Author: Hosea

Happy 43rd Birthday Singapore!

I am a Singaporean Chinese, meaning born and breed in Singapore and my race is Chinese, and most importantly, completed my NS to make me a true blue Singaporean.

Isn’t that cool, to have gone through NS (National Service)? A status that cannot be replicated, cloned or emulated? When a PRC Chinese got his pink IC and say he is a Singaporean now. I will always shoot back, “Have you done your National Service?”

As I grow older I lost my identity, of who am I? What is the definition of being a citizen of Singapore? Singapore is a multi-racial society and rapidly changing over the years.

I cannot find my primary school anymore. My favourite playground is gone and a building erected over it. I feel lost, no more childhood memory. And our massive import of foreign trash, oops! I mean foreign talent make our little island more like a Toa Payoh Bus Interchange than a place call homeland.

Our island is too small for anything. So six years ago, I departed Singapore, give up everything and roam the world in solitary. Now I am living in China, writing this in Guangzhou.

After living in China, I find my identity as a Chinese, I feel my root and my heritage. The race of being a Chinese is alive in me. I feel like a real Chinese and I cannot experience that in a multi-cultural place like Singapore, where we are so mix up with so many cultural coherent.

After so many years of roaming, now I see Singapore from the stage of the world. We are much better than the Taiwanese, whining mindlessly over China sovereignty over Taiwan.

We are far more fortunate than the Hongkie and Macau people that end up being a SAR of China. Do they acknowledge themselves as citizen of China? or citizen of what, I wonder too?

Looking at the Uighur separatists of the Muslim majority in Xinjiang province of China that have been consistently waging insurgency against the Chinese government for so many years.

Although over the years, I am unhappy with PAPpy policies, I will still give credits to our government for making Singapore a better place than the rest of the world and a spotlight of the world.

We, Singaporean, regardless of race, is a peculiar group of people on this earth. And the world look up to us, Singaporean for many attributes and contributions to their nations. In fact, we are view as one of the first class citizens of the world.

Recently I found my identity back. A sense of belonging not to the government nor to my family or friends. What make me a Singaporean now is, I am born in Singapore and the way I live, the way I think and my contribution to the world and lastly writing this article with my powderful Singlish. All of these characteristics reckon by my friends, make me a Singaporean.

No matter how our PAPpy import foreigners and convert them to pink IC, true blue Singaporean will never be replaced. My friends of the world will never accept pink IC as the Singaporean. The world will never entrust tasks to a converted Singaporean.

I believe all of us have no revelation at all, if, when duty call will our Muslim Singaporean fight along with us? Neither do I know our converted pink IC Singaporean will join us in our fight? Will true blue Singaporean desert us too?

When my country calls, I will come back and fight along side, regardless of race, with my fellow citizens. And regardless of race too, I will headshot whoever betrays my country.

We have build this great nation since our separation from Malaysia. We have come this far. Now is the time, we are put to the test.

(Photo provided by Puat)