In a few days we will be celebrating 60 years of independence as one of the richest states in the world. Can you imagine what your lives would be like if it were 1955, when we were still a colony of the British Empire? We will not be celebrating our freedom and independence at the Padang, but will instead be celebrating the coronation of King Charles or the British Empire, raising the Union Jack and singing God Save the King.
Imagine all the officials at the steps of City Hall would be white men, British, in their Sunday best and their ladies with funny headgears, overseeing a parade of British subjects marching before them, saluting to the British governor of the island state, and calling every white man, Sir, and every white woman, Ma'am, instead of saluting to our President and PM.
Imagine the highest standard of education of the population would be Senior Cambridge Standard Nine, and the highest jobs one aspired to would be a chief clerk in the colonial office, a clerk in a lawyer's office or maybe a cook in the British military bases in Alexandra, Sembawang or Seletar.
Imagine many of our womenfolk would be maids working for the British NCOs and their families while many men would be labourers, coolies, stevedores in the Singapore Harbour Board?
Imagine, other than a few towkays that made good being the early migrants, could afford a few bungalows and driving cars, because of trading, while the rest of the people were riding bicycles or taking buses to work?
Imagine all the makeshift hawker stalls along the streets, the pushcarts, the tents of hawker stalls along Eu Tong Sen Road, the original people's park?
In Malaya in the north, every Sultan would have a personal assistant called District Officer, a British officer, who would assist him in the running of the states, and the words of the District Officer was as good as orders from the Queen, to be obeyed. Imagine the British owned all the rubber plantations, tin mines and big businesses, and there would be cries of Tuan, Tuan in the sight of the white men?
Something similar also happened in Indonesia but the rulers were the Dutch. In India, ruled by the British East India Company, they were called Sahib, Raj or Sir by the Indian subjects.
In Hong Kong, all the big businesses have British names. The highest rank for the Hongkies in the Police Force was Sergeant or Station Inspector. Only white men could be Inspectors, Superintendents or higher, same in Singapore. And Ah Sir here and Ah Sir there, stuffing money into the white men's pockets and smile when they smile, smile when they get angry, smile when being scolded or kicked around.
Imagine all the concessions in China with foreigners owning pieces of territories calling their own, using their own laws that were above Chinese laws, and poverty everywhere, no industries, no jobs?
Imagine, many ex colonial people of the European Empires, especially those in Singapore and Hong Kong, would still like to be ruled by the British all over again, and to call them Sirs?
Fortunately, or unfortunately, this is 2025.