Singapore Nation Building Essay

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After separation from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore was faced with many challenges such as a growing population, a declining trade economy, lack of a strong defence force. In order to build the Singapore nation that we inspire to be, tangible structures were needed. These structures serve to build the foundation for nation building in Singapore. Examples of such structures include defence, housing, economic growth, education among many others. Even until present times, these structures are still important in our nation. Over time, the significance of these structures does not lessen nor does it hamper nation-building efforts. Instead, it continues to further strengthening and supplementing current nation-building efforts.

Michael Leifer defines nation building as ‘…the creation by government of a cohesive political community characterized by an abiding sense of identity and common consciousness’ [1]. For Singapore, as a new independent state, the goal would then be to create the sense of belonging and togetherness in its citizens. As such, the main structures used in building a Singapore nation would be through defence, housing and education.

When Singapore separated from Malaysia, defence became a …show more content…

There will always be the need for a defence force to protect Singapore from any internal or external threats. Even with diplomatic agreements between nations, a defence force is still needed to protect the sovereignty of the country and as a safeguard measure for any unforeseen circumstances. This is evident in the yearly budget from 2008 to 2014; the total expenditure on the defence sector shows a yearly increase [2]. This shows that the significance of defence to Singapore is almost uniform and is increasing over time. The fact that defence is a key factor in the development and safeguarding of Singapore suggests that it will always be significant and will not decrease with

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