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Dr Yaacob Ibrahim explains to teachers that changes to Singaporeans

mindsets and attitudes are what lie at the core of Singapore 21. The vision
which hopes to build a nation begins with the very ingredient that will make
a nation possible that is people so the Singapore 21 movement is about
getting people to take more responsibility for their family, community, and
nation. The National Education (NE) programme then seeks to develop
instincts for survival and confidence in the future among Singaporeans, with
the principles that underpin Singapores success. As people take active
ownership of this common ground, we increase our stake in this country,
strengthen our sense of commitment and belonging for this country, and fight
to defend what we have achieved. Singapore 21 and NE are two sides of the
same coin. NE forms the principles of our survival and successes; S21 is a
matter of our heart, heartbeat as a nation and our emotional attachments to
this country. S21 is the inner and softer core around which the hardnosed and
pragmatic principles of NE resides. Taken together, they form a potent recipe
for nation building in the 21st century.

DR YAACOB IBRAHIMS SPEECH AT NATIONAL EDUCATION

SEMINAR FOR GRADUATING TEACHERS 1999

SINGAPORE 21 ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN NATIONAL EDUCATION

15 November 1999

1. Good Morning.

2. Singapore 21 is a vision of a nation that we want to become. This vision

is set against the context of changes taking place both within and outside
Singapore. Demographic changes will see our society aging rapidly in the next
10-15 years. What does it mean for our senior citizens as our young venture out
to seize the many opportunities available elsewhere? How do we ensure that a
social divide does not emerge as some enjoy greater success than others? What
does it mean to us as we bring in more people to work and live in Singapore?
How can we ensure that Singaporeans who regionalise and globalise continue to
feel for this nation? How can we seek a balance between the greater desire
among our people to be involved and consulted and the need to be decisive on
matters of governance? These are the questions which we posed for ourselves in
deliberating the Singapore 21 vision. And in finding the answers to this question,
we developed the Singapore 21 vision.

3. But what we have achieved is not an action plan which can be

implemented. At the core of Singapore 21 lie changes to Singaporeans mindsets
and attitudes. Ultimately the vision which hopes to build a nation begins with
the very ingredient that will make a nation possible that is people. And so the
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Singapore 21 movement is about getting people to take more responsibility for

their family, community, and nation.

4. It is about being active. But being active is not just about expending
energy and doing social work. Being active means making a difference to the
lives of others around you. As we begin to do that we touch the lives of others
and thereby develop the ties which bind us as a nation.

5. The task of Singapore 21 now is to create awareness of the S21 key ideas
and to motivate Singaporeans into involvement and participation. Hence a
Facilitation Committee which is chaired by MoS David Lim has been formed to
help this process of increasing awareness and encouraging active citizenship.

6. The 21st century awaits us, yet as a nation we are still grappling with the
building blocks of nationhood. PM Goh Chok Tong said in the parliamentary
debate on Singapore 21 that we are a nation in the making. The Singapore 21
vision is about the building of a nation. This process of nation building is not the
responsibility of a single group but of everyone the public and private sectors,
and people themselves. But why is it that after 34 years of independence and of
the many successes we have achieved as a nation that we now ponder on the
very idea of nationhood for ourselves? Has the glue that binds us as a people
weakened? And if this is the case, what are the reasons for it? Similarly, can we
strengthen that glue so that future generations of Singaporeans feel more
Singaporean than us? More importantly, what exactly is that glue that binds us
made up of? Many questions, but what are the answers, if there are any at all?

7. The National Education (NE) programme seeks to develop instincts for

survival and confidence in the future among Singaporeans. These instincts for
survival and confidence are built upon the principles that underpin our success.
These are meritocracy, incorruptibility, strong political leadership, racial
tolerance, religious harmony and self-reliance. The embodiment of these
principles within the nation defines the characteristics of the people making that
nation. It defines who we are as a people. In a sense, NE is about building the
common ground which allows all of the different groups and races to share with
one another. The larger the common ground is the more it will allow us to feel
and act as a people. As each and everyone of us takes ownership of this common
ground, we will invariably increase our stake in this country, strengthen our
sense of commitment and belonging for this country. We will value what we
have built and we will fight to defend and preserve what we have achieved.

8. But the building of the common ground requires the participation and
involvement of everyone. One cannot feel passionately for something in which
one did not play any role. Thus the Singapore 21 vision which promotes the
notion of active citizens seek to encourage more Singaporeans to contribute to

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the well being of our families and communities. This sense of involvement at
any level serves to underscore the process of contributing to the widening of the
common ground which is so important for our survival as a nation.
9. The idea of a nation begins with the individual, then the family, and next
the community. This hierarchy is both top down and bottom up. An individual
who feels for the nation would ensure that his family ties are strong and take an
active role in the community. A nation that is confident and proud will
invariably make the individuals and families feel for it. This relationship is
important for a nation to gel as a people. The glue that binds us as a nation has
to be continually strengthened as it weakens due to external and internal
circumstances.

10. Every individual belongs to a family and to a community. The family is

the first unit that we all relate to. If this unit is weak, then we as members of this
unit will also be weak. But if this unit, the family, is a nurturing one, where one
can find care, love, support, trust, encouragement and be forgiven, then the
individual is strengthened. He or she will feel more confident to face the world
beyond the confines of a home. But a family will undergo stress and face
challenges. This is where the community is important. If the community can step
in and help out, then families will be saved and many individuals will also be
helped and saved. But what is a community? It is made up of your neighbours,
the local grocer, the coffeeshop owner, the day care centre where we send our
kids, the resident committees, and the community centres. These are parts of
your community. These are the people you depend upon to keep an eye on your
house or children when you are busy or away. When I was in the US, I noticed
that HP executives and their families would come down to the neighbourhood
park once a year to do minor repairs and repainting work. Because they cared
for their community, their families concerns are also taken care off. As many
more of such active communities and strong families emerge, the nation will be
strengthened.

11. Strong families mean strong communities. But family ties will undergo
stress because of regionalisation and nuclearisation. Strong and active
communities can help to strengthen families. But communities are weakened as
more individuals seek out more personal goals and strive harder for material
comfort. A nation is strengthened as more individuals participate in community
life. As a nation we will need to continue to lay down visions for the future to
avoid the debilitating effects of contented paralyses.

12. Yet a nation ultimately is made up of individuals, you and me. Hence we
need to examine the many roles we play everyday. A person plays many roles,
e.g., parent, sibling, teacher, national servicemen, student, and volunteer. Each
of these roles though different has a common thread each role is part of our
larger role as a member of the nation. To be active is to strengthen your family

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ties, contribute to your local communities, and be interested in the affairs of the
state. Do we build upon family traditions and seek out new ways to strengthen
our family ties? Do we contribute to the building of our community in our HDB
housing estates? Do we give our opinions on policies that matter to the people?
Do we care enough about others? If our nation, community and family are not
strong, we as individuals will also be affected. Hence what we do as individuals
is as much about us as it is about our family, community and the nation.

13. I grew up at a time when Singapore was just finding her way as a new
nation. Like most Singaporeans, we moved around a lot those days. When I was
staying in a kampong in Changi, we witnessed racial riots in Singapore. The
village headman was a Chinese gentleman. But all the races came together to
form watch parties to ensure the safety of our village. I recall my late father and
his friends taking turns to patrol the dirt roads in my village. It was my first
experience of community self-help.

14. When we moved to another village in Kembangan, I was struck by the

multiracial and multicultural character of the village. My late grandmother had a
stall in front of our house. I recall the many conversations and gossip sessions
she had with her patrons who were Chinese, Malays, Indians and of many other
races. Many a times her conversations were about things which needed to be
done for the village or about new neighbours who had just moved in. This was
my first exposure to a citizens consultative committee in action. They even
discussed the schedule and location of the Chinese Wayang and pasar malam
in our village. They were concerned that our residents should not be affected by
this activity. In fact the Chinese Wayang and pasar malam were located on a
stretch of a dirt road where Malays were staying on both sides of the road. And I
cannot recall any problems arising from this activity. In fact, my friends and I
enjoyed very much the wayang even though we did not understand the dialogue.

15. The point of all these examples is that there are many opportunities for
us as individuals to take an active part in our community and build towards that
common ground. During one of my discussions last year with JC students for
my S21 sub-committee I came across several students who are volunteering
their time for the Cancer Society and other charitable organisations. Several
Malay JC students are giving free tuition to their counterparts in some of the
homes for abandoned children. These examples serve to remind us that people,
be they young or old, can play a part in holding up society together. They
become the social glue that binds us as a community and a nation.

16. The goal of Singapore 21 and National Education is social cohesion.

This is achieved by creating a sense of a people working, living together and
doing things for one another despite racial, ethnic, and religious differences. Out
of this process we expect to find a people who share the same instincts and

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reactions to the crises and challenges facing the nation. Then and only then do
we have a sense of a people and a nation.

17. So how do we really achieve this? Can we build a common sense of

instincts and reactions among disparate groups who may hold different views of
each other? The trust that we want to build among our people can serve to
strengthen the social cohesion that we desire among our people. Yet this trust
can only emerge if there is a greater understanding of each others way of life, a
greater appreciation of each others concerns and dilemmas, and a stronger
conviction that we value each others contribution to nation building even if the
contributions may differ. Take for example the current concerns of the
Malay/Muslim community on the future of madrasahs as a result of the
discussion on compulsory education. That this institution is religious in nature
and therefore occupies a sacred place in the Singapore Malay/Muslim
community life is lost and therefore not appreciated if this issue is seen purely
from an instrumentalist educational point of view. PM Goh understands this and
therefore reassured the community that madrasahs have a role to play in the
Malay/Muslim community. Can we say that the general public shares the same
understanding in Singapore? Similarly can we also say confidently that non-
Chinese Singaporeans appreciate the need of our fellow Chinese Singaporeans
to preserve their language and culture? If we understand why this is needed for
our fellow countrymen, we will not be alarmed by the many campaigns and
programmes to promote the speaking of Mandarin among our Chinese
Singaporeans.

18. In developing the common ground there is also a need to create an

understanding of each others private spaces. If we understand better the needs
and concerns of others, we will be in a better position to determine how the
common ground should be built. And from that understanding a sense of trust
will emerge.

19. What is your role as teachers in this process? What are the signals and
the message that you should send to your students? What do you do with a class
composed of students of different races? As teachers you play a significant role
in the shaping of values, perceptions, and attitudes. Singapore 21 is about active
citizens. I have seen many community involvement projects which are honest in
their intentions but lack the sense of what the involvement is all about. Students
cleaning up the neighbourhood with their mops and brooms must be made to
understand the value of such projects. These projects are but the vehicles by
which we seek to change mindsets and attitudes about helping out in the
community. As teachers you can use these projects to develop this sense of
involvement which will become almost instinctive in our students.

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20. At another level, teachers play a significant role in shaping views and
perceptions. I recall the experience of a teacher in the US who conducted an
experiment for a week to help students to better understand the implications of
racial discrimination. She made students who do not wear glasses treat students
who wear glasses differently. Many who wear glasses are white children. At the
end of the week they reviewed the experiment and found that those who were
discriminated felt very bad about it. They then change roles for another week.
Some of these children eventually grew up and many married people of other
races. Experiments such as this suggest that if you make students understand the
concerns of other groups early enough, there is a better chance of eliminating
negative perceptions and stereotypes in later life.

21. I believe our teachers have a role to play in striving to eliminate negative
perceptions and stereotypes that may exist among our students. More
importantly we can strive to develop an environment in schools where everyone
matters regardless of who they are. If every child with their own abilities and
potential is made to feel that he or she is an equal member of the class, it would
go a long way in enhancing his sense of confidence and esteem. If we look at a
child to understand his concerns, can we do so without linking these to his
ethnic origins? Teachers, without a doubt, have an important role to play in
realising the Singapore 21 vision.

22. Thus as we seek to instill the instincts for survival among our students,
we need to be mindful of the differences of our students. We need to work with
what we have. But we also need to understand the perceptions and attitudes that
we each have of the other. In so doing we can better plan our programmes and
projects which can help to realise the S21 vision and the objectives of the NE
programme.

23. Singapore 21 and NE are two sides of the same coin. NE forms the
principles of our survival and successes. S21 is a matter of our heart, heartbeat
as a nation and our emotional attachments to this country. S21 is the inner and
softer core around which the hardnosed and pragmatic principles of NE resides.
Taken together, they form a potent recipe for nation building in the 21st century.

24. As Singapore moves towards the 21st century, our model notion of a
nation is becoming redefined. We are moving away from the bread and butter
issues of the last 40 years. It is the building of the heartware in every individual
that is important now. The emotional bank which we as a nation will accumulate
in the next century will determine our future. The Singaporean of the future will
be world savvy but have Singapore in his heart wherever he may be. This is the
only way for us to survive as a nation in the fast changing world we are about to
enter.

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25. We are about to enter a new millennium. Our survival as a nation

depends very much on how we as individuals work to strengthen the bonds and
ties of our family, community and nation. We need to bring warmth and comfort
to our families and communities. Hence in the end it is all a matter of the heart.
A heart we will need to keep healthy through our joint efforts and labour.

26. Thank you.

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