How then do you justify the idea that "Mandarin should be the dominant language"? Is it simply because Singapore has a Chinese majority in its population? Are you aware that the majority of Chinese in Singapore didn't actually speak Mandarin prior to the "Speak Mandarin" campaign?
And even if Mandarin "should" be the dominant language, at what point should this have happened? While SG was still a crown colony? After the Japanese Occupation, when SG was a part of Malaysia? After being unceremoniously booted out of Malaysia, when racial tensions were harsh and volatile within Singapore itself?
I don't think his perspective is shaped by much knowledge of the history of the country, or the history of the region.
Of course, I might be assuming.
But @hackerboos: just a friendly heads-up. We're not downvoting you because you 'gave an opinion'. We're downvoting you because you didn't justify your assertion.
Why bend over backwards for 15% of the population? You can justify Malay at a push.
"We decided to opt for English as a common language and it was the only decision which could have held Singapore together. If we had Chinese as a common language, national language, we would have split this country wide apart, and we would be foolish to have Malay or Tamil." Lee Kuan Yew
I actually agree with the above. But Lee should have sought to replace minority languages with English.
Heh, if you started out with this justification, we could've had a productive conversation =)
This is certainly a valid perspective, hackerboos. But did you know why it didn't happen?
1) External factors A: Singapore gained independence at a time when its neighbours were all hostile. Malaysia wasn't exactly friendly (though not overtly aggressive), but Indonesia was overtly aggressive. LKY described Singapore as a 'Chinese ship in Malay waters'.
2) Internal factors: It is important to remember that at the point of independence, after announcing the separation from Malaysia, LKY was brought by special branch under guard to the Istana. He was forbidden from returning to his residences for fear of Malay retaliation. It's easy to forget that, at the time, Malay Nationalism was strong amongst the Malays. The risk of race riots were real.
Combining 1) and 2) together, you can see that cancelling Malay would have jeopardised Singapore's security - both from within and with its surrounding neighbours. Also, the status of the Malay language is still a contentious issue in Malaysia today. (This is complex, and has something to do with the concept of 'Ketuanan Melayu' in the Malay archipelago)
3) External factors B: Singapore thought it would be an advantage to have its citizens be multi-lingual, in line with its status as an entrepot. Therefore it would be in the best possible position for trade: with China, with which it has maintained good ties, with India, with which it celebrates its 50th year of diplomatic relations this year, and with its neighbours (Malaysia is still the largest trading partner, as of 2014).
Personally, I am able to communicate in English, Chinese and Malay, which gives me an advantage when doing business in SEA. Most startups operating across multiple markets in SEA would agree.
You've provided some good points for keeping Malay as an official language but what about Tamil? If trade with India was so important then surely Hindi would have been a better choice?
My best guess (and this is but a guess, I don't have sources for this) is that when the government sold the idea of the 'Mother Tongue' policy, they decided to include Tamil (the native language of many of the immigrants) to make it fair.
yes about that 'mandarin' thing.
most chinese singaporeans speak it, but many speak hokkien as well. some others speak cantonese, teochew , hakka, etc. if its about majorities maybe we'd all be speaking hokkien now...
And even if Mandarin "should" be the dominant language, at what point should this have happened? While SG was still a crown colony? After the Japanese Occupation, when SG was a part of Malaysia? After being unceremoniously booted out of Malaysia, when racial tensions were harsh and volatile within Singapore itself?
Genuinely curious to understand your perspective.