Hobsbawm Swot Analysis

Besides myth making, the government also seeks to foster a sense of solidarity through national symbol. First of all, there is the construction of the Merlion, a creature associated with pre-colonial Singapore. The mystical creature has a lion head and a fish-like body. The former recalls the legend of the rediscovery of Singapore (then known as Singapura), while the latter symbolises the ancient city of Temasek as well as Singapore’s humble beginning as a fishing village. This creature is used by the government as the national mascot and personification of the country. In Hobsbawm’s term, the Merlion would be a national symbol that is used by the ruling authority to remind people of their common past.

On the other hand, various forms

However, this intention backfires. Rather than emphasising “Singaporeanness”, the authority downplays truly local attributes. For instance, the colloquial Singaporean English commonly known as “Singlish” is not promoted because it is perceived to be “bad” English. Whereas Chinese dialects such as Cantonese, Hokkein, Teochew and Hakka are banned in favour of the Speak Mandarin Campaign. While the promotion of vernacular and standardised language did facilitate understanding between racial groups, it also resulted in the erosion of our heritage and “Singaporeanness”. As such, the constructed Singaporean identity is more of one that includes subtle elements of racial distinction rather than one that every Singaporean of different racial group can relate to.

In fact, the following section will discuss how the government eventually turned to include primordial element such as race (or ethnicity) in the construction of a nation. Since the 1980s, the civic nationalism that the authority has always prided itself on metamorphosed into ethno-nationalism. Attempts to promote “Chineseness” were and still are prevalent, albeit subtly and tacitly. Thus, it creates the situation whereby the minority ethnic communities are forced to accept a Chinese-dominated and Chinese-generated

Indeed, in Singapore, each racial group is associated with corresponding characteristics deemed to be inborn and unchangeable. For instance, the Malays are perceived to be naturally lazy and are bereft of the drive to be successful. These prejudices are fed by the common sight of Malays lazing around void decks after school instead of going home and study like a Chinese would do – another racial stereotype. The situation is made worse by the fact that there are proportionately more Chinese in the higher-paying jobs than Malays or Indians. Thus, Singaporean identity that emerged from the nation building project is ultimately