ENGLISH will remain Singapore's master language even as the
country nurtures more bilingual talents who can do business with
China, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said on Thursday.
'The command of English is a decisive factor for the career path
and promotion prospects of all Singaporeans.
'For Chinese Singaporeans, Mandarin will be an added economic
advantage with a thriving economy in China for many years to come,'
he said.
Even new residents from China know they will not go far without
an adequate grasp of English, he added.
'And they are pushing their children to master English,
otherwise they will be disadvantaged in getting places in our good
schools and universities, and in getting scholarships and
eventually jobs.'
However, he drew the line at making it a requirement for
permanent residents and new citizens to be fluent in English.
'We cannot make (the requirements for residency) so onerous that
they will not come, for example, by requiring permanent residents
or new citizens to be fluent in English, which even some existing
citizens are not.'
His remarks at a constituency dinner follows a recent debate in
The Straits Times Forum pages on whether Mandarin is slowly
replacing English as the language on the streets, and its
consequences for Singapore's multi-racial society.
--ST