Nation-building in Singapore: AY 2014-5

HY2229/SSA2204: Lecture 1
SINGAPORE AN UNLIKELY NATION
A.

Introduction

What is Nation-building?

Defining Nation-Building:
the creation by government of a cohesive political community
characterized by an abiding sense of identity and common consciousness.
(Michael Leifer, Dilemmas of Statehood in Southeast Asia)
the process by which people transfer their commitment and loyalty
from smaller tribes and villages to the larger central political system.
(Chan Heng Chee, Nation-Building in Southeast Asia: The Singapore
Case)

Aspects of Nation-Building

Legitimate government to spearhead process

Creation of national identity

Economic viability

Nation-building in History
The process was prominent in new states after decolonization and in
post-conflict states in recent history.

Why is Nation-building important?

International stability nation-building seen as a strategy for ensuring

political stability in key post-conflict states so as to maintain regional and
international security and stability.

Internal development nation-building seen as a strategy for

modernization and socio-economic and political development

Success stories?

Not all are success stories mixed outcomes in new states like the
Philippines (1946), Sri Lanka (1948), Myanmar (1948), Indonesia (1949).
Economic indicators: per capital GDP as follows (2013):
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B.

Philippines: US$4400
Sri Lanka: US$6000
Myanmar: US$1600
Indonesia: US$4900

Singapore A success story?

An unlikely nation

Economic Indicators

But after 49 years of nation-building, Singapore, only 1/3000 the size of

Indonesia, has a per capital GDP that is about 12 times Indonesias with 65
years of nation-building.

Singapore has been consistently ranked as one of the most competitive

nations and best places for business in the world.

Political Indicators

Not given much hope to be a nation in 1965 because of its small size,
various races and cultures, lack of natural resources, and vulnerability.

Politically, Singapore is also one of the most stable societies in

Asia; it has been ranked as the country with the lowest political risk in the
Asia-Pacific region. It has a government that responds rapidly and
decisively.

Social Indicators
Socially, Singapore has been ranked as Asias top place to live, work, and
play with one of the best quality of life in Asia.

Too early to tell?

Nation-building takes time

Pre-requisites are lacking

o
Singapore does not meet R. Emersons definition of a nation: it
lacks a single people speaking the same language, possessing a
distinctive culture, and shaped into a common mould by many
generations of shared historical experiences.

New Paper Survey in 1996 revealed how the post-1965

generation knew little about Singapores recent history. The launch
of National Education in the school curriculum in 1997 was an
attempt to address this problem.
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C.

Challenges to Nation-Building

External challenges

There are technological, ideological, political and economic forces being

unleashed that could threaten the nation-building process.

The success of globalization could imply the weakening of the nationstate.

globalization refers to compression of the world and the intensification
of consciousness of the world as a whole (Robertson); intensification
of world-wide social relations which link distant localities in such a way
that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away
and vice versa (Giddens); A social process in which the constraints of
geography on economic, political, social and cultural arrangements
recede, in which people become increasingly aware that they are
receding and in which people act accordingly (Waters)

Internal challenges

External developments could also impact internal stability and cohesion.

The challenge of globalization, for eg., affects Singapores nation-building
in a number of ways:
o How to keep Singaporeans rooted to Singapore
Goh Chok Tong: Whether we like it or not, more Singaporeans will
take wing, given the pace of globalization and their own personal
mobility the issue of concern to us is whether they will become
less rooted to Singapore. (1999)
o How to maintain mutual trust among communities
Goh Chok Tong: The discovery of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)
network after 911 shocked our people. I was worried that it could
break the trust between our Muslim and other communities.
(2004)
o How to ensure Singapores economic survival
Re-structure the economy: eg. by lowering income tax, raising the
GST, cutting CPF contribution to reduce business cost, promoting
wage restructuring to link wages to profits and productivity,
promoting new areas of growth, including growing the services
sector.
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 Strengthen external linkages: eg. by advancing free trade on three

fronts multilaterally at the WTO1, regionally through ASEAN2
and APEC3, as well as bilaterally through FTAs4.
Embracing competition: eg. by allowing external competition to
motivate domestic competitiveness such as welcoming budget
carriers even though its national carrier, Singapore Airlines, will
have to compete harder.
o How to manage social discontent
New challenges arising: widening income gap, foreign talent issue,
housing and transport woes, etc.
D.

Conclusion

Singapore is it more a city than a state?

Singapore is a city-state and, increasingly, more a city than a state. From one
perspective, Singapore appears to be a strong state in the way we maintain law and order.
From another perspective, Singapore has very little control over the conditions of its
existence. Our trade is three and a half-times our GDP. We have no assured
hinterland. Ships come to our port and aircraft to our airport not because they have to but
because they want to. People come and go like the grains of sand that get washed on and
off the beach. We have no natural resources. We can never overtax or overly redistribute
wealth because that will quickly drive businesses and businessmen away. But we do have
a relatively well-run city administration which keeps the peace, facilitates economic
activity and enables a diverse cultural heritage to flourish. Thus, Singapore is, in a sense,
a weak state but a strong city.
George Yeo, 1993.

Assoc Prof Albert Lau

12 August 2014

World Trade Organization

Association of Southeast Asian Nations
3
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
4
Free Trade Agreements
2