Is the younger generation of Singaporeans indifferent towards politics and Singapore's future?

Not some of the idealistic and relatively bright students from the National University of Singapore.

On March 20, NUS Tembusu College held a forum titled "Singapore's Fourth Prime Minister: Aspirations and Expectations".

One student, Tan Yang Long, 23, a second-year sociology undergraduate, read out a letter to the future fourth PM.

The 2,207-word letter was then uploaded to Facebook as a note on the same day.

The concerns of the younger generation

Although narrated by one person, the letter is meant to be representative of a collective of young people who seek clarity from the next PM in an uncertain landscape.

The letter began by stating:

"We grew up in the early to late 2000s...Since then, we’ve seen our world and Singapore change rapidly."

For a generation that is soon stepping up to take ownership of Singapore's future, the students hope that the future-PM can answer three pressing questions.

Answering these questions, in their view, would be crucial in providing the younger generation "with much-needed clarity" in order to forge the path ahead.

These are the questions.

#1: "How much do you trust us young people?"

The letter first questioned the role of the younger generation as citizens:

"Do you see us as equal partners – leaders you want to empower – or as citizens you need to govern?

...We are prompted in school to think critically and voice our opinions, but we see some naysayers being treated negatively. We are encouraged to push boundaries in some sectors, yet those of us who write articles online are reminded to respect existing boundaries."

So what do they want instead?

They called for open and constructive dialogue, and for the government to trust that there can be unity even in the face of differences:

"We want you to trust that we do not disagree for dissent’s sake, and that we can find unity even in the face of our differences with you - differences of ideologies, opinions, beliefs or values... We truly believe that it is only in facing our differences together openly, honestly and fearlessly that our discourse can be strengthened, outcomes can be sharpened, and our relationship can be deepened."

#2: "How will you unite Singapore?"

The students also expressed concerns about potential fault-lines in society surrounding social inequality, social mobility and social identity.

They raised several observations to support each point, and questioned how unity may prevail in the face of potential fragmentation and growing disillusionment.

Social inequality

On the point of social inequality, the letter mentioned how social inequality is felt even within university life.

"Within Tembusu, we feel social inequality most viscerally when some of us ask our friends if they’ve completed their essay and we find out that our friends spent the weekend working to ease their families’ financial pressures...

We are very worried that social inequality is becoming an issue that is dividing Singaporeans faster than we can mitigate it. Unequal financial backgrounds, social networks, family upbringing, availability of opportunities are beginning to smile maliciously on this precious cohesion we have built over the years."

Social mobility

In the climb up the economic ladder, unequal economic backgrounds lead to different levels of social mobility, and consequently, increasing disillusionment with the system of meritocracy.

"We feel this sense of longing at times, when we see some of our peers attain jobs upon graduation because of a family connection, or when some of our batch mates can afford to attend top universities abroad or to study without a loan.

We feel discouraged when we see the rising cost of living because it’s now going to be more difficult to take care of our parents or have children at an earlier age.

These experiences make us worried that our meritocracy is one with strings attached, and one that is increasingly narrow. We’re scared that we cannot aspire as high, as wide and as far as we could before."

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Social identity

With our transition to becoming a Smart Nation, they also cautioned against the potential divisions that may happen as a result of technological advancements.

The elderly, for instance, may feel left behind and alienated:

“Going cashless, using high-tech phone applications, relying on artificial intelligence, are not activities we can expect our Ah Gong or Ah Ma, our Nenek or Datuk, our Paatti or Thatha to get used to over a few years. In time to come, technological disruptions will become even more pervasive, perhaps to the point where basic services might be denied to those without technological know-how."

And given the forces of globalisation, what will become of the Singaporean identity?

"As our world continues to get more interconnected, other centres of gravity will become stronger. Stronger expectations will arise for Singaporeans to reconsider, or even replace, their existing Singaporean identity.

You will have the unenviable job to stand firm and fly our flag high even in the face of foreign pressure. Through it all, our resolve on what it means to be Singaporean and Singapore will be severely questioned."

#3: "What is Singapore to you?"

The letter also stated that the Prime Minister is likely to mention terms like "for the people" or "for us" in his election manifesto:

"In some years' time, you will lead your party in the elections. We're quite certain you will include something along the lines of "for the people", "for Singapore" or "for us" in your manifesto. You must know that we do not doubt your commitment."

However, what is this collective "us" or "Singapore" that will be constantly referred to?

Singapore comprises a diversity of individuals with different identities. These identities may be constituted by socio-economic background, sexual orientation, race, religion and personal hobbies and interests.

Yet, opportunities are sometimes still denied to some segments of the population by virtue of certain laws and policies:

"We see this very clearly in some sections of the law, from your policies, in the types of opportunities available or denied to different people and the way these laws and policies are shaping the attitudes of our fellow Singaporeans."

The students hope for a more inclusive idea of “Singapore,” where the government is able to recognise that there are some who are still disempowered:

"But we hope that when you say, "for the people", "for Singapore", or "for us", you include those amongst us who are trapped in the cracks we create, silenced by the lines we draw, or rendered invisible by the walls we build. After all, what is the city, but the people?"

Young people with dreams

The letter ends off by asking the prime minister to recall his dreams when he was younger.

These idealistic and possibly even naive dreams may have been tempered by the complex reality of the world.

However, the letter serves as a gentle reminder that a country is a home only because of its people's ambitions:

"We hope that you will never forget what you dreamt of when you were younger, even if sometimes these ideals seem harder to achieve. A country only becomes a home because of her people’s dreams."

And what keeps us Singaporeans going is none other than the hope that we have a future in Singapore worth striving for:

"We occasionally have our youthful ideals counteracted too when we begin to worry about many things – from trying to raise our CAPs, searching for a job, finding that special partner, to figuring out what we love. But, what keeps us going is that this dream – this Singapore that we have come to know in our lives – is a precious one that we can continue holding tightly on to."

You can read the full letter here.

Top photo via Facebook