Please keep the bling down, no need to zoom Ferraris at night: SM Lee on immigrants' need to follow S'pore social norms

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke at a packed Chatham House session in London on Oct. 27, in a session called “How Singapore is surviving and thriving between China and the United States”.

As might be expected, the session was dominated by discussion about Singapore’s approach to foreign policy, but also how the current geopolitical environment is affecting Singapore and how Singapore deals with immigrants.

Principles

When asked what he thought Singapore’s main achievement in terms of its global standing was, and what future Singaporean leaders could learn from those achievements, SM Lee spoke about principles.

“We have been consistent in maintaining a foreign policy which is principled, calculated based on our national interest and clearly determined by us, and not on behalf of somebody else. And this is absolutely fundamental.”

It was critical that other countries understand that Singapore spoke for itself, and never as a “cat’s paw” for another country.

Singapore is a multi-racial country where all of its major ethnicities had a significantly larger population outside of Singapore, whether it be in China, India, or in Southeast Asia as a whole.

To be able to say that “I am speaking as a Singaporean” is crucial, yet difficult, and sometimes caused confusion.

Identity

Singaporeans, regardless of race, have made accommodations, adjustments, and compromises to get along with each other and thus held different national interests from the aforementioned other countries.

SM Lee said that it was now possible to discern a Singaporean; he used a Singaporean Chinese person by way of example, from Chinese people from other countries, through their walk, their dress, or their personal interactions, which led to the emergence of a certain Singaporean identity.

“And that is very important. If you lose that because there is some influence operation, or you have some bot network which has persuaded you that you should be standing on one side or the other, well, then you are gravely compromised. “

Domestic success and unity made Singaporean diplomats’ jobs easier, allowing them to “make a consistent pitch" of a Singapore that was consistent, rational, and with a long-term direction.

Trade? Or politics?

SM Lee spoke about the challenge of United States-China relations, saying that deep issues between the two superpowers are not going to disappear.

When asked how China fit into the broader global system, SM Lee said that China “somehow or other” wanted to fit into the system, and when China first joined the World Trade Organization, it quite often complied with WTO judgements, some of which went for it and others against.

“But the rules-based order in which one participant is a lot bigger than the others calls for forbearance and restraint and a certain self-enlightened magnanimity, which does not come naturally to any great power.”

China, in SM Lee’s example, was the larger participant, and faced a “not so easy” issue where it had to both “express the right attitude” and “convince people that this is how you are going to behave in real life”.

It led to situations where trade restrictions imposed by China left some partners asking, “Are we absolutely sure that trade is trade and politics is politics?”

But excluding China from a rules-based trading system is difficult as well.

He compared the system to a chessboard, with the U.S. and China being the king and queen, the “two biggest pieces”.

Removing them from the system meant that you were “playing chess without the king and queen, which are still roaming around the board on their own”.

Balance

SM Lee was asked about striking a balance when dealing with immigration in Singapore.

The issue is now a hot-button topic in countries all across the world, including the United Kingdom, where he was speaking.

Singapore needed its foreign population, and there needs to be a balance between accommodating them and getting "them to understand what our rules are”, but for Singaporeans to “forbear and be gracious”, knowing that they are here and helping us.

“And they too, have family and children back home, and we have responsibility for them while they are here.”

SM Lee’s answer clearly spoke about the different types of foreign residents of Singapore, and the different concerns facing the government for each.

On the one hand, there were those where it was necessary to ask to “please keep the bling down”, and to resist unsocial behaviours.

"...They have to know that if you are in Singapore, please keep the bling down.

Do not go around popping champagne which is $20,000 a bottle with sparklers, and do not zoom your Ferrari or Lotus or whatever down the middle of the road in the middle of the night just to let everybody know that you have arrived.

You would not have thought that that was something you needed to tell anybody, but sometimes it is helpful to remind them."

SM Lee spoke about being unable to be “completely omnidirectional and direction-blind in taking foreign immigrants or transient workers”, needing to have a society that “can maintain identity and cohesion”.

Many came to Singapore, some might become Singaporean in the future, others wanted to finish working and return home. But in the meantime, "Please comply with our rules, and there are some basic norms.”

We will look after you

But he also emphasised the other side of the coin: ”And it is not so hard if you want to be in Singapore – (if) you can do that, but we will look after you.”

SM Lee spoke about the Covid-19 crisis, where tens of thousands of foreign workers were at great risk in dormitories.

Acknowledging the danger to the workers at that time, he said that Singapore endeavoured to reassure them:

“Don't worry, we will keep you safe. You will be fed, you will be housed, you will be sheltered, you will be paid, you will have an internet connection so that you can keep in touch with your families, which is very important, and you will be safe.”

He said it was a great load off his shoulders that the period was gotten through without a human tragedy.

“That is the way Singapore works - the rules are strict, but this is not an inhumane system.”

Top image via Chatham House/YouTube