By Samuel Loh (16A01A)

Few countries in this world are the product of accidents, and fewer have national independence thrust upon them vehemently against their own volition. And amongst this already small group, even fewer still manage to – borrowing an adage deeply endeared by locals – move from Third World to First in under half a century of statehood despite the odd circumstances of their birth.

Fifty years on, the greatest of geopolitical irony remains this: as a country born out of sheer coincidence, and as a country which continues to thrive and reach unprecedented prosperity amidst coincidences, Singapore’s weakness is just exactly that – we’ve left a lot up to chance, and sometimes we lose sight of that.

Continue reading “Nationally Speaking: SG50 – What Makes the Lion Roar?” →

By Yeo Jia Qi (15S03H)

As I write this, I feel an overwhelming sense of futility. The signs are clear and unanimous. On August 10, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen dropped the clearest hint yet when he announced the PAP was in ‘election mode’ and would introduce all its new candidates between now and August 23, the date of this year’s National Day Rally. This clears the way for Parliament to be dissolved on August 26, followed by a September 12 election, exactly in line with observers’ predictions. Several top public servants have already resigned. Some candidates have already been introduced. The opposition parties have decided who will contest where. But I genuinely believe that an early election represents a tremendous missed opportunity for the PAP, for the opposition, and for Singapore. I genuinely believe it is not too late. There is still time to slam on the brakes. After the election is called I will reread this and laugh at my foolishness. But this country deserves a 2016 election, and certainly not one now.
Continue reading “Nationally Speaking: A Mistake in the Making – General Elections 2015” →

By Michelle Zhu (15A01B)

In conjunction with National Day, Raffles Press is launching Nationally Speaking. Posts under this column analyze and comment on affairs and discussions of national significance. Submissions are welcome at press.raffles@gmail.com.

Note: the opinions expressed in this article are purely the author’s own and do not claim to represent a larger social trend.

My parents came from China and most of our relatives still live there. Gatherings of family friends often lead to heated discussions about politics and society in China – so you can imagine my surprise when, on the day after Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away, my dad suggested that we pay our respects to him at Parliament House (despite the 8-hour long queues). Equally surprising was one of our family friend’s (also from China) comments when we were looking through the NDP funpack: “You must respect the flag! Singapore is our country and the flag is very important.”

Continue reading “Nationally Speaking: The Immigrant Identity” →