Why Students Drove, and will Drive, Social Change in Singapore
A healthy dose of personal opinion is embedded in this blog post. I welcome disagreement - please leave comments.
Significant history of student political activism in Asia
The foolish youths tend to agitate change - student activism has at least 50 years of history in most parts of the world, including Asia. For example, China had the May Fourth movement in 1919. Where collectivism is supposedly prized over individualism, students wielded their power in the 1960s for Japan and the 1910s, 50s, 60s, 70s for South Korea. These examples show that student activism isn't a recent phenomenon in Asia. On the contrary, student activism may have receded in some Asian countries in the most recent decades.
In Asia, "academic elite" as "countervailing force " in politics is not recent
In Asian countries previously colonized by the British, French, Dutch and Portuguese, the academic elite was a powerful driving force to counter the colonial establishment. Since the emergence of such politicians occurred in the years immediately following World War II, it is not a recent phenomenon. A possibly more accurate description would be that academic elite as a countervailing force in Asian politics has cycled through peaks and troughs, but in some countries their influence has never gone away.
Low level of student political activism in Singapore is not caused by high proportion of students living at home with parents
The student actions in 1954 against conscription in Singapore and in 1956 against anti-communist measures were executed mainly by middle school students (another link here). Students were mainly active in two high schools: Chung Cheng High School and the Chinese High School. In the 1950s, these students would have lived at home with their parents (with the obvious exception when they were engaged in sit-ins at the high schools).
Student political activism regarding Singapore by those not living at home with parents seemingly low today
(Warning: Contentious) During "Confluence," the "Global Students Ministerial Dialog" held in summer 2006 in Singapore, Singapore students studying abroad were given the opportunity to discuss their concerns with Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean. Most of the questions asked were rhetoric and amounted to fawning. Not surprising, since many scholarship holders were present, while Singaporeans studying abroad who have set their minds on leaving were absent. Some scholars may somehow feel obliged to agree with the ruling party for their future. Ironically, the ruling party is probably looking for the next generation of leaders who need to connect to the post-post-65ers and cannot survive the eventually post-LKY, new media world by nodding yes.
Student political activism in Asia significantly influenced by students abroad
For countries like Vietnam, Burma and Sri Lanka, instability at home has prompted many students to study and eventually live abroad. The diaspora (some in exile) have exerted incredible financial and political influence over events at home. For example, since the process of decolonization began, Sri Lanka was shaped by several prominent leaders like D S Senanayake and G G Ponnambalam who were educated in Oxford and Cambridge. Prior to her return to Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi was at Oxford.
The future of student-driven social change in Singapore
As more Singaporeans study abroad and more foreigners study in Singapore, and as more youths are active in blogging, we can expect greater interest in the determination of social policies in Singapore. When Singapore disallowed foreign universities setting up campuses in Singapore from engaging in potentially sensitive political/social research, the University of Warwick declined to establish themselves here. As we compete to be the education center of Asia (to be the Cambridge/Boston of Asia), as we consider starting liberal arts colleges, we must inevitably allow more media and political freedom. We Singaporeans have tended to be pessimistic about our political future and give ourselves too little credit. I believe students will drive social change of the future. As a Singaporean student, I will walk my talk.
Further reading:
- Yawningbread on student activism in Singapore
- An academic paper on the history of student activism in Singapore
4 comments:
Hi,
I am sorry to deflate your balloon.
I have no doubt that you will walk the talk but sadly, you will be in the minority of Sg students who have any interest in anything else other than their career and the other C's.
Overseas students- don't hold your breath. Who are these Sg students who are in the Ivy Leagues and other great liberal arts colleges? Sg Govt scholarship holders who when they come home are for a cultural shock. The culture of Temasek-linked companies or the civil service. After trying to change the world the 1st 1-2 years after returning, they will settle into the rat race and corporate ladder climbing and most likely be one of unrecognisable white shirts in the establishment.
Sigh!
The truth is starting to hurt me too.
I am feeling the futility of all this.
What say you?
Dr.Huang
Hi Dr.
thank you for consistently leaving comments for my posts. I also appreciate your sensitive and humble way of saying "I'm sorry you're wrong."
No doubt many Sg students still focus on $ and career, but with so many kids on the Internet blogging, somehow somewhere the change will start. As Prof Henry Jenkins of MIT's media program argues, students first pick up skills like Photoshop/Videocaming for activities like blogging about themselves (eg: of themselves skateboarding) or about their favorite anime and manga. Eventually some of them transfer their skills to agitating social change. You might want to read his book, it's called "Convergence Culture." You can watch Jenkins in action in some videos on MITWorld http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/396/
Yes I've heard stories plenty about scholars who failed to change their agencies or worse, the becoming-one-of-them stories. Well, I guess I'm an optimist who takes practical action. No point believing stories and feeling sad. It's futile to feel futile?
Yup, thanks for sharing, and I hope you find Jenkins' ideas illuminating.
Hi there,
I would say that students and the young have much role to play in Singapore, no doubt about it. But due to the pervasive social engineering, students of modern days have somehow lost the interests of social concerns.
Materialism is sold by the authority and Singaporeans at large have accepted that materialism should be their first concern. Even the office of ministerial posts has become a symbol of materialism instead of the honor and privilege to serve the society.
The deliberate de-politicization of the population, especially through the education system is devastating to the country. The lack of political talents in modern Singapore is the direct result of this deliberate de-politicization process.
While some intellects or professionals may want to engage in active citizenry in the form of social-political front, but history has shown that PAP is not ready to open up for such active citizen participation.
I think more could be explored in what will happen in the "post-LKY era". I have written an article on "post-LKY era" in my blog. Hope it would be useful to you as a historical reference to what could happen in such situation.
Goh Meng Seng
While I agree that youths today appear more apathetic, I'm pretty sure it is not exclusive to Singapore. In other words, I'm not sure if that can be attributed to supposed social engineering by the PAP.
But as you indicate, whether the PAP is ready or not, the world is changing, Singapore is changing, and we might see a different political field in the future.
Thanks for your comment, and I've already read your article on post-LKY before you mentioned it. It's an intriguing idea that Seah Chiang Nee over at LittleSpeck is talking about too.
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