When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the need for a minority as president and made it law for the recent election to be reserved for Malays only, it was made with the best intentions (or so he claims).
He considered it a “fundamental necessity” for multiracial representation in the presidency, launching a mechanism that paved the way for Singapore to have President Halimah Yacob today. Not that we had any choice in it.
Though it was meant to instil some kumbaya spirit among the different ethnic communities in Singapore, the reserved election seems to have deepened the divide among its citizens instead. Especially so in the already brittle matters of race — media studies academic Cherian George summed it up aptly in his upcoming book Singapore, Incomplete: Reflections on a First World nation’s arrested political development.
“…the government’s move risks intensifying anti-Malay sentiment — the exact opposite of what it intended. The government lost sight of who the target audience is for its message of tolerance. Obviously, it’s not Malays themselves. Nor is it the majority of Chinese, Indians or others, who are already quite accepting of Malays.
“The main problem group comprises that subset of Chinese who harbour deep ethnic prejudices; those who believe that Singapore would be a better, more successful country if it weren’t for our minorities holding us back. These are the Chinese who don’t buy the theory that minorities face systemic disadvantages or that they need a leg up. In their worldview, Malays and Indians are not grateful enough for the space and opportunities they already enjoy in a Chinese country.”
Thus, we couldn’t be too shocked to see bigoted sentiments leaking out loud post-election. A “tudung-clad” Malay woman claimed to have been recently subjected to passive aggressive put-downs while minding her own business at Bishan Park. Despite not having anything to do with the political kerfuffle, she was called “Halimah” and received less than subtle remarks about the controversial election.
If the incident indeed took place, it’s important to note that it’s still an isolated case, and shouldn’t be applied to those who are similarly unhappy with it all. Still, that’s pretty rude.
