Page 23 - Visionary Arts 2019

Singapore is a prominent example of a multi-ethnic and multicultural
country regarding its great number of people who have different

ethnic and cultural practices. Despite its limited geographical area,
according to Population Trends in 2019 collected by Singapore
Department of Statistics, a number of resident populations was 4.03
million. Furthermore, the majority of the resident populations was
Chinese (74.4%), followed by Malays (13.4%), Indians (9.0%), and

others (3.2%), respectively. Accordingly, from the above information,
it crucially contributes to the idea of nation.

Given its importance on the nation of Singapore, there are
still debates on what is an accurate representation of its identity. In
the article of how Singapore creates its national identity, Ortmann
(2009) argues that “ethnicity cannot be the central focus of a
definition of nation” because of its multi-ethnic state with its colonial

history that makes it impossible to constitute such nation. Even
Clammer (1985), cited by Ortmann (2009), suggests that
“Singaporeans are characterised by citizenship and not national

identity.” However, the existence of nation is detrimental as it forms
solidarity within the country. Consequently, it is challenging for both
the government and all the Singaporeans to define their identity.

From the early 1960s until 1980s, the government centred

on state formation and consolidation known as ‘smart-state’, i.e.,
building the infrastructure in the matter of government and economy.
Moreover, the scheme of harmonious society was initially promoted,

e.g., selecting ‘Majulah Singapura’ as Singapore’s national anthem,
inventing national symbols, implementing an annual National Day
celebration, etc. (Calder, 2017: 32-49; Ortmann, 2009).

23