The AMLA Amendments - Association of Muslim Professionals

KARYAWAN Issues / Community Is Singapore Ready for a Non-Chinese PM
‘The PM’s statement
was one of those
rare moments
when a sitting
Prime Minister
commented on
the possibility of
minority leaders
emerging in a multiracial
Singapore.’
hand up to ask the PM the burning question: Is Singapore ready for a minority PM More precisely,
I wanted to know, is Singapore ready for a Malay/Muslim PM
I sensed a momentary silence in the hall. Then the chairperson broke the ice; she suggested that
I could perhaps take the question with the PM personally during tea break. That led to the PM
to intervene. What he said to the chairperson was, to me, significant: “How can I not answer that
kind of a question,” he stated, to much relief all around. Indeed.
His response subsequently made front-page headlines the next day in The Sunday Times (see
page 27): Yes, Singapore may have a non-Chinese PM one day. But that is not likely to happen
soon. Race, he said, was still a factor. It was, to all intents and purposes to some, a politicallycorrect
response, a predictable response, though not necessarily pleasing to hear for many. Why
should race still be a factor, some have asked
Emerging Generation, Shifting Attitudes
Yet, significantly, to me, the PM also pointed out that attitudes on race have shifted in the last
two or three decades. A new generation of Singaporeans has emerged, with English providing a
more common ground. “The new generation is better educated and they can see that there are
successful people of all races.”
The PM’s statement was one of those rare moments when a sitting Prime Minister commented
on the possibility of minority leaders emerging in a multi-racial Singapore. The possibility of
a non-Chinese PM had been raised before by Mr Lee Kuan Yew – when he had retired and
was Senior Minister. But although he had singled out Mr S Dhanabalan as a possible PM, he
did not think it would happen for the fact that he was Indian by ethnicity. That statement
– matter-of-fact but actually highly controversial – triggered a lot of private murmurings
whether Singapore was truly multi-racial.
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Today, the logic of multiracialism could not have been stronger. As Singaporean society evolves,
the principles of nationhood, with all its implications on true equality and fair play, must be able
to withstand the passage of time. Every community will develop a stronger sense of belonging
to the nation-state, and a stronger commitment to the ideals of a Singaporean Singapore.
Over time, the Malay/Muslim community too will have produced leaders who could rise to
be prime minister – and Singaporean society would have gelled well enough to be accepting
of one. Come such a time, the community will want to feel assured that there will be no glass
ceiling above its Obama-like leader. Come that day, Singaporeans will point to 7 November
2008 as an important day when the principles of nationhood were underscored by no less than
a serving Prime Minister.
Yang Razali Kassim is former Chairman of AMP and currently Supervising Editor of Karyawan. The
views expressed are his own.