Singapore National Identity Essay

The idea of a 'nation' is very broad and it encompasses many factors which eventually boil down to one significant concept which is the sense of national affiliation or national identity where members of the nation have common memories, common heritage and common experiences .Applying the idea of 'nation' into the Singapore context, a Singapore nation means a sense of national solidarity and collective identity amongst Singaporeans which will translate into a sense of national pride and affiliation to Singapore. The Japanese Occupation years which had a transformative effect on the history of Singapore, was the sole experience of war in living memory for Singaporeans, thus this dark period in Singapore's history has been used extensively to establish a shared memory which contributes to the construction of a Singapore national identity .

I will be presenting my arguments with regards to my stance in this essay.
The traumatising Japanese Occupation years shattered the invincibility of the British empire and revealed to the people that the colonial powers had no legitimacy to govern Singapore . The

This is because the different races were treated differently by the Japanese; the Chinese and the Eurasians were treated brutally whereas the Indians and the Malays received less hostile treatment from the Japanese . Thus there may have been a lack of shared wartime experiences and common suffering among races, which could have weakened the forge of national consciousness and national