Over the past 2 years after the Post,
the concept of “Chinese Privilege” has found its way into mainstream public
discussion Forums on race relations.
Also, one website even dedicated itself on the subject and has been
making money from Subscribers who actually paid to rant and share alleged
personal stories of racial discrimination as evidence of “Chinese
Privilege”.
NO
CHINESE PRIVILEGE IN SINGAPORE - CONFIRMED
The most damning conclusive and
condemnatory evidence against the advocates and proponents of majority “Chinese
Privilege” was published this
week by a Channel NewsAsia-Institute of
Policy Studies (CNA-IPS) survey on race relations.
The Key Findings are:
[1] 73% Singaporeans
does not believe that a person’s race is “very important” in influencing his or
her success;
[2] 89% Singaporeans
agreed that a person who works hard has an equal opportunity to become rich,
irrespective of his/her race’
[3] 90% Singaporeans
stated that they liked talking yopeople of all races and lived in peace with
everyone;
[4] 90% Singaporeans
endorsed elements of “multiculturalism” such as according respect, equality and
value of other races;
[5] Nearly 70%
Chinese Singaporeans were amenable to social interaction across racial
boundaries. They were open to inviting
Indians and Malays to their house for meals, and allowing them to play with
their children and grandchildren.
One of the Report’s conclusions is that
the Survey found “a strong endorsement that success in Singapore is
meritocratic”.
The CNA-IPS is one of the largest surveys
on race relations in Singapore by polling 2,000 Singapore citizens and
permanent residents aged 21 and above.
Meritocracy is the Bridge to a racially and socially just
and equally Singapore irrespective of ethnicity, language and cultural
heritage.
About 51 years ago, Singapore’s Founding
Fathers in their far-sighted wisdom had instituted “Meritocracy” as the core operating principle
governing access to all the key routes and mechanism of social mobility. The
overall achievements of minority groups vis-à-vis the majority Chinese clearly
attest to the success of this enduring leadership initiative. The CNA-IPS
Survey confirms this FACT.
The CNA-IPS Survey disappoints the advocates and proponents of Chinese “Majority Privilege” who have
simply based their construction of non-existent “Chinese Privileges” by virtue of
the Chinese’s 75% numerical majority in the population, along with 17% Malays,
7% Indians and less than 5% Eurasian and other ethnic groups.
Truth in Singapore is, Chinese “Majority” advantage did not translate and be
reinforced and institutionalized to the extent as to obstruct, discriminate and
prevent minority Malay, Indian and Eurasian and other ethnic groups from enjoying EQUAL access to the MEANS of social mobility eg
education, medical, housing, religious practice, security, law, order, justice
and public amenities like MRT, bus, cars …etc.
Irrespective to whatever extent anyone
wishes to construct whichever surreal “Chinese Privilege”, whether perceived
real by the occasional experience or conceived mostly in their imagination, it is clear that such “Chinese Privilege”
has failed to become entrenched in Singapore society to any material or
significant degree.
FOUR (4) CONDITIONS
FOR “CHINESE PRIVILEGE” TO EXIST IN SINGAPORE
According
to credible Social Science research literature on the subject, for the concept
of “Chinese Privilege” to have any operational validity, the following must be
true:
[1] “Chinese
Privileges” exist ONLY for BEING CHINESE,
and are AUTOMATIC and NATURAL Benefits
for the Chinese;
[2] REAL and SPECIAL Chinese ADVANTAGES are packaged as “RIGHTS, ENTITLEMENTs and IMMUNITIES” granted to or enjoyed by the
Chinese BEYOND the COMMON ADVANTAGES
of all other Races;
[3] Chinese
Singaporeans enjoy SPECIAL RIGHT or
IMMUNITY Attached To Them in ALL
Social Relations;
[4] FACT-BASED Evidence of ANY Social Expressions of “Privilege”
by Chinese Singaporeans expecting to be exceptionally deferred or regarded
other than being EQUALLY treated as
their fellow Malays, Indians, Eurasians and Malays Singaporeans.
It is
clear that Singapore does not satisfy ANY of the above conditions for the de
facto existence of “Chinese Privilege”.
Their existence
would in fact have critically prevented the effective and successful operation
of Meritocracy as the mediating medium of a just and equal multiracial multicultural
society. The CNA-IPS Survey indirectly
dismiss any existential ”Chinese Privilege”.
NUMERICAL MAJORITY DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY CONFER
“PRIVILEGE”
The lesson from
Apartheid South Africa or pre-Independence Rhodesia is that the mere numerical
majority of a race does not automatically confer “Privilege”. To move from
"majority" to "privileged", the majority race should be
granted special benefits, advantages and immunities to the exclusion and
disadvantages of the minority races by virtue of solely the "racial"
criteria. Like in Malaysia.
Interestingly, if
one were to substitute the term “Chinese Privilege” in the above 4
Conditions with “Malay Privilege” as in Malaysia” or “White Privilege” as in the United States (US), the
contrast is stark and would demolish and dispel any notion of the existence of “Chinese
Privilege” in Singapore.
The importation of the concept of “majority
privilege” from the US context is simply bad scholarship and the wrongful
application of an appropriate social science concept applicable ONLY in
the US context. Another of myPosts on this here:
The continual use of the
false and fictional concept of “Chinese Privilege” in Singapore will not enrich
honest ongoing conversations that would enhance racial harmony and cohesion in
Singapore.
SINGAPORE
RACIAL HARMONY IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Racial harmony and integration in
Singapore remains very much a work in progress. Much more is needed to increase
and sustain our lead in our Race Against Racism before we dare to declare,
without hesitation, “regardless of race, language or religion” in all that we
think or do as one people and one nation.
As Singapore strives to continue our
racial harmony and shared economic prosperity in the next 15 and 50 years, we
need to take stock and ponder whether we have effectively forged a strong
enough bond that can withstand any threat to our social communal canvas. Do we
have Racial Harmony or merely Peaceful Co-Existence? Time will tell.
