Choosing English as working language ensured SG survival

last SG · 2011-09-07T09:57:38+00:00

For those who say that mandarin should be used, remember that most Chinese do not even speak Mandarin, but other dialects. Anyway, in Sri Lanka, Sinhalese wa...

Dalforce 25 SG

so i guess it's a matter of choice between maintaining culture, or having a thriving economy?

I don't see the link between economy and english.

There are many factors in building up a economy. Some countries where english is used like Philippines have a rather undeveloped economy, while others where english is not used, like Japan have a rather developed and industrialised economy.

To say that a language is the no.1 factor in determining the development of economy is a falsehood concocted by Lee Kuan Yew to serve his own narrow agendas.

This type of thinking is a creation of PAP(Lee Kuan Yew) propaganda, it is wrong and must be completely rejected.

gunner77 SG

I like how he keeps saying "We are the only country in the region that uses English as our working language"

Come on, you know and I know that the working language in Singapore is definitely not English.

Dalforce 25 SG

That is garbage and racist.

I firmly reject Harry Lee Kuan Yew's rubbish anglophile propaganda.

Siliconchip SG

This island in the sun should have English as the common language. And British English at that.

This would have generated a Singaporean identity long ago.

Instead now we are no where in creating an identity. Singaporeans are the only people in the world who are generally not proficient in any language. Is that an identity?

It is kind of sad that this is true :(

Siliconchip SG

In what way?

when the british first came here, the island had no humans, though it belonged to johor. So the first language spoken in modern singpaore is English.

Dalforce 25 SG

when the british first came here, the island was had not humans, though it belonged to johor. So the first language spoken in modern singpaore is English.

There were chinese and malays and others in Singapore before 1819. You can check this fact up in history books.

Dalforce 25 SG

It is kind of sad that this is true :(

That is due to the erroneous language and educational policies of the PAP.

They have ruined the linguistic capabilities of people in Singapore and made us a laughing stock to others.

I think the no.1 culprit for these failed policies is Harry Lee Kuan Yew.

If you examine the social policies of Lee Kuan Yew, almost all have failed.

Lee Kuan Yew is incompetent in social affairs.

Siliconchip SG

There were chinese and malays and others in Singapore before 1819. You can check this fact up in history books.

gosh i know that, but I am talking about modern Singapore as a state or country.

Dalforce 25 SG

Harry Lee Kuan Yew is a failure in social policies. He is incompetent in social affairs.

He needs to admit his errors and leave PAP immediately.

troublemaker2005 SG

nothing wrong to retain all the differnt cultures dialect. but english is a minimm must know language. worse some also don;t know you give them a very simple instruction and they come back and ask you for the answer to what you already wrote on the paper.

Siliconchip SG

A problem is that people who learn Mandarin as a 1st language have trouble learning English as a 2nd language.

BanguIzai SG

A problem is that people who learn Mandarin as a 1st language have trouble learning English as a 2nd language.

It will not be a problem if it is mandated we learn all 4 local languages from young (i.e. Malay, Tamil, Chinese, English)

Not just one or two.

Siliconchip SG

It will not be a problem if it is mandated we learn all 4 local languages from young (i.e. Malay, Tamil, Chinese, English)

Not just one or two.

siao. No one is interested in so many languages.

BanguIzai SG

siao. No one is interested in so many languages.

When it is mandated, you got no choice.

troublemaker2005 SG

bird langauge must learn. eveyrwhere people know bird language and wen u know it you can bird it out everyday anywhere with everyone, well...maybe not everyone fancy tokin bird lan though

BanguIzai SG

bird langauge must learn. eveyrwhere people know bird language and wen u know it you can bird it out everyday anywhere with everyone, well...maybe not everyone fancy tokin bird lan though

What's the point of making Malay our national language of Singapore when we don't even teach it to everyone? Rather pretense.

Alloy13 SG

I am not much of a fan of LKY, but I agree it is essential to have English as our main language.

This decision on his part is really a no-brainer. I don't believe there is anything to debate for this. How else to ensure smooth communication between a multi-racial country?

We could have ended up exactly like Malaysia. With 3 races deeply segregated in such a tiny country, chaos WILL ensue.

Imagine how difficult it would be for our citizens to understand what's going on in the rest of the world if our command of English were poor. We will not even be here on SG Forums entering our comments in comprehensible English.

How do you like talking to Bangladeshi construction workers? You DON'T. That could be the state of things among locals simply because you cannot understand your indian or malay friends, if English weren't our main language.

Dalforce 25 SG

How else to ensure smooth communication between a multi-racial country?

But 75% of Singapore population is chinese. I consider using mandarin as dominant language to be no-brainer.

75% chinese BUT use english as dominant language I don't consider that to be no-brainer.

In fact you must come up with a lot of propaganda in order to sell this illogicality to the 75% chinese population.

75% chinese; use mandarin as dominant language, there is no need whatsoever to use false propaganda to sell the idea.

If Malaysia, 75% malay, there is no propaganda necessary to sell malay as dominant language. But if Malaysia 75% malays and you use english as dominant, you must come up with propaganda to sell.

Siliconchip SG

But 75% of Singapore population is chinese. I consider using mandarin as dominant language to be no-brainer.

75% chinese BUT use english as dominant language I don't consider that to be no-brainer.

In fact you must come up with a lot of propaganda in order to sell this illogicality to the 75% chinese population.

75% chinese; use mandarin as dominant language, there is no need whatsoever to use false propaganda to sell the idea.

If Malaysia, 75% malay, there is no propaganda necessary to sell malay as dominant language. But if Malaysia 75% malays and you use english as dominant, you must come up with propaganda to sell.

Seems like you only understand 'no-brainer's (for obvious reasons), and can't think clearly or deeply enough to see why English was the right choice.

Dalforce 25 SG

Seems like you only understand 'no-brainer's (for obvious reasons), and can't think clearly or deeply enough to see why English was the right choice.

How is english right choice? I see no reason whatsoever how on earth english as dominant language in Singapore can be right choice.

I think english as dominant language is totally and completely the wrong choice in Singapore.

"I said that using a certain language to create a culture, the culture created can at best be a commercial culture, or technology culture, or we may call it pasar culture.

It has no roots, and identifies itself with a certain material interest. It is the product of expediency.

"It is like duckweed, floating at the harbour. When it absorbs fertilisers, it will flourish very quickly. But once it rains and floods set in, it will perish,"

http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/independence/ref/plen3.html

http://tajikam.com/forum/index.php?topic=5302.0

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