Originally posted by blueheeler:
I cut&paste this about the pledge from my blog "
Singaporeans know it by heart. How can we not? From ages 7 to 16, we said this every Monday-Friday in school. We repeated this so often that we just concentrated on the 'sounds', as not many of us actually THOUGHT about what it means.
So, here is the pledge. Please read it slowly, allowing the meaning of each word to sink in. Then as you finish, allow the meaning of the entire pledge to sink in...
Our Pledge
We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
On hindsight, the pledge reads well; a little too well if you asked me. While the key words are simple enough to be understood, I find that this ease of comprehension lulls us into agreeing with the ideals inherent in the pledge; it lulls us into complacency. We get complacent because it appears that S'pore is currently 'living out' the pledge; as if everything written already exists here in sunny S'pore.
In S'pore, do we really subscribe to the notion of "regardless of race, language or religion"? Can a Malay or Indian become prime minister or defence minister? Can a non-English speaking S'porean become an MP? And what about peace-loving Jehovah's Witness serving jailtime in S'pore as they refuse to carry arms during compulsory army-training? Maybe "regardless of race, language or religion" should be removed if we keep mouthing the words but not put it 100% into practice.
How about "to build a democratic society"? Yes, time and again the govt emphasise we are a democracy: we hold regular elections where (almost) everybody can contest and/or vote. Does the buck stop here? How many democracies in world have been ruled by the same ruling party for the past 40 years...uninterrupted?? And how about the 'independent' Elections Commission in S'pore; one that reports to the prime minister's office? Maybe "to build a democratic society" should be removed if we keep mouthing the words but not put it 100% into practice.
What then "based on justice and equality"? Surely with the govt using the term 'meritocracy' ad nasuem, there must be some truth in it, right? S'pore's brand of justice is swift and efficient, I agree. But what about justice for 'overseers' whose oversight resulted in run-ins with the law/establishment? The continuing NKF saga appears to have not put the Ministries overseeing it into the spotlight? But why not, since these ministries gave NKF the 'permit' - and thus tacit 'oversight' - to operate? Where is the 'justice' for the incompetent head-honchos of the Info-Devpt Authority who overpaid Singtel S$300,000,000 (yes, 300 million)? And what about 'equality', especially with all this talk about the tangible elite/commoner divide in S'pore? Maybe "based on justice and equality" should be removed if we keep mouthing the words but not put it 100% into practice.
And finally, "so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation". "Happiness"? Is the 70 year old who has to work 12-hr-days cleaning our foodcourt rubbish 'happy'? If the exec works 60hr weeks just so to pay off his Jaguar and landed property, while neglecting his family, "happy"? We have "progressed" in many tangible areas, but what about civic-mindedness, or political consciousness, or environmental awareness? Has our conscience "progressed"??
But I do agree 100% that we have achieved "prosperity". No questions about that.
So, there you have it....I've edited our new pledge; one that truly reflects what S'pore is today:
Our Pledge
We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
so as to achieve prosperity for our nation.
I understand where you are getting at but National Anthems also got like copyright mah! and cannot be changed according to Government policies.Otherwise all the Anthems of the World could undergo changes every once in a while.Our hearts interprete songs differently so for some SIngaporeans of the lines to the lyrics is still OK WAT! Imagine yourself singing a pop song and deleting the parts where you dont agree.So you open your mouth to sing then stop at certain part and then sing again.......cartoon rite!!!??
