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The Straits Times

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: The "Half-Told" Mother Tongue Issue

I refer to the following articles by your reporters and would like to make some comments.

1.     Chinese Box

So is Mandarin the mother tongue, or Chinese?

--- (ST 12/June/1999) in (Life! Pg. 1,2 &3)

2.     Mother tongue enhances the use of Mandarin

(ST 5/July/1999) in (Life! Pg. 6)

I have a strong feeling that these articles have dealt with the Mother Tongue issue in a "Half-Told" manner. That is, the writers had mentioned the differences but did not explain to the readers what we have done during our 34 years of Nation Building regarding these differences.

I believe the Bilingual Policy of our educational system and the Speak Mandarin Campaign among Chinese citizens are our answer to the differences mentioned. They have spelt out our visions, decisions and sacrifices in order to build a Multi-racial and cultural Nation.

Although these policy and campaign are initiated by government in responds to our complicated language situation, but they are well received by most citizens, therefore I would consider these as Consensus being built during our Nation building.

Hence, the fact that Mandarin is not the Mother Tongue for the older and most of the present generation of Chinese Singaporeans is not a problem. The most important thing is that we (i.e. Chinese Singaporean) have decided that we should made Mandarin the Mother Tongue for our future generations. This decision is pragmatic and it is not without visions and sacrifices.

If we fail to take into account or ignore the reasons of implementing Bilingual Policy and Speak Mandarin Campaign in our discussions, then the nature of the language issue would be different. Instead of talking about differences within a common agreed Consensus that we have built, we would repeatedly talk about why we should or should not stress the use of mother tongue and eventually, probably even our insistence on Bilingual Policy will also be challenged.

As I firmly believe the Bilingual Policy and Speak Mandarin Campaign are the most balanced and fair system that we can provide for our future generations in S21, therefore I think we should take every opportunity to stress the visions, the efforts and the sacrifices that we have to put in in-order to make this Consensus (of building a Bilingual Nation?) works.

(Hopefully Ministry of Education and Speak Mandarin Campaign Committee, which I have CC this letter to may find it worthwhile to clarify any misinterpretation or ignorance of the policy and campaign by me or by others from time to time when there is discussion about language issue. I think failure to explain or interpret the reasons and the facts of these two major policies/campaigns would undermine the Consensus (?) that we have built in the past 34 years. A lot of time will also be spent without fruitful results if we ignore what have been done. Of course this does not mean that we can not re-examine our original visions and decisions, but if this is the intention, we should state it clearly at the beginning.)

In S21, all our young and future generations will be English-educated with Ethnic Mother Tongue as second language (hopefully?). This is the most important language-cultural challenge for us. If we do not know, do not agree and do not stress on a Consensus that we might (?) have now, how can we help our future generations in maintaining a balance, non-westernised, multi-racial and cultural Nation then? This is a serious social-cultural question to ask besides the important economical-survival question that we are constantly facing.

It is base on the above frame of thinking that I felt the necessity to comment about the "Half-Told" Mother Tongue language issue raised. I think a more thorough report would bridge/narrow differences and helps strengthen/construct Consensus.