National identity multi-layered; S'pore has to guard against fault lines: SM Lee

Country facing challenges of superpower rivalry and geopolitical disruptions, he says

- Anjali Raguraman

Every generation will have its own crisis to overcome, and it is through those challenges that Singapore's national identity is strengthened, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sept 9.

The Singaporean identity is stronger than before, with the country having navigated crises such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, the Asian Financial Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, noting that it is now facing superpower rivalry and geopolitical disruptions.

At the same time, the national identity is multi-layered, he told an audience of about 800 students and academics during the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum held at the University Cultural Centre in NUS.

"We are one people, but... we are not all identical, and there are fault lines which we have to guard (against)," he added.

Being a Singaporean is not necessarily the most important part of a person's identity, he said during the wide-ranging dialogue that lasted almost two hours.

He pointed out nuances, saying: "We are also Chinese Singaporean or Malay Singaporean or Indian Singaporean. We are also Christians or Muslims or Buddhists.

"You may also have different political views. You may be pro-government, you may be pro-opposition.

"You may have different sexual orientations and therefore different circles of friends and different perspectives on the world, so these are all different layers to our identity, which are always there."

For many Singaporeans, particularly Muslims and Christians, he said religion is a very important component of their identity, similar to how vernacular languages are important for older people amid a younger generation that predominantly speaks in English.