SINGAPORE: Singlish doyen Dr Gwee Li Sui has suggested that Singlish tests should be made mandatory for citizenship applicants after Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh advocated this week that an English test would be useful in assessing permanent immigration applications.
Mr Singh made the call during the Committee of Supply debates in Parliament on Monday (27 Feb). Taking to Facebook later that night, Dr Gwee said: “Singlish lah, bro.”
The noted literary critic and poet said in another post yesterday (1 March): “Sorry, unker cannot sappork Pritam’s English test proposal. It will be open season for those yaya kay ang mohs to whack us Singlish speakers and (ironically) question our identity. If must have language test, let it be in Singlish.”
Singlish is a colloquial English-based language commonly spoken in Singapore that reflects the influence of multiple languages such as Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, and Hokkien, among others.
While Singlish has traditionally been looked down upon in the past, with its use being discouraged in formal settings such as schools and workplaces, it has become even more popular in recent years thanks to efforts to preserve and promote the informal language as a unique aspect of Singaporean culture.
Dr Gwee has been at the forefront of this movement. The literary critic and poet have been a vocal advocate for the use of Singlish, arguing that it is an integral part of Singaporean culture and identity. Aside from writing the wildly popular “Spiaking Singlish: A Companion to How Singaporeans Communicate,” Dr Gwee has also been involved in various initiatives aimed at promoting the use and understanding of Singlish, such as the Speak Good Singlish Movement.
Some responding to Dr Gwee’s comments said that Singlish may even be more inclusive to new citizens, while others said the time might have come for the socio-political commentator to finally set up a Singlish tuition centre.
Meanwhile, Singaporeans have expressed support for Mr Singh’s call for English testing. The opposition politician’s suggestion stems from Singaporean’s desire to see new citizens embrace the Singaporean way of life.
Noting that Singapore will increasingly rely on new citizens, given that the birth rate has dropped to an all-time low of 1.05, the Workers’ Party (WP) chief said that mandating English tests in citizenship applications could ease integration between new citizens and Singaporeans.
Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo responded in Parliament that she was “surprised” by Mr Singh’s suggestion and expressed doubts about how much such tests could help with integration.
While the Government has seemingly shot down the suggestion, Singaporeans online have lauded Mr Singh’s call. Some said that it would not be too difficult to make a test like the IELTS English test mandatory for citizenship applicants, while others said that this would be an important policy that could prevent the possibility of enclaves divided by language forming in the future.
