The Passing of the 'Father of Singapore'

This week has been a fascinating time to be in Singapore. Lee Kwuan Yu, the first prime minister of Singapore and the man who almost single-handedly took Singapore from a third World country (his own words)  to the prospering nation that it is today in 50 years, passed away on 23rd March. When Singapore was expelled from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965, the country’s future was far from certain. However LKY (as he is often referred to here) opened the country up to much needed foreign investment and set an example for other East Asian countries to follow and make equally impressive developments.

What has been most interesting about the last few days has been the range of reactions to his death. On the one hand, there has been an outpouring of emotion, with Singaporean businesses to my classmates all paying their condolences in one way or another. One of my classmates was one of 1.4 million who are said to have queued for up to eight hours (despite temperatures in Singapore rarely dropping below 28 degrees) to see his body lying in state or to pay their respect at community sites. Tens of thousands took the streets on the day of his funeral to see the funeral procession drive through the streets of the city, many from the older generation who can fully appreciate the progress he is responsible for. LKY’s death has reignited a fierce patriotism in the small nation, many noting how vital he has been to the development of a sense of national identity. This however has allowed some to overlook more controversial aspects of his record. LKY had a reputation for running Singapore as Prime Minister until 1990, and then influencing subsequent governments as Senior Minister and Minister Mentor until 2011, as a soft authoritarian state with strict rules over the press (The Straits Times is government-owned and CEOs of all major media organisations are government appointed) and free speech (a license is needed to start a protest). In addition, he ensured that any parties that might seriously threaten the People’s Action Party’s hold on power, were ruthlessly challenged, making Singapore effectively a one-party state. Therefore the other contrasting reaction has been to question whether Singapore can continue along this same path. A video made by a 17 year-old Singaporean expressing his disdain for the former PM has gone viral, suggesting the younger generation may be less willing to accept the restrictions of the Singaporean political system.  There are also those with more of a neutral (and possibly rational) outlook. Young Singaporean blogger Jeraldine Phneah has written an interesting post laying out her ‘middle-ground’ perspective (not one that I have often come across while I have been here), which received a lot of attention. Much of this was strongly critical of her stance, showing just how fiercely protective people are of their former leader.

But whichever conclusion you come to, and whichever side of the argument one lies on, there is no doubt that LKY will remain the single-most important figure in the history of the State of Singapore. RIP.

Exploring Singapore and its Festivals

I am now 7 months into my time here in Singapore and so I think I now have enough experience to be able to write a post about what it has been like to live in the city-state affectionately referred to as ‘The Little Red Dot’.

NUS itself is a campus so in that respect, compared to the very metropolitan experience at UCL, this year has been different. While I certainly can’t complain about the facilities, it is an atmosphere that I have at times found to be claustrophobic. For this reason, and because there is unfortunately a time limit on this adventure, I have tried as much as possible to get to know the city outside university ('Sunday Funday' has become the official name for our exploring day)- in fact, it puts my knowledge of London to shame!

NUS University Town campus (source)

Singapore has often come under criticism for being sterile and boring but my time here has proved that this preconception is unfair. This year, Lonely Planet named Singapore its No.1country to travel to in 2015 and for good reason, especially this year. 2015 marks the 50^th anniversary of Singapore's so the Government has put in a lot of effort to enhance the vibrant atmosphere and celebrate its diversity. My first weekend in Singapore happened to be National Day when we were treated to an impressive display in Marina Bay (which Kong and Yeoh have written an interesting article about in relation to national identity and hegemony). And just the other week, I got up bright and early to head down to Little India where the Hindu population were celebrating the festival Thaipusam. I had not previously heard of it but found it fascinating! Men walked for 5km through the streets with hooks fixed into their skin which they were using to pull carts, while some were pierced with many spears. The pain is meant to connect them more closely to the god Murugan.

Singapore National Day 2014 

Man carrying a kavadi (burden) at Thaipusam

Considering that 74% of the population are Chinese Singaporean, the Chinese festivals also feature widely in the calendar. Although Chinese New Year (CNY) was the larger spectacle, the more enjoyable was the Mid-Autumn festival where families wandered through the streets of Chinatown with lanterns. The atmosphere was better because, unlike Chinese New Year which in Singapore is spent at home enjoying family time, the Mid-Autumn festival felt like more of a community occasion.

Crowds gather in Chinatown for the Mid-Autumn festival

I hope I have succeeded in demonstrating that Singapore has shaken off its dull reputation and is in fact a place where I have been able to discover a vibrant city that is full of tradition and heritage. Its modern development essentially rooted in immigration, has actually meant that it is an extremely diverse place, making it a great place to spend a year abroad.