COMMENT: Appreciate Singaporeans' diverse opinions and experiences
Kirsten Han is a Singaporean blogger, journalist and filmmaker. She is also involved in the We Believe in Second Chances campaign for the abolishment of the death penalty. A social media junkie, she tweets at @kixes. The views expressed are her own.
SG50 is nigh. The official celebrations will kick off with a huge countdown on New Year’s Eve; not a single second of 2015 to be wasted. 2014 might barely be remembered as anything more than the year that led up to the epic fiftieth anniversary.
There have been many discussions, opinions and Big Ideas about the journey Singapore has been on so far, the sort of society we live in, and where we want to go. We’ve argued over equality (or the lack thereof), Chinese privilege, prejudice and inclusivity. We might not have the answers, but at least there’s been some sort of start. What we need is to keep building upon it, and not to be afraid of talking about previously “taboo” subjects.
Last week I chatted with a few elderly security guards, listening as they told me how netting at the beaches disrupted their weekend fishing, making it impossible for them to cast their lines as far as they needed to. “We don’t want very much,” one said. “There is so much in Singapore to worry about. What we want is freedom, freedom in our minds.”
These men were talking about the peace of mind and freedom that they got from fishing, but it struck me that this was a desire that many of us can relate to. The longing for a break from the stresses of urban living, the wish to find more than the everyday anxieties of bills and finances.
Everyone has a different way of finding meaning and/or peace of mind. But for us to go further as a society, we could all do with more space – if not physical, then at least mental and emotional.
The Dim Sum Dollies’ The History of Singapore Part 2 was recently given an Advisory 16 rating for its “satirical socio-political references”. Many, myself included, took it as yet another sign of the state’s lack of confidence in Singaporeans’ maturity and ability to make up our own minds. Coming on the back of the To Singapore, With Love ban, the end of 2014 has me wondering why 50 years of independence has still left the state with so little trust in its people.
In his final Big Idea, Kishore Mahbubani urged us all to love Singapore. One of his suggestions was for Singaporeans to laugh more; although he did not think we were ready for a “serious political cartoonist”, he helpfully volunteered several prominent names who he felt would not mind being lampooned. He somehow failed to realise that only lampooning people who are “okay” with it completely undermines the spontaneity and challenge to authority that characterises most political satire.
Despite what Mahbubani might say, we are ready for more. There is no reason why Singaporeans should be any less capable than other societies at critically engaging and assessing our environment, be it through comedy, satire, art, commentary and analysis, or all of the above.
Recent encounters have proven to me yet again that there is no lack of talent and ability in Singapore. We have our fair share of artists, writers and activists. They have something to say, and they’re willing and able to push the boat out, to challenge boundaries and help us think about and laugh at ourselves.
When I think about it, I don’t really know what I would like for Singapore in the next 50 years. It seems an arbitrary number, anyway. What I want for the future of this society, however long it takes, is for space – the space for us to open our minds and not be afraid. Just as the fishermen wish to cast their lines further out into the sea, I wish we could cast our thoughts further, beyond the petty quibbles about town council account formats to bigger questions about where we really want to go and what we need to become a better, fairer society for everyone.
I hope we will no longer fear losing control, that we will appreciate diversity in all its complexities and conflicts instead of trying to squeeze everyone into neat little boxes. I hope that we will one day be able to talk about our history openly and honestly, with information declassified and open to everyone so we can have a real conversation, so we can truly understand the struggles and controversies that have brought us to where we are.
There is so much more to Singapore than the micro-managed, orderly exterior we tend to present to the world. My hope for the future is that we will all one day stop fearing this plurality of experiences, opinions and thoughts, and embrace it instead.
