malays: Malay and Mandarin
Indians: Tamil (or other ethnic languages as allowed presently) and Mandarin
Eurasians and the rest: Mandarin and Malay
Result in one generation: Integration is given. All will be at ease mixing and talking to each other and enjoy each other’s company. Also the Malays and Indians can relate to and communicate with the majority Chinese ground making it a level playing field for all.
Ethnic identity factor is marginalized and any Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian or others will gain acceptability and endorsement from the majority to become PM or President based purely on meritocracy.
Another spin-off from my earlier proposal is that Malay language wills a get a boost – to be understood and spoken by wider segments of society apart from the Malays. This will foster better people to people contact with those in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei and improve ties between Singapore and these countries.
Also Malay will become a living and practical language (for the non-Malays) and not a nominal one where the national anthem is sung in the national language in a functional manner without the non-Malays understanding and appreciating the true meaning the words convey
Our respected MM Lee is really his own enemy, he sincerely thinks he is above God.
How dare LKY talk denegrate the MMC when it is our open door policy towards foreign workers which truly threatens integration?
Not only does his myopic view reflect his lack of knowledge and insensitivity, it runs counter to the message that has been driven to us for decades of being a multiracial society. Regardless of race, language or religion. That celebrates every Singaporean son and daughter.
On the contrary, the PAP’s open door policy has created enclaves, as can be seen by visits to private estates, eateries and watering holes all around the island. To top it off, the ‘father of Singapore’ insults the entire Malay Muslim community. What a joke. Goh Keng swee, s rajaratnam and other founders must be rolling in their graves as to how things have come to this
The larger divide in Singapore today is between Singaporeans and foreigners. The same issue raised here should be used to reflect on the gulf between these 2 diverse groups.
The author missed out the most important aspect of “integration” in the Singapore context – the highly successful integration of our ministers to the highest pay in the world. That showed that the onus is on any minority to claw, beg, borrow, steal to achieve their INTENT and shows their true perceived RELATIONSHIP with the common majority around them.
Example: during the pit of the recent global recession, when many Singaporeans became jobless/with inconsistent income, our ministers held very strongly to NOT taking a pay cut, not even a token amount. One even question if those on PA wanted hawker center or food court or restaurant fare. If leaders of a country can’t relate and “integrate” to its common mass (regardless of race, religion, language, etc. Walking around kissing babies during election time not counted as integration) over basic bread-n-butter issues, then there is a much larger issue for Singaporeans to address if we truly want to strive together and become a nation. Solve the top issue first, then the bottom will follow.
Why is it difficult for MM Lee to succeed in integration?
Not difficult to understand his difficulties.
Like what Popcorn said, he is his own enemy.
Solutions? find a truly open leader whose mind is less self-centered.
Easy said. Agreed. But not that difficult for such a leader to change things here. The past is a one-man show made to look like a benevolent democracy to get by.
Such a one-man democracy is not sustainable for despite writing of books to try to claim success, eventually the outside world will know the truths, the hard truths about the hypocrisy and self-justifications characterizing the governing of this little red dot.
With citizens being bred by a system of taxing and privatizing, they become poorer. Many are losing their retirements. The middle class is increasingly squeezed by expensive housing and transportation costs. Young people cannot marry until they can pay the first downpayments for a property which will take 30 years or more to pay off while leaving nothing for retirements. New jobs are not easy to come by because of strong or openly strong policies to take in anyone cheapers from foreigners to assure the system is kept on survival mode. The loss of economic competitiveness is largely the result of a wrong tax-and-privatise policy and lack of true talents like Steve Job or Bill Gates.
Our leaders think they are the talents.
With all this kind of self-centeredness, the solutions is to humble down and be truly people-centered.
But whatever the change made, it must involve the people. How? the new team which will be accepted by all in our multi-racial community must embrace all fundamentally by pushing for a governing system strongly guided by basics and fundamentals of nation building.
A set of such basics snd fundamentals of nation building could be (to begin with):
(1) Accept the democratic one-man-one-vote free and fair election without tweaking by double-edged devices like GRC.
(2) Let multi-racialism be strengthed by multi-racial composition within party constitutions with certain seats set aside apart from constituency for minority multi-racial voting.
(3) All major decisions in and outside parliaments are passed not on money-making or convenience objectives alone but by en-maase empowering of people, serving people’s interests, needs and expectations with Sun Tzu Art of War experts overseeing the category “Exceptions and Humanitarian situations” on advisory level.
(4) Abolish giving power to those who are not accountable to parliament such as Senior Ministers or Ministers Mentor as these people are overly conceptual and not accountable for mistakes in policies or executions. They are also overpaid causing government wage bills to baloon beyond affordability of citizens.
(5) In lieu of Ministers without portfolio, SM, MM, employ eminent independant advisers to be assembled as part of select committees in parliament to provide relevant self-check.
(6) Adopt an en-massed “everyone is talent” approach rather than elitish “heavy weight” or “scholar” system to avoid splitting up unity of society.
(7) Build up a common multi-racial cultures not on claims of equality but on mutual respect based on strong ethical and moral principles such as:- “gentleman speak with behavior and petty man with tongue”, “lead by personal examples” “do not do to others what one does not want others to do to onese”
With basics and fundamentals of nation building taken care of in a holistic manner from (1) to (7), all the ideas and concepts like meritocracy, equality, level playing field, transparency and accountability, leadership, creativity and others will have no difficulty to take care of.
Such basics and fudnamantals will help to check corruptions, cronyism, and power abuses at source creating trust and confidence to citizens to participate in nation building.
A question has been submitted to LHL to snswer in his recent live TV forum. Unfortunately he has been occupied with only the mundane and local issues.
Integration is getting harder by the day. What with the great influx of people from so many cultural and national background.
It is a natural process which though could be help with govt policies but it needs time. I know that the 1st generation of immigrants had their heart with their motherland. 2nd generation is pro-motherland. 3rd generation onwards – we consider ourselves S’porean 1st then our race. When we are almost there in terms of integration, now we are back to square one.
So we will need another 3 generations to get back on track again.
The mother of sincere governance is Trasparency & Accountability in policy-making and its implementation.
Integration cannot happen if a country takes in too many foreigners in a short period. That’s was what happened to UK and Europe… and now the damage is done though they are making a U-turn. Immigrants will gather in numbers with each other, and not mix with locals.
Isolate newcomers and take in a variety of them, the result will be different. They are forced to get along with locals or be left out. So… it CAN happen, but not with how the PAP is doing.
I really don’t understand why those new immigrants from India always like to hang their dirty laundry along the common corridors of HDB flats.
And our PAP govt never teach them a thing or two what real integration means ?
There you go; while INTEGRATION is what the administration wants, they are again putting the onus on all of us. Sure, we can try, we ARE trying & some are integrating or have become integrated (small percentage). But does the administration know WHAT is progressively DISINTEGRATING? Maybe they will only realize it 10-20 years down the road…just exactly like the Stop at Two thing.
FACTS of life
Share with your friends the lyrics of the links is so heart warming
http://www.youtube.com/user/project2O11#p/a/u/0/p1tzIRkIFs0
Hard truths Fm PAP’s own backyard on Malay Muslim Status in YR2011
Let us examine PAP’s own track record. From 1950s till now there is only one full ministerial post awarded or allocated to any deserving Malay Muslim PAP Minister- at environment portfolio. This is from Dr Ahmad Mattar’s time to Dr Yaccob Ibrahim’s time. Other than that speaker of house as bestowed on Tarmugi and now to be awarded to Zainal Abdidin. And some small roles for Halimah, Zainudin and more.
So with proven track records, capablities and meritocracy results in education, ability no Malay muslim PAP MP or Minister will be awarded or allocated any other full ministerial portfolio other than Environment from yester years till today in Year 2011. is it they are all inacapable, stupid, not experienced even after years of various portfolio support like Zainal as MAyor, Main foreign ambassdor and minister level entrant to develop better ties in Middle East markets and countries.IS Halimah not good even to make the full ministerial cut as a full Manpower minister or to take over from incumber Gan or Lim Swee Say even after years of working the ground and workers welfare and concerns at the bottom?
Is is a case no abled Malay Muslime leader from the PAP will be appointed any other Ministerial portfolios despite their conformity to party yield/whip and principles, having demostrated ability and loyalty. Is is their CVs are all wrong even at current times or because MM Lee has a natual bias against the whole Malay Muslim community as proven from his views and actions as “hard truth”. So the marginalisation of the Malay Muslim community should start as the party (PAP Party) first before they can talk on doing more for the community and all that. In today’s times bias, racist, narrow minded opinions have no place in any Singaporeans’ hearts and minds.
My neighbour one I believe is an Indonesian I know her for 30yrs ,her next door neighbor the wife is frm Chinese, both family always got dispute ,be cos of differences (corridor space & plants)my plants (flowers) also ken na pluck many times &we know roughly who is the culpuilt. My right neighbor live a hongkonger who’s dog is v errattating always barking &always blasted his tv v loud his malay neighbors just endear it.we did ‘nt integrated much only last year & few months ago we started acknowledge to exchange greetings, be cos we have same interest in plants, there are also children involves which makes us to be more patient, cos sometimes they are rather quite nosy.most impt. Adults must lead a good example.it is v important to respect other’s religion.many years ago my Muslim neighbor pass away, I am the only Chinese neighbor in a busload of muslim mourners who sent my frd off.I dont feel uncomfortable as I am very close with my Malay neighbor. I Admit a little bit of culture shock to witness the Muslim buried.till today we are still very close neighbors, although my Malay is v limited,we speak with body language.recently I had tis elderly woman frm India who came to my lift landing to fed her grandson, saw her few times n she can’t understand English much we acknowledge each other be cos of her grandson.so it is v important to greet & smile to a total stranger, if u wan to know them better