Is Singapore still Singaporean? That’s the conundrum posed by recent population data.

Sometime last year, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said that “we must have a core – at least 65 per cent of people born and bred who understand this place” to maintain the national identity of Singapore. After Credit Suisse predicted early this year that Singapore’s population could decrease by 200,000, few probably worried about reaching that threshold anytime soon.

Instead, the latest data from the Department of Statistics show that the population increased by about 200,000. The population of 4.99 million includes 3.2 million Singapore citizens, meaning that citizens now comprise only about 64 per cent of the total. The percentage born and bred here is most likely even lower, since Singapore added more than 17,000 new citizens in 2007 and over 20,000 last year.

Questions about the character of society here have already spilled over into coffeeshop chats and the media. Complaints about new residents’ lack of English skills and misunderstandings over cultural norms abound in newspapers, online forums and everyday conversations.

Key questions, then, include what Singapore should do now, whether 65 per cent is really a “magic number”, and how to maintain the national identity. A critical and implicit part of these questions, too, is what the nebulous term “national identity” actually means.

Shopping. Eating. Griping. These are but a few of the many images that come to mind when one thinks of Singapore. Yet it’s much more than these that makes an identity.

It’s knowing that Singapore works, with legendary efficiency. That it’s safe, so anyone can walk almost anywhere day or night. That the rule of law applies to all and incorruptibility is paramount. That education quality is high and that this diverse society builds on differences, so everyone has a chance. Difficult as they may be to define, these values and more are crucial to the national identity. And if these fundamental values change, then Singapore starts to change with it.

Could population shifts really make a difference? Well, just think what would happen if many of the new immigrants think that bribery is a way of life, take advantage of the perceived safety to prey on the elderly, accept sloppy service as a norm or stop studying so hard. Changes in crucial values like these could easily start Singapore sliding towards a different national identity.

It’s more difficult to ascertain whether change takes place at exactly 65 per cent. About 64 per cent of New Yorkers are locals, yet the city clearly retains a New York culture. On the other hand, non-immigrant levels below 40 per cent in Miami and 20 per cent in Dubai have clearly changed the cities’ identities. At some level below 60 or 65 per cent, then, national identity does indeed seem to change.

So far, core values remain and the national identity doesn’t seem to have changed here. Still, action may be needed to keep it intact.

One option is to ignore Mr Lee’s statement, let the population keep growing and hope for the best. Few would likely argue with the Minister Mentor’s prescient guidance about keeping Singapore Singaporean, though, and ignoring the advice could weaken the culture that keeps the nation successful.

Another alternative is to slow down population growth and perhaps also focus on talented “immigrants who are easily assimilable”, as Mr Lee put it. National University of Singapore Professor Hui Weng Tat, for one, has advocated slowing the growth rate for both economic and social reasons. Attractive as it sounds, though, choosing this option may require such entirely new mindsets and changes in policy that it may be a more long-term possibility.

Yet another option is to instil a Singapore identity in new residents faster and make the 65-per-cent ratio less relevant. Maybe programmes like requiring learning about “how and why we do things” or evaluating immigrants’ language skills could help increase national cohesion. It’s easier said than done, though, as slow responses to decades-long campaigns show how hard it is to make changes and it risks deterring talented individuals who prefer independence over imposed social norms.

For now, Singapore remains Singaporean. As growth propels Singapore well above 5 million,careful consideration and potentially new growth paradigms can help ensure the national identity that makes Singapore so successful remains intact. ¢ voices@mediacorp.com.sg

The writer is a consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992.

Copyright 2009 MediaCorp Pte Ltd | All Rights Reserved