[lg policy] Singapore: Bilingualism one of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's 'iconic legacies': Sim Ann

Fri Mar 27 15:19:15 UTC 2015

 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.

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    Schoolchildren hold bouquets to place at a community tribute site for
Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Photo: Goh Chiew Tong)

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           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).

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.

"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.

Mr Lee has never described himself as a feminist, and yet his policies had
made an immense difference to women.

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.

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.

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marry their equals were outdated, and must change with the times.

Without Mr Lee, the women of Singapore would not have enjoyed so many gains
in so short a time.

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.

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.

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.

Yet, for a young nation with a complex linguistic environment which yearned
for peace and unity, these changes were necessary.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mr Lee has brought us on a long journey towards excellence. We will soldier
on, even after he has left us.

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.

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."

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/bilingualism-one-of-mr/1745102.html

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