I was thinking hard on what I should write about based on so many readers’ comments in recent articles that fewer citizens are now flying the Singapore flag. I recall that more then 20 years ago, my little boy used to remind me to put up a flag pole and fly the colours whenever National Day was approaching. We would then, father and son together, proudly and dutifully erect the pole and raise the flag.
Questions are being asked if Singaporeans have lost their enthusiasm and loyalty to their country. This has prompted the govt to very quickly give some cockamamie explanations which, as you probably would guess, detract from the real reasons. Laughable or not, the govt may actually be sinking in its own quicksand of denial.These days you just don’t see the splash of red and white decorating HDB blocks anymore. You even don’t see many flags hanging on the fences of landed homes.
Instead, I shall try to offer what I feel are the true reasons why Singaporeans are not flying the flag. (Mind you, I am no less a loyal Singaporean and I love my country and my flag.)
Let’s remind ourselves what the symbols on our flag represent.
The Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules define the flag’s composition and the symbolism of its elements: red symbolizes “universal brotherhood and equality of man”, and white, “pervading and everlasting purity and virtue”. The waxing crescent moon “represents a young nation on the ascendant”. The five stars “stand for the nation’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality”.
- (Wikipedia)
So, how many of these symbolic elements of our flag truly reflect our lives today?
RED – universal brotherhood and equality of man
In a society where some are more equal than others, some have to serve NS while others don’t, foreigners are offered scholarships while our own children cannot even get a place in any of our universities, and foreigners with dubious qualifications usurp jobs from our PMETs, how do we not feel betrayed?
WHITE – pervading and everlasting purity and virtue
With super-salaried govt officials who offer no transparency in how they manage our country and our moneys, how are we to look upon them? Just how pure and ‘white’ do you see our ‘men in white’?
WAXING CRESCENT MOON – a young nation on the ascendant
What good is a nation on the ascendant when your older generation cannot retire and enjoy their hard-earned CPF but instead may have to resort to selling their homes and work until they drop dead? What good then when your seniors are on the descendant?
FIVE STARS – ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality
Foreigners are replacing locals for jobs, virtually taking over certain job sectors and leaving our own citizens in the lurch. They come here bringing their bad social habits with no intention of trying to assimilate into our society. They spit and defecate in public, some steal, cheat, swindle. We read of rising crimes against women. We hadn’t had a serious riot until recently. Our public transportation is unbearably overcrowded. Expats are enjoying life here, partying while our PMETs are forced to drive taxis for a living.
You decide which of the five-star ideals we have achieved.
Can you blame the citizens for not wanting to fly the flag today when we can no longer see the significance? The ideals that the symbols on our flag represent are to many Singaporeans today just, well, symbols. How can we take pride in our flag when it no longer represents what we have become?
espresso