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Minister of State for Education and Communications and
Information Sim Ann says bilingualism was the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's
most bold, radical and controversial policy, but it has paid off.</h2>
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Schoolchildren hold bouquets to place at a community tribute site for Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Photo: Goh Chiew Tong)</span>
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<div><p>SINGAPORE: The late founding Prime Minister of
Singapore Lee Kuan Yew's most radical policy was bilingualism, and his
policies made "immense difference" to women, Minister of State for
Education, Communications and Information Sim Ann said in Parliament on
Thursday (Mar 26).</p><p>She was one of 11 speakers during a special
session of Parliament to pay tribute to Mr Lee. Her speech, which was
largely in Mandarin, is reproduced below.<br><br>"I wish to pay tribute
to Founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew in two particular aspects -
his contributions to women’s advancement, and to bilingualism.<br></p><p>Mr Lee has never described himself as a feminist, and yet his policies had made an immense difference to women.<br></p><p>Mr
Lee had always valued education, ensuring that a good part of the
national budget went towards education even when our country’s resources
were meagre. This has helped many women get educated and get jobs. We
now see successful women in many fields.<br></p><p>The Women’s Charter
has given women in Singapore the right to property, and to be treated
fairly. Women can walk on our streets without fearing for our personal
safety, enjoying a degree of freedom yet to be fully realised in many
other societies.<br></p><p>Mr Lee’s loving and lasting union with Mrs
Lee has set an excellent example for many families. But more
importantly, Mr Lee’s basic attitude towards women was one of respect,
and set the tone for gender equality in society. He believed that
traditional notions of male dominance and men refusing to marry their
equals were outdated, and must change with the times.<br></p><p>Without Mr Lee, the women of Singapore would not have enjoyed so many gains in so short a time. <br></p><p>Bilingualism
could well be Mr Lee’s boldest and most radical policy. It could also
be his most controversial. Debates have taken place many times on this
topic within and outside of this House. We can expect such debates to
continue into the future.<br></p><p>Mr Lee had realised in the early
days of nation-building that, if different groups of Singaporeans were
to continue using different languages, then our already limited shared
space would be fragmented into separate little worlds. To unite all
races and to expand the common space, Mr Lee decided on English as our
working language. But, to preserve our cultural ballast, Mr Lee also
maintained that each ethnic group must study its mother tongue. Mr Lee
was also of the view that ethnic Chinese Singaporeans should speak less
dialect and more Mandarin.<br></p><p>This was a tall order for a young
nation with a complex linguistic environment. It was already hard for
someone to learn a language that he does not speak at home. But for
someone to make a significant adjustment, even a complete change in his
daily language use, was even harder. For those who saw language as a
core part of their identity, it was downright painful.<br></p><p>Yet, for a young nation with a complex linguistic environment which yearned for peace and unity, these changes were necessary.<br><br>Mr
Lee’s view was a rational one: better short-term pain than long-term
agony. In every ethnic group, there were people who found it hard to
adjust to the language policies he implemented, and who feel aggrieved
even to this day.<br><br>But bilingualism undoubtedly widened our common
space and laid the foundation for harmonious communication between all
races. I have come across many Singaporeans of different ethnic groups
of my age or younger, who have told me that they appreciate the
bilingual education policy for giving them the tools to function
effectively and comfortably in both Asian and Western settings.<br></p><p>While
the policy might have been a rational one, Mr Lee was, at heart, a
leader who cared. It is clear from the way he devoted much personal
attention to bilingualism, over a large part of his life. He tracked our
students’ performance, and constantly sought inputs from experts and
researchers. In 1975, he spent four months helming the Education
Ministry himself in order to ensure adjustments to the bilingualism
policy were duly implemented.</p><p>He created the Prime Minister’s Book
Prize to encourage students who did well in both English and their
mother tongue language. In his later years, he started the Lee Kuan Yew
Fund for Bilingualism to help young children build a foundation for
learning English and the mother tongue languages. His life’s work in
this area was encapsulated in his book, My Lifelong Challenge:
Singapore’s Bilingual Journey.<br></p><p>Mr Lee had stated that of all
the combinations of English and the mother tongue, English/Mandarin was
the most difficult combination. He walked the talk; he worked hard at
learning Mandarin and never gave up on his lessons.<br></p><p>This
morning, The Straits Times quoted a 49-year-old businessman who came to
pay respects to Mr Lee. He said that he was from a Chinese school and
used to feel very disadvantaged after Mr Lee introduced the bilingual
policy. But now, as a businessman, knowing English has helped him to
expand his semiconductor business overseas, in countries like the United
States. The bilingual policy has changed his life. If Mr Lee could hear
this, I believe he would feel comforted.</p><p>Mr Lee has brought us on a long journey towards excellence. We will soldier on, even after he has left us.<br></p><p>Madam,
Mr Lee’s language policy stands among the iconic legacies he has
created for Singaporeans. It has left a deep impact on many, especially
educators and language professionals. This includes the men and women
who are sitting in our interpreter booths who ensure that what
transpires in this House can be understood in the four official
languages.<br></p><p>He has led us on the road to bilingualism, in
pursuit of unity as one people, the preservation of our cultural
ballast, and ease of interaction with the world at large. It is a long
journey which we will continue long after he has left us." <br></p><p><a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/bilingualism-one-of-mr/1745102.html">http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/bilingualism-one-of-mr/1745102.html</a><br></p></div></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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