1. The government should speak up on this, and take this chance to educate the public as well as reassert the priorities of Singapore, the Singaporean identity, and why all these are important.
2. Jason Neo should be tried by law for making a seditious remark. In other countries, he would have been detained immediately. This will serve as a deterrence to the general public.
3. The issue should be followed up in schools, and schools could take this as an opportunity to educate morals. [read http://diluted-enigma.blogspot.com/2011/11/moral-education-incorporated-into.html ] There seem to be loopholes in the education system, in that not enough is done to make sure an educated person understands.
4. The media could be employed to remind/encourage people in Singapore (foreigners and locals alike) to live harmoniously with one another.
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I personally would refrain from condemning the Young PAP; it was hardly likely to have been prevented. Nonetheless, as a Singaporean girl who have spent my childhood playing football with my Malay neighbours, I'm very concerned. As a student of History who has by academic exercise gone through the history of Singapore, I'm very concerned. As a daughter whose parents went through racial riots, I'm very concerned. As a potential teacher who would potentially serve the MOE (I've a weekend to think if I should be bonded), I'm also very concerned. As a potential voter (I'm still disenfranchised because I'm deemed underage), I hope to see mitigation of the issue because it could potentially threaten the social fabric of Singapore.
To begin, one should refrain from associating terrorists with Malays/Muslims. Terrorists come in all shapes and sizes, from Ireland Republican Army to Tamil Tigers etc. Let's recall: there weren't any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Islamic practices also differ from region to region, and Southeast Asian Islam, while it's multifarious, is generally considered by scholars as the most accommodating of other ethnic groups due to regional influences. The Bollywood movie I've written a paper on, My Name is Khan, is the perfect movie to understand more about issues on discrimination, labelling, and terrorism. Its famous line goes like this: My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist (He's autistic, and kind, but always suspected and held up. Poor him.)
As a Chinese, I think it's only fair that something can be done to appease the Malay community. Looking into the case seriously (and that includes trying him) is minimal that the government can do. The remark has gone beyond the mildly racist and broke the ceiling of the extreme. They're children. They are going to school to be educated to be good people with upright moral values.
I also secretly hope that PAP can be redeemed (though I've no political allegiance) because I sincerely believe the ruling government isn't like this. When I saw a comment alongside this issue alluding to "Hard Truths", my heart sank. I saw this somewhere: "If it were the opposition making such a remark, he would have been dead." I haven't found a reason to reject that hypothesis. There's no way to prove it, but there's no way to disprove it unless something is done to publicly condemn the act. I honestly think this issue does waver the faith of the electorate.
While many have given feedback that there is no Singaporean identity, my proposition (as a historian by training) is that hard times bind Singaporeans together: WWII, economic crises, and SARS. This episode highlights and stresses what is important to us Singaporeans. Singapore prides itself for being multiracial. We ought to be that.
The Malaysian newspaper has written about this issue (I've just checked). The newspaper reminds me of a class I taught in a local secondary school, when I handed newspaper articles from different countries (SG and Msia; and photos from Dutch and Malaysian sources) to my Sec 2 students about Maria Hertogh riots. I remember telling my students, on Racial Harmony Day this year, the importance of understanding. I'm not saying it would degenerate into that, but that itself shows how sensitive this entire issue is - school children are still learning about it.
Singapore's identity and cohesion are shaken lately. I do hope we can tide this through together, especially those of us who holds a pink- and blue-IC.
Singapore is increasingly multi-ethnic. If we cannot even ensure local Chinese, Malays and Indians can live together, it would be extremely difficult to make sure we can live with - come on, let's face it - our PRC Chinese and Bangladeshi migrant population. It is an issue we are trying to sweep under the carpet. I think this issue deserves greater attention, and response, from the people "up there".
