‘Like a plate of Hainanese curry rice’: Singapore to preserve diversity by pushing for bilingualism, nurture future Islamic leaders

SINGAPORE, Aug 19 — Acknowledging Singaporeans’ concerns about the declining standard of mother tongue here, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the Government will continue to support the cultivation of bilingualism in Singapore and preserve cultures here.

To that end, a move will be made to allow more students to take Higher Mother Tongue languages as a subject in secondary schools, Wong announced yesterday in the Mandarin speech of his first National Day Rally.

Currently, if a student wishes to take Higher Mother Tongue in secondary school, the overall score for their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) must meet a certain standard.

However, Wong noted that there are students whose overall score do not meet the criteria but who do very well in their mother tongue subjects.

The Government will therefore allow such students to take up Higher Mother Tongue in secondary school, he added.

‘Preservation of culture’

In his Mandarin speech, Wong said that he places a “great emphasis” on the preservation of Singapore’s traditional cultures, and emphasised that the Government will continue to “work with all races” to pass them on to future generations.

As an example, he cited the recent launch of Culturepaedia, an online repository of Singapore Chinese culture that was launched by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) in July.

So far, about 80 experts have contributed around 150 articles for the platform, on subject matters spanning everything from popular culture to literature, art and music.

“Although English is our working language, we are fundamentally an Asian society, not a Western one,” Wong said. “We want to retain our Asian heritage and preserve our traditional values.”

He added that Singaporeans’ “bilingual and bicultural edge” has allowed the country to connect with other countries and maintain a unique competitiveness in the global economy.

To maintain that edge, Wong said he hoped more parents could use Mandarin at home.

A 2020 study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on race, religion and language found that 61 per cent of parents between 26 and 35 years old used English the most frequently with their children.

In contrast, only 45 per cent of parents aged between 56 and 65 used English most frequently with their children.

The prime minister also reiterated his commitment to work together with the Malay-Muslim community to preserve its culture and heritage, in his Malay speech.

Wong added that he would share more details regarding the Government’s plans for the Singapore College of Islamic Studies in the future, an idea that was first mooted in 2016.

He said the project would nurture the nation’s “future Singapore Islamic leaders”.

“I will support you in your efforts to build a Malay-Muslim community that is modern and progressive, while still maintaining your distinctive customs and way of life,” he added.

At the tail end of his Mandarin speech, Wong likened Singapore’s multiculturalism to a plate of Hainanese curry rice — which utilises ingredients from various Singaporean cultures.

“The dish combines Western fried pork chops with Nyonya curry chicken. It also contains Indian curry spices, and is drenched in Chinese braised gravy,” he said.

“Our various races each have their own vibrant culture, yet we are inclusive and united. This is what has made Singapore what it is today.

“My belief is that, as long as we work together, our culture can be passed down to future generations, even as it becomes even more vibrant and diverse.”