SINGAPORE: Integrating new immigrants to foster social cohesion will be a priority of the government’s Chinese Community Liaison Group (CCLG) going forward, according to its new chair, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat.
Singapore’s approach in doing so is to share and enlarge the “common space” rather than wanting new immigrants and minorities to assimilate, Mr Chee said on Friday (Jun 13).
“We don’t see integration as a reduction, but actually an enhancement, an enlargement and an addition to what we already have,” he told reporters after meeting clan leaders at the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA).
Singaporean identity and culture are not static but evolving, and being able to “absorb positive elements” from new immigrants is a plus for society, said the minister, who was appointed CCLG chair in May, succeeding Law Minister Edwin Tong.
Using Singapore’s food scene as an example, Mr Chee noted that in the past, Chinese immigrants to Singapore largely came from the south of China and brought their cuisine with them.
These dishes – like Teochew fishball noodles, Cantonese wanton mee and Hokkien mee – have since become local staples.
“But in more recent times, we also have additions to our food scene, with new items like dao xiao mian, biang biang mian, shou gan mian, and all different kinds of noodles from other parts of China.
“Do they take away our traditional food like wanton mee and Hokkien prawn mee and fishball noodles? No, we continue to retain our traditional food favourites, but now we have additional options that our people can choose from.
“So I think we should see immigration and integration positively, that they don’t dilute what we have,” said Mr Chee.
“If we are able to maintain a strong sense of identity, if we are able to have that good process of integration, we actually are able to bring on board positive elements and further strengthen our sense of belonging, our identity and our common space.”
He noted that immigration is important to augment Singapore’s rapidly ageing population.
Elaborating on Singapore’s different approach to integration, Mr Chee said: “We want every community to be able to preserve and retain their features that are important to them, the heritage, the traditions, the language, the food.
“But then when we come together as Singaporeans, we enjoy one another’s traditions and food and culture, and we enlarge the common space that all of us feel a shared sense of belonging.”
