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Culture of Singapore Life in Singapore Culture Dance Demographics Driving Economy Education Film Holidays Languages Literature Music Politics Religion Singlish Sports Transport As Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European immigrants, the culture of Singa- pore expresses the diversity of the popula- tion as the various ethnic groups continue to celebrate their own cultures while they inter- mingle with one another. For example, one can find a Malay wedding taking place beside a Chinese funeral at a void deck, on the ground floor of a HDB apartment block. This can be said to be due to the policies of the HDB which tried to make sure all public housing have a diverse mix of races. However, Singapore has achieved a signific- ant degree of cultural diffusion with its unique combination of these ethnic groups, and has given Singapore a rich mixture of di- versity for its young age. Singapore has sev- eral distinct ethnic neighborhoods, including Little India, Chinatown and Kampong Glam, formed by the Raffles Plan of Singapore in the early 19th century to segregate the new immigrants into specific areas. Although the population are no longer segregated in distri- bution, mainly due to the policies of the Housing Development Board and the ruling People’s Action Party, these ethnic neighbor- hoods retain unique elements of their specific culture. The usage of such neighborhoods is mostly commercial or for cottage industry specific to the culture of its ethnic neighbor- hood, and no longer plays a large part in housing the population, although it was once used for that purpose. Hence, these neigh- borhoods have patronage of all races who wish to either eat or buy something specific to that culture. For example, Little India is known and patronized by all races within the population for its thalis-- South Indian "buffets" that are vegetarian and served on the traditional banana leaves. These neigh- borhoods are accessible by public transport, especially by Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). In other parts of the country, such segregation is discouraged by government policy. The policies of the Housing Development Board are designed to encourage a mix of all races within each housing district, with a quota system in place to achieve a minimum of minorities in each block. This effect can be observed in all parts of the country; for ex- ample a store devoted to selling Malay food might be right next to stores selling Chinese or Indian goods. The aim is to foster social cohesion and national loyalty, which Lee Kuan Yew felt was crucial for sustaining Singapore after independence when he was Prime Minister. There is a weighty emphasis on racial harmony and subsequent case study of historical events, such as the 1964 Race Riots. Festivals Singapore multi-ethnicity is represented in many ways, including commemorative post- age stamps illustrating festivals originated from different cultures. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Singapore 1 The major public holidays reflect the men- tioned racial diversity, including Chinese New Year, Buddhist Vesak Day, Muslim Eid ul-Fitr (known locally by its Malay name Hari Raya Puasa), and Hindu Diwali (known loc- ally by its Tamil name Deepavali). Christians constitute a large and rapidly growing minor- ity, and Christmas Day, Good Friday, and New Year’s Day are also public holidays. On August 9, Singapore celebrates the an- niversary of its independence with a series of events, including the National Day Parade which is the main ceremony. The National Day Parade, 2005 was held at the Padang in the city centre. Religion Sri Mariamman Temple, built in 1843, is the largest Hindu temple in Singapore. Singapore is a multi-religious country, the roots of which can be traced to its strategic location; after its declaration as a port, a wide variety of nationalities and ethnicities from places as far as Arabia immigrated to Singapore. More than 40% of the Singapor- eans adhere to Buddhism, the main faith of the Chinese population of Singapore. Other Chinese are followers of Taoism, Confucian- ism, and Christianity. Christians constitute about 14% of the population of Singapore. Most Malays are Muslims, who constitute about 15% of the population, while most Indi- ans are Hindus, constituting 7%. There is also a sizable number of Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian population. As a result of this diversity, there are a large number of reli- gious buildings including Hindu temples, churches and mosques, some of which have great historical significance. There are also some Sikh temples and Jewish synagogues. These interesting buildings often became prominent architectural landmarks in cosmo- politan Singapore. In addition, about 14% of Singaporeans do not belong to any religion and consider themselves as "free-thinkers". Racial harmony Racial harmony is an important concept in Singaporean society. Briefly shaken by the racial riots in Singapore’s history during the 1960s, it emerged stronger after independ- ence and is seen as a cornerstone of Singa- pore’s culture today. Religious tolerance has been strongly encouraged since the British colonised Singapore; the Sri Mariamman Temple (a south Indian Hindu temple that was declared a national heritage site in the 1980s), as well as the Masjid Jamae Mosque that served Chulia Muslims from India’s Coromandel Coast is situated along South Bridge Road, which is a major, and old road that runs through Chinatown. Among other religious landmarks is the Church of Gregory the Illuminator, that was built in 1836, mak- ing it one of the oldest religious buildings in Singapore. It has been preserved to the present day, and Orthodox services continue to be held in it. Although orthodox religions are tolerated, some groups are banned, in- cluding Jehovah’s Witness, which opposes Singapore’s policy of national service. Cuisine Singaporean cuisine is also a prime example of diversity and cultural diffusion in Singa- pore. In Singapore’s hawker centres, for ex- ample, traditionally Malay hawker stalls selling halal food may serve halal versions of traditionally Tamil food. Chinese stalls may introduce Malay ingredients, cooking tech- niques or entire dishes into their range of ca- tering. This continues to make the cuisine of Singapore significantly rich and a cultural at- traction. Singaporeans also enjoy a wide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Singapore 2 variety of seafood including crabs, clams, squid, and oysters. One favorite dish is the stingray barbecued and served on banana leaf and with sambal (chilli). Language Coxford Singlish Dictionary, a book on Singlish There are four official languages in Singa- pore: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. In general, English tends to be the language spoken widely in the business, education and government sector of Singapore. But collo- quially, the Singaporean also speaks a di- verse and mixed language that can involve English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, depend- ing on the circle one is associated with, the age group, the race and the location. The English used is primarily British English, with some American English influences. The local colloquial dialect of English is known formally as Singapore Colloquial English (though it is more commonly called "Singlish"), and has many creole-like charac- teristics, having incorporated much vocabu- lary and grammar from various Chinese dia- lects, Malay, and Indian languages. Singlish is basically identical to Manglish (the English dialect of Malaysia), and is the usual lan- guage on the streets, but is frowned upon in official contexts, and this matter has been brought up in recent years in the Parliament and the ruling party. English used among the population generally became more wide- spread after the implementation of English as a first language medium in the Singapore education system in 1980. Mandarin Chinese is the second most commonly-spoken lan- guage among the Singaporean Chinese popu- lation. It became widespread after the start of the Speak Mandarin campaign during 1980, which aims to make Mandarin the com- mon speech tongue among the Chinese in Singapore. In 1990s, effort was taken to tar- get the English-educated Chinese. Colloqui- ally (on street), the Mandarin in Singapore is spoken in a mixed way similar to Singlish, in which Mandarin is often mixed with other Chinese dialects, English or Malay words. Such colloquial Dialect is known as Singdarin. Performing arts Singapore is emerging as a cultural centre for arts and culture, including theatre and music. As a cosmopolitan and multi-racial so- ciety, Singapore is often identified with the "gateway between the East and West". In the past decade, there is an emergence of sever- al performing arts groups in Singapore, espe- cially in theatrical arts. A number of produc- tions were staged successfully and several groups, such as TheatreWorks, have per- formed overseas. In recent years, more and more contemporary dance companies were formed as dancers from pioneering compan- ies become individual artists. The Singapore government encourages a product-oriented arts scene within its master plan to include arts as a commodity for its economy, true ex- plorations and innovation exist but at a level that is not well funded. However, the local scene of constructive arts critics is still much under developed and often subjective in tone. Most prominent events and venues are gov- ernment operated and normally with an inter- national focus. For indigenous artistic works, it’s best to explore and find out about local private arts companies. Another festival that is going strong is the Singapore Youth Festiv- al organised by the Ministry of Education, in fact, it has become a magnet that provide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Singapore 3 bread and butter works for local performing artists to work for most local schools to com- pete for the gold! Funding for these arts com- panies are divided into different class, some are government inititiated companies and may received direct funding from the govern- ment (eg Singapore Symphony Orchestra) while others will need to apply for funding through the National Arts Council. At the mo- ment, major grants are given to mainly west- ern and ethnic cultural companies to signify them as the flagship companies of Singapore. Due to the limited physical space of Singa- pore, arts groups and companies are also rel- atively dependent on housing arrangement and provision by the government. So far, the issue on space is still one of the major factors that influence performing arts making in Singapore. A much more vibrant local scene may evolved if this issue can be carefully re- solved. Singapore hosts an annual Singapore Arts Festival when international and local artists gather in the country to perform in a wide variety of events including music, dance and theatre. The Singapore Arts Festival has become an event for Singapore to showcase its ability to buy international renowned per- forming arts products. In 2003, the Es- planade - "Theatres on the Bay", a centre for performing arts, was opened. The Esplanade is also known as "The Durian", due to its re- semblance to the fruit. Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and LASALLE College of the Arts are the two main arts institutions offering full-time programmes for the per- forming arts in Singapore. Institutions includ- ing government schools nowadays receive good funding for their arts programmes. Cultural policy Further information: Censorship in Singapore Singapore is a relentlessly G-rated experience, micromanaged by a state that has the look and feel of a very large corporation. ... There’s a certain white-shirted constraint, an absolute humorlessness in the way Singapore Ltd. operates; conformity here is the prime directive, and the fuzzier brands of creativity are in ex- tremely short supply. —William Gibson, "Disneyland with the Death Penalty", Wired Issue 1.04, September 1993. Singapore maintains tight restrictions on arts and cultural performances. Most artistic works have to be vetted by the government in advance, and topics that breach so-called out of bounds markers (OB markers) are not per- mitted. While the OB markers are not pub- licly defined, they are generally assumed to include sensitive topics such as race, reli- gion, and allegations of corruption or nepot- ism in government. Nudity and other forms of loosely-defined "obscenity" are also banned. Singaporean film director Royston Tan has produced movies which challenge these policies, including a movie called Cut in ref- erence to censorship of the arts.[1]. The coun- try’s first pre-tertiary arts school, The Arts School, is currently being built at Kirk Ter- race. Expected to commence in 2008, the school aims to provide an environment for nurturing young artists aged between 13 and 18 years old. There has been much public rhetoric about liberalization and its associ- ation with the development of a creative eco- nomy in Singapore. The response from artists, academics, public intellectuals, and civil society activists has ranged from strongly optimistic to deeply pessimistic, as reflected in the chapters written for edited book Renaissance Singapore? Economy, Cul- ture, and Politics. Culture Enjoying Singaporean cuisine is a national pastime. Hawker centres and kopi tiams are well-distributed throughout the country. Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of an indigenous Malay population with a third generation Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants with some intermarriages. There also exist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Singapore 4 The majority of Singaporeans live in planned estates of high-rise, high-density, high-priced HDB flats. Eurasian and Peranakan (known also as ’Straits Chinese’) communities. Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cul- tural diffusion with its unique combination of these ethnic groups, and this has given Singapore a rich mixture of diversity for its young age. One of the prime examples is in Singaporean cuisine, often a cultural attrac- tion for tourists. The English used is primarily British Eng- lish, with some American English influences. The local colloquial dialect of English is Sing- lish, which has many creole-like characterist- ics, having incorporated vocabulary and grammar from various Chinese dialects, Malay, and Indian languages. Singlish is spoken commonly on the streets, but the gov- ernment frowns upon its use in official con- texts. English became widespread in Singa- pore after it was implemented as a first lan- guage medium in the education system, and English is the most common language in Singaporean literature. Singapore has sever- al ethnic neighbourhoods, including Little India and Chinatown. These were formed un- der the Raffles Plan to originally segregate the immigrants, but now have a diverse pat- ronage whose main intentions are to either eat or buy something specific to that culture. Many places of worship were also construc- ted during the colonial era, a practice en- couraged by the British to promote religious tolerance. Sri Mariamman Temple, the Masjid Jamae Mosque and the Church of Gregory the Illuminator are among those that were built during the colonial period. Work is now underway to preserve these religious sites as National Monuments of Singapore. The policy for the primarily commercial eth- nic neighbourhoods stands in contrast to the housing policies of the Housing and Develop- ment Board (HDB). HDB policies attempt to promote a mix of all races within each hous- ing district in order to foster social cohesion and national loyalty. Creative writing Singapore has a rich heritage in Creative Writing in the Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English Languages. While there is more em- phasis on social and patriotic themes in Malay, Chinese and Tamil, the writer in Eng- lish finds himself (or herself) more comfort- able in the analysis of the individual and his motivations. For the writer in Tamil, Chinese and Malay, a healthy concern with the partic- ulars of everyday life (one could say the minutae of living) and the interweaving of these into the fabric of larger nationalistic, patriotic social events is in no way an offens- ive experience -- in fact it is expected. The writer in English seems more concerned with discovering an image of the individual self, or extrapolating human experience. The social milieu of the English educated is a middle class one and they have middle class preten- sions. The middle class preoccupation with the self has over the years pervaded the con- sciousness of the modern Chinese and Malay writers and is what made it possible for their identification with writers using the English Language. The writer in the English lan- guage was a comparatively later phenomen- on. Creative writing in English is traced to the establishment in Singapore of an institu- tion of higher education in the arts and sci- ences, Raffles College, which subsequently became the University of Malaya in Singa- pore together with the King Edward VII From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Singapore 5 Medical College. One of the high points in writing in English was the early and mid- fifties when a rising anti-colonial nationalism was at play and contributed to the desire to be identified as "Malayan". The poems of Wang Gungwu, Lim Thean Soo and Augustine Goh Sin Tub from this period are in a cat- egory by themselves. Except for Wang who managed to move into some detached social poems, the rest are mostly personal and ex- perimental in their use of language. The im- agery is for most part forcedly local with rub- ber trees, durians, laterite etc appearing again and again as do words and phrases from Malay and Chinese. This led to the coin- ing of the word "Engmalchin" to explain the highly rarefied, nationalistic application of such languages in poems in English. In the mid-fifties and early sixties there rose a group of writers in English, only a few of whom are alive today--Ee Tiang Hong, Edwin Thumboo, Lloyd Fernando and Oliver Seet. A "younger" group among whom Wong Phui Nam was most outstanding arose a few years later and moved away from the conscious Malayaness of their immediate predecessors, but found themselves unsure of direction; though convinced of their interest in writing. During this period (1950-1963), prose writing was almost negligible. Herman Hochstadt’s "The Compact and Other Stories" is about the only collection. Lloyd Fernando, then a short story writer, published his first novel after 20 years. Of the other writers, Awang Kedua (Wang Gung Wu, again) had surest control of language and development of theme. It was however, poetry and not prose that surged forward in the sixties beginning with Robert Yeo, Dudely de Souza, Arthur Yap(died in 2006) and Wong May. The achievements of these writers were consolidated and enlarged by the establilshment of "FOCUS", the journ- al of the Literary Society of the University of Singapore, so much so that when the next group of writers, Lee Tzu Pheng, Mohd Hj Salleh, Yeo Bock Cheng, Pang Khye Guan, Syed Alwi Shahab and Chandran Nair(now living in Paris) arrived at the University in 1965, there was already in existence within the confines of the University, a micro-tradi- tion of writing and publishing in English. The arrival of Edwin Thumboo to the English De- partment from the Civil Service was an ad- ded impetus. At around this time too, Goh Poh Seng (now living in Canada), who had ac- tually taken a year off to do nothing but write in Dublin and London (and almost starved as a result), arrived to begin work as a Medical Officer at the General Hospital. He started "TUMASEK" a journal for the publication of Singapore/Malayan writing; the fourth such attempt -- the first being "WRITE" begun by Herman Hochstadt and others in the late 1950s; the second,"MONSOON" edited by Lim Siew Wai in the early sixties; the third, the aforementioned "FOCUS". "TUMASEK" however followed "MONSOON" into death after a few issues but Goh pushed forward undaunted and founded together with Lim Kok Ann, CENTRE 65 which presented the first ever "Poetry and Folk Music Festival" to Singaporeans at the Cultural Centre in 1966. The Centre provided Goh with the framework to develop as a playwright beginning with his "Moon is Less Bright" and going on to "When Smiles are Done". Goh later decided that his particular field was prose; "The Immolation" being his first novel. The poets of the mid-six- ties extended their style and techniques in the seventies and published in local and in- ternational journals and also in individual collections--Robert Yeo’s "Coming Home Baby" and Arthur Yap’s "Only Lines" in 1971, Chandran Nair’s "Once the Horsemen and Other Poems" in 1972, and "After the Hard Hours, This Rain" in 1975. The impetus of the sixties was carried over into the seventies and among the names that emerged in poetry were Chung Yee Chong, Sng Boh Kim, Ernest Lim, and Geraldine Heng, who achieved a re- markable fluency of style in a single volume work, "White Dreams". Today the younger poets writing in English, Leong Liew Geok, Angeline Yap, Boey Kim Cheng, Heng Siok Ti- an, Paul Tan, Yong Shu Hoong, Cyril Wong and Felix Cheong, show a more "diffusive" sensibility: rather than treating the self as linked to a core or primal place or time (Singapore before independence, a childhood haunt), their poems are conscious of the change and flux, the dispersions and returns which are appropriate to comtemprorary Singapore society. References [1] Jake Lloyd Smith, 24 July 2004. Singapore filmmaker takes Cut at censors, Houston Chronicle, retrieved January 25, 2006 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Singapore 6 Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Singapore" Categories: Singaporean culture This page was last modified on 5 May 2009, at 12:13 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax- deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Singapore 7
