honours thesis

Honours Thesis

Nur Diyanah Bte Mohd Azmi

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DIVISION OF ENGLISH

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

2013/14

Azmi 2

Nur Diyanah Mohd Azmi

Dr. Sim Wai Chew

HL 499: Final Year Project

21st April 2014

Singapore: A Success Story without a Soul

“Art is the epitome of human life, the truest record of insight and feeling, and the

strongest military or economic society without art is poor in comparison with the

most primitive tribe of savage painters, dancers or idol-carvers. Art is indeed the

spearhead of human development, social and individual.”

-‐The Cultural Importance of art, Susanne K. Langer (5)

Abstract

The Singapore success story is the product of the pervasive survivalist

mentality that has been inculcated in Singaporean citizens by the Singapore

government. This success is strongly motivated by a desire to overcome

Singapore’s two most acute weaknesses that include: (i) the lack of natural

resources that could help facilitate its economic progress and (ii) the scarcity of

land. This desire resulted in the nation’s meteoric rise; from a British colony to

an independent nation that has achieved first world nation status1. In order to

overcome the aforementioned weaknesses, the government relentlessly

promotes a survivalist mentality. However, this success comes at a high price –

the cost of the nation’s soul. The Singapore soul here refers to the culture and

identity of the nation and its people. This thesis will justify the idea that

Singapore is a success story without a soul through the exploration of the

1 Anthony Oei, From Third World to First – In One Generation, (The Strait Times, 2013) 1

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individual’s incapacity to reach the stage of self-‐actualisation and the treatment

of space in the nation with references Goh Poh Seng’s Dance of the Moths, Suchen

Christine Lim’s Rice Bowl and The River’s Song.

Introduction

The Singapore government’s pursuit of ensuring economic success and

prosperity is strongly motivated by the nation’s weaknesses that include, the

lack of natural resources and the scarcity of land, both of which would greatly aid

in the building the foundations for economic progress. These sources of

weakness, “the very direness of the situations [and] its unpromising ingredients”

(Koolhaas 1019) result in an aggressive survivalist mentality that makes up the

“general features of the PAP’s2 ideological system [which] unfolds from a central

concern; the survival as an independent island nation [where] survival has been

the structuring and rationalising centre for policies by which Singapore has been

governed since it gained the right to self-‐government in 1959” (Koolhaas 1019).

The emphasis to overcome these weaknesses is a rhetoric that is echoed

throughout the aforementioned primary texts through the prominent presence

of the pragmatic survivalist mentality. In doing so, cultural development is

neglected, and the soul, which consists of a Singaporean identity outside of the

nation’s socio-‐economic function and success is underdeveloped because of

“Singapore’s oscillation between its nation-‐state and global city habitus [which]

has thus far made an authentic national identity rather elusive” (Chong 877).

John Wilson, in his paper, Art, Identity and Culture, states that “a culture consists

of the practices and forms of life which distinguish a social group from a group of

animals: the styles, rules, values and other elements distinguishable in various

2 Abbreviation for People’s Action Party. Source: https://www.pap.org.sg/

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patterns of human life” (Wilson 90). Thus, whilst the concentration on economic

success and financial security as an attempt to overcome the nation’s

weaknesses has resulted in the nation’s meteoric rise; the attention that is

focused on the socio-‐economic functions of the individual has, at the same time,

diverted attention away from the nation’s cultural development, an important

identity marker that defines the nation outside of its success.

The prioritisation of economic success and financial security, is motivated

by the fear of failure, which results in the militaristic survivalist mentality that

has dreadful consequences on individuals. As a result of pursuing their personal

financial security, individuals suffer from crippling conditions of alienation,

isolation and existential crises, which lead to unhappiness, the lack of meaning in

their lives and most importantly, the loss in the sense of self due to the inability

of the individual to achieve the process of self-‐actualisation. In Goh Poh Seng’s

Dance of the Moths, the protagonist, Kian Teck remains unfulfilled, causing him to

suffer from an existential crisis, even though he has attained financial success

that allows for him and his family to live comfortably. Similarly, in Suchen

Christine Lim’s The River’s Song, the nation’s relentless pursuit for progress and

modernity causes a “man to lose his bearings” (157); which illustrates the

undesirable, unforeseen consequences of alienation and isolation in the pursuit

for economic prosperity. In like manner, her other novel, Rice Bowl, emphasises

how the survivalist mentality that echoes the government’s rhetoric of

overcoming the nation’s acute weakness, has been internalised by Singaporean

individuals. This is mainly depicted through her protagonist, Paul, who lacks

personal identity development because he has no sense of personal identity

outside of his socio-‐economic role. All three texts illustrate the preoccupation

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Singaporeans have with regards to acquiring material wealth at the expense of

personal growth and fulfilment. All of these texts question the assumption that

economic success and fulfilling physiological needs are sufficient for a

meaningful life. Thus, this thesis will be guided by both Aristotle’s principle of

eudaimonia and Abraham Maslow’s Theory of the Hierarchy of Needs which

states the conditions that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve holistic human

development.

Aristotle’s principle of eudaimonia presents the idea that for an individual

to lead a life of happiness and meaning, that is conceptualised as eudaimonia, he

has to examine the “nature of arête”, where virtues and excellence enriches the

“spirit” that will result in a life that is flourishing. Aristotle conceptualises the

idea that a meaningful life is “a search for the highest good [which] has three

characteristics: it is desirable for itself, it is not desirable for the sake of some

other good and all other goods are desirable for its sake” (Kraut 2). This concept

is essential in understanding why Singapore is a success story without a soul

because it questions the meaning of the lives these individuals lead. Hence, it will

be used as a guide to justify the thesis based on the understanding that the

“good”, which refers to economic prosperity that has been attained by the

individuals and by extension, the nation, remains insufficient for a meaningful

life as evident by the persistent conditions of alienation, isolation and existential

crises that these individuals suffer from across the three texts.

Aristotle’s concept of what a meaningful life is relatable to Abraham

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – a contemporary theory in understanding what an

individual requires in order to sustain himself and to ensure personal

development. In order for an individual to sustain life – physical, mental and

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emotional, Maslow’s theory has defined the various levels of needs that an

individual has to secure in order to ensure his survival and his personal

development. According to his theory, in order to ensure both the survival of the

self and the development of the self, the individual has to fulfil: (i) his

physiological needs, where he has to secure basic necessities like food and

procreation; (ii) his safety needs, which includes acquiring shelter and

employment that will allow him to sustain a certain lifestyle; (iii) emotional

needs or “belongingness needs” (380) where he feels part of a community so that

he remains somewhat motivated to live, (iv) esteem needs – an important need

that helps validate the individual and (v) the process of self-‐actualisation, where

one develops his personal self and identity “to be everything one is capable of

becoming” (382) outside of his socio-‐economic functions. For the purposes of

this thesis, I will pay particular attention to Maslow’s first condition required for

human development – the fulfilment of physiological needs and self-‐sustenance –

using examples of how individuals across the primary texts achieve their

physiological survival through having a survivalist mentality. I will also pay

particular attention to Maslow’s last condition required for a holistic human

development – the process of attaining self-‐actualisation – that develops the

individual’s sense of self and personal identity.

This thesis will justify why Singapore is a success story without a soul

based on what a meaningful life should be through Aristotle’s concept of

eudaimonia and Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, paying particular

attention to the latter. This thesis will specifically focus on how the continuous

pursuit of attaining one’s physiological needs required for sustenance manifests

into a consumerist culture through the internalisation of a survivalist mentality

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and how this incapacitates the individuals from achieving the process of self-‐

actualisation. I will seek to justify that whilst the zealous pursuit of economic

progress is necessary for the physiological survival of the people and by

extension, the nation; the overconcentration of economic pursuit is insufficient

for one to develop a sense of self and lead a meaningful life outside of his

functional, socio-‐economic role. Instead, the overconcentration of economic

pursuit creates both highly pressurising conditions for the individual and a

consumerist culture, which has undesirable consequences on the individual,

whereby the individual suffers from the inability to establish their personal

identity outside of their functional roles in both familial and societal settings.

Thus, being unable to establish a personal identity prevents them from reaching

the process of self-‐actualisation. This thesis will also explore how the treatment

of space in Singapore further compounds the lack of development in identity due

to the relentless promotion of the survivalist mentality in the environment. The

survivalist mentality, which penetrates both the mindset and environment of the

Singaporean individual ultimately restricting the development of identity and

culture – the immaterial aspect of what defines the soul of both the individual

and the nation.

I. The Individual’s Success Determines the Success of the Nation

A factor that is crucial in determining the economic success of Singapore

is the co-‐dependent relationship between the state and its peoples, which Mak

termed as “benefactor-‐beneficiary dependency” (Mak 33). The implementation

of various economic policies by the government is only successful in making

Singapore a success story because of the achievement of various personal

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successes by the Singaporean individuals themselves. Without the personal

successes of Singaporean individuals, there would not be a collective success and

the nation would not be considered a success story. However, the personal

success of the individual and the success of the nation would not be possible

without the survivalist mentality rhetoric that the Singapore government has

promoted relentlessly in order to overcome the acute weaknesses of the nation

so that Singapore would eventually be a “first world nation” (Chang 88).

The survivalist mentality rhetoric that is promoted by the Singapore

government is motivated by one of the weaknesses of the nation, that is: the lack

of natural resources, a quality that, if Singapore had, would greatly assist in

creating the fertile conditions for economic activity. This acute weakness that the

nation faces “define[s] the interest of the whole nation as of paramount

importance” (Chang 92). Thus, if it is in the interests of the nation, then it is in

the interest of the individual, which is why the success of the individual is crucial

to the success of the nation. The government’s desire to overcome this weakness

results in a relentless promotion of this survivalist mentality amongst its

citizens. It is this mentality, this rhetoric, which facilitates economic progress as

it helps to prioritise the needs of the individual in order to ensure the survival of

the nation.

II. The Individual’s Pursuit for Economic Prosperity Results in Economic

Success

The manner in which the state promotes this survivalist mentality can be

seen in the rhetoric that resonates across the three primary texts, where the

individuals, all of whom are citizens of Singapore, are constantly reminded that

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“Singapore has no natural resources [hence] we have to look out for ourselves”

(Lim, Rice Bowl, 65). The fact that Singapore has no natural resources to depend

on for self-‐sustenance means that the only available resource that the nation has

rests in her people. This weakness is recognised by the state and hence, the state

has implemented wide-‐reaching efforts across different sectors of the society in

an attempt to construct economic viability of its people. These include

mandating that English be the official language3 in 1959, implementing a

meritocratic education system4 that promotes pragmatic sciences and skills over

the idealistic arts and humanities subjects as well as “fostering optimistic

psychology in individuals” (Asher 796) in order to motivate Singaporeans to

succeed. Since the government recognises that the success of the individual is

crucial in determining the success of the nation, the pragmatic survivalist

mentality is embedded in her citizens through the rhetoric “we have no

hinterland to depend on and the world doesn’t owe us a living” (Lim, Rice Bowl,

65) – a weakness of the nation that becomes “a recital of an argument learnt by

heart” by Singaporean citizens. (Lim, Rice Bowl, 65).

Bearing this in mind, the government uses “society’s interest to integrate

and adjust individual’s interests” (Chang 91). This explains the internalisation of

the survivalist mentality that is illustrated by the characters across the

aforementioned primary texts. The citizens have “no choice” because the country

has “no natural resources” and hence, they have to “look out for [them]selves”

3 on the official and national languages in Singapore – L. Quentin Dixon, The Bilingual Education Policy in Singapore, (Harvard University) 4 As explained by Ong, the governing principle in Singapore is meritocracy as Lee Kuan Yew, the nations first Prime Minister asserted that while all were not born equal, there would be equal education opportunities given to all indiscriminately. – Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Singapore’s Social Policies: Vision, Accomplishments and Challenges, (National University of Singapore) 1

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(Lim, Rice Bowl, 65). This survivalist mentality is so embedded in the psyche of

the individual that it translates into physical behaviour. In Lim’s narrative,

“undergrads jostle each other [as] it was each man for himself at lunch time in

the university” (Lim, Rice Bowl, 111). The physicalisation of the survivalist

mentality is evidence in itself of how deep the survivalist mentality is embedded

in Singaporean citizens. It is inescapable and it penetrates societal behaviour as

just illustrated.

In Goh’s Dance of the Moths, Mr. Chan understands and accepts the

nation’s acute weakness as his own. This configures in his philosophy in life

where he sees it as “simple practical common sense, [that] he had to earn his

daily bread, his daily bowl of rice [because] the choice was plain enough” (Goh

216-‐217). Goh uses food as an allusion to the survival of the individual since food

sustains and fulfils the individual’s physiological needs, as conceptualised by

Maslow. Likewise, this pragmatic survivalist mentality is also observed in Paul in

Lim’s novel, Rice Bowl. Paul’s character is personified to represent the survivalist

rhetoric and “hard logic” (Lim, Rice Bowl, 127). This is evident from his constant

emphasis that Singaporeans have to work hard and submit to the policies put

into effect by the government so that they may “keep their rice bowls full, keep

their hands busy and forge a sense of purpose and direction in order to turn the

wheels of commerce and industry” (Lim, Rice Bowl, 51).

It is generally understood that the management of a nation’s citizens is

the government’s responsibility; thus, in the case of Singapore as evident from

the aforementioned texts, the government ensures that individuals are

successful economically by promoting this survivalist mentality. Hence, this

translates to the idea that the achievement of economic success is a

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responsibility that individuals have to take ownership of. What is particularly

striking about the two aforementioned examples is in how the characters use

food, rice in particular, as literal symbols on what determines an individual’s

physiological survival. The personal successes of individuals would result in the

economic prosperity of the nation, especially since Singapore has no other

resources other than her people to aid in the pursuit of economic development.

Thus, the internalisation of survivalist mentality is crucial in determining the

achievement of economic success.

III. The Internalisation of the Survivalist Mentality Results in a Consumerist

Culture, a Loss in a Sense of Self and the Lack of Development of the Soul

The pragmatic survivalist mentality has shown to be deeply embedded in

these individuals as illustrated by the characters. These characters are able to

attain their basic physiological needs in order to survive, the first condition that

allows for human development according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

However, while this survivalist mentality is key in determining the success of

these individuals, the internalisation of the very same survivalist mentality has

resulted in the emergence of a consumerist and materialist culture; where

individuals remain dissatisfied with their current economic status and are

constantly aspiring to achieve even more financial prosperity to fulfil material

desires instead of just their physiological needs. Mak states that the middle class

is “materialist in their outlook” (Mak 39) and that the preoccupation with the

accumulation of material wealth is internalised “to the extent of sacrificing

involvement in other types of collectivism such as social and political

movements, let alone self-‐actualisation” (Mak 40). This phenomenon where “the

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middle class status is an aspiration to many as it symbolises a good life” (Mak 37)

is a trend that is consistent throughout the aforementioned primary texts.

However, this consumerist and materialist culture that has been created results

in the loss of self because it detracts attention from the individual as an

autonomous entity and focuses on the individual as a socio-‐economic function,

or a cog in a machine.

This is exemplified in Goh’s protagonist, Kian Teck, in his novel Dance of

the Moths. The characterisation of Kian Teck demonstrates that one of the

reasons why Singapore is able to become the success story that it is today is

because the majority of Singaporean individuals endorse the “tactic of survival,

Singapore style” which is: “push to the front or be pushed to the back” (Lim, Rice

Bowl, 111). When the readers are introduced to Kian Teck in the opening

chapters, the readers are already informed that Kian Teck is a successful man,

who is able to provide himself and his family a comfortable life. This comfortable

life includes meeting the basic physiological needs of both food and shelter for

both him and his family. Kian Teck, a creative designer in an advertising agency,

is so successful in what he does that he is even able to afford luxuries like a car, a

material good that does not determine his sustenance, as it is not a physiological

need. The car is considered a luxury as it’s use is only restricted to the

convenience of travel. However, despite attaining the basic necessities that

ensures his physiological survival as well as being able to accumulate wealth that

satisfies his material desires, Kian Teck still remains dissatisfied with his level of

material wealth and seeks to accumulate even more wealth. His “preoccupation

with the prospects of the stock exchange” (Goh 169) whilst “driving his brand

new car towards town” (Goh 169) is telling of his desire to accumulate more

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wealth. It is also telling of his dissatisfaction of his current economic status

because despite the fact that he has acquired a new car, which fulfils one of his

material desires, he seeks to acquire even more material wealth. This indicates

that the internalisation of a survivalist mentality is so deeply embedded in the

individual that he continues to pursue economic betterment not for his

physiological needs but for his material desires. In turn, this shows that the

continued pursuit of economic prosperity creates a consumerist culture that the

individual constantly seeks to indulge in. Therefore, even though Kian Teck

should feel secure with his financial status since it is sufficient in fulfilling both

the physiological needs of himself and his family, he remains obsessed with

material wealth. Kian Teck’s obsession with material wealth is so distinct and

prominent that “there was an inner – and expanding – world which he kept in his

head: the world of the stock market [and] these were [his] thoughts as he arrived

at the office” (Goh 169). Kian Teck realises that participating in the activities of

the stock market is “the truth he had now discovered something almost akin to

religion, or to the passion of the artist” (Goh 170). Thus, it justifies the idea that

the pursuit for economic prosperity will remain endless due to the consumerist

culture that has been created as a result of the survivalist mentality.

Similarly, in Lim’s The River’s Song, Ping’s mother, known as Mrs. Chang

after she marries a wealthy businessman, is obsessed with social upward

mobility. Mrs. Chang was able to make a decent living as a pipa musician but she

views this as a form of socio-‐economic paralysis, even though she was able to

meet physiological needs by providing both food and shelter for herself and Ping,

her daughter. She considers her previous employment as a pipa musician to be

the cause of her socio-‐economic paralysis because she was dissatisfied with her

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“dingy, cramped and dimly” (Lim, Rice Bowl 90) living conditions she had to live

in. Her “cramped” living conditions act as a source of motivation for her to seek a

rich man to marry, a man who would be able to provide her with “space and

luxury in the city” (Lim, The River’s Song 90). The very fact that Lim uses the

word “luxury” indicates that Mrs. Chang is preoccupied with the acquisition of

material wealth despite already attaining the minimum to be able to survive

according to the first condition required for human development according to

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Both Kian Teck and Mrs. Chang illustrate how

deeply embedded the survivalist mentality is in their psyche, so much so that it

results in the creation of a consumerist culture because despite the ability of

these two respective characters in fulfilling their physiological needs, they strive

for more economic success in order to achieve their material needs.

Both of these characters exemplify how easily the survivalist mentality,

which is crucial in determining one’s self-‐sustenance, can manifest into

consumerist behaviour. This consumerist behaviour, however, is not a condition

that allow for a holistic human development according to neither Maslow nor a

life of eudaimonia according to Aristotle. Rather, the materialistic desires of

these two characters demonstrate how the economic success of the nation

results in an “unapologetic concern with shopping” (Koolhaas 1051) that is “not

simply a consumerist frenzy but an authentic essence of urban life” (Koolhaas

1051). The manifestation of the survivalist mentality, which results in a

consumerist culture shows that the consumerist culture is “not simply” a

“frenzy” because it has become part of the lifestyle that the individual is

embedded in. Precisely because the consumerist culture has become a way of life

for these individuals, it actually hinders one from attaining the process of self-‐

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actualisation where the individual “desire[s] for self-‐fulfilment, the tendency for

him to become actualised in what he is potentially (Maslow 382) because the

survivalist mentality has consumed the individual so much so that it manifests in

a consumerist culture, making him only concerned on how to better his socio-‐

economic activities that will help sate his increasing hunger for material goods.

His personal identity, which is determined by the pursuit of other interests that

lie outside the domain of acquiring material goods, is underdeveloped and this

results in the loss of a sense of self.

This loss of a sense of self is thoroughly personified by Paul, a character in

Lim’s other novel, Rice Bowl. Paul is a one-‐dimensional character who is

identified solely by his socio-‐economic function. He does not suffer from

crippling conditions of alienation and existential crisis. Instead, he is the

definition of a success story without a soul. Paul is unconcerned with a life of

happiness and meaning as evident from his consistent insistence that it is simply

“hard logic” (Lim, Rice Bowl, 127) that motivates Singaporeans to “keep their rice

bowls full keep their hands busy and forge a sense of purpose and direction in

order to turn the wheels of commerce and industry” (Lim, Rice Bowl 51). This is

further postulated by how there is no need for “meaningful participation” in

university because a university education is only useful “to get a passport to

wealth” (Lim, Rice Bowl 59). Again, Lim’s purpose of using the word “wealth”

here is meant to indicate that Singaporeans are preoccupied with attaining

wealth. This shows that they want to progress beyond the attainment of their

physiological needs.

The consumerist and materialist culture that is created through the

internalisation of the survivalist mentality is resonant of the idea that “man

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craves luxury and grandeur” (Goh 93) and how “every man yearn[s] to live like

an emperor […] even if he has to pay through his nose for the privilege” (Goh 93).

While the internalisation of a survivalist mentality might have allowed Singapore

to become a success story, the continued emphasis on securing one’s financial

future creates a concrete materialist and consumerist culture in the nation

because of the continued pursuit of economic betterment. It is this continued

pursuit that incapacitates individuals from attaining the process of self-‐

actualisation because the attention of the individual does not lie in the

development of the self but rather the acquisition of material goods. This

continued emphasis on securing one’s financial future results in the formation of

the consumerist middle class and how the “middle class is a consumption class;

and [how] its discernable pattern of consumption forms a unique way of living”

(Mak 45). Whilst this continued emphasis is imperative in ensuring Singapore’s

economic prosperity longevity, it remains insufficient for individuals to lead a

life of happiness and contentment since it only helps fulfil the physiological

needs of the individual. Therefore, the individual and by extension, the nation, is

only defined by his socio-‐economic function and not by his sense of self. The

process of acquiring material goods to satisfy the individual’s consumerist

desires result in the loss of his sense of self and the life of happiness and

contentment cannot be attained because the process of self-‐actualisation, a

process that an individual has to attain in order to lead a life of eudaimonia, is

underdeveloped due to the overpowering nature of the survivalist mentality

present in the individual.

The state of self-‐actualisation is highly difficult to attain given that the

rhetoric has created a concrete culture of materialism and consumerism. This is

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because the culture of materialism and consumerism continues to emphasise on

only the socio-‐economic function of the individual and not his personal identity.

Therefore, whilst economic success is imperative for one to survive as “the

activity of labour concerns the processes of production and consumption that are

dictated by our biological needs” (Miczo 135), it does not contribute to “a sense

of psychological security” (Wilson 91), which is derived from a “network of

cultural experiences” (Wilson 91). Hence, despite Singapore’s meteoric rise as a

successful nation, the economic prosperity alone cannot guarantee happiness as

the lack of such “cultural experiences” results in the inability to attain the state of

self-‐actualisation. The state of self-‐actualisation is crucial to the development of

the individual and the nation because “within each person is a kernel that may be

called the soul or the ego or the self [and] it is the subject of all the person’s

experiences” (Rachels et al. 54). Thus, the process self-‐actualisation is crucial in

the development of the individual and the nation as it provides both with

recognition outside of his socio-‐economic roles and her economic prowess.

A complete representation of the self that forms an individual’s complete

identity includes the individual having other interests that do not consist of

wealth or material goods. A complete representation of the self includes

individualistic exhibitions of self-‐expression; whether it is through artistic

mediums, musical mediums and/ or religion. Thus, when the survivalist

mentality is so overwhelming that it has resulted in a consumerist culture even

though it was meant to fulfil physiological needs, individuals becomes defined by

their socio-‐economic function and this results in the loss of a sense of self. The

loss of the sense of self occurs when an individual cannot determine whom he is

and is not satisfied with his life despite achieving economic prosperity. A sense

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of self refers to an individual’s personal identity where the self consists of more

than his socio-‐economic role or function. According to philosophers James

Rachels and Stuart Rachels, in Problems from Philosophy, personal identity

consists of “the subject of all the person’s experiences” (54). Yet, there is a loss

of the sense of self since an individual’s personal identity is underdeveloped

across the various texts due to how the prioritisation of one’s socio-‐economic

function limits one’s ability to have other experiences that have nothing to do

with wealth or the acquisition of material goods. Thus, the underdevelopment of

one’s personal identity results in the incapacity to achieve the process of self-‐

actualisation, which makes the life of an individual meaningless.

At some point, material objects and financial security become insufficient

for an individual to live a rewarding and fulfilling life filled with contentment

because these material objects and financial security that they have are not the

“source of all insight” (Langer 10). The source of all insight that would make life

meaningful is the individual’s development in other areas of his life that does not

include his economic success. This development is thus, Maslow’s process of self-‐

actualisation, which requires one to develop his personal identity. The

underdevelopment of personal identity, which causes one to be unhappy and

suffer from an existential crisis is epitomised by Peter, a character in Goh’s Dance

of the Moths. Peter questions if “[he] might’ve been happier [had] only [his] will

been directed elsewhere [like] architecture, poetry, philosophy instead of

dissipating [his] life” (Goh 35) by pursuing only financial security through his

pragmatic decision to be a lawyer.

Similarly, in Goh’s Dance of the Moths, Kian Teck questions the meaning of

his life despite the fact that he is wealthy. This shows that economic success is

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insufficient for a life of happiness and meaning, evident from his following

outburst: “I am going to die! And this fact, this knowledge confronted me, made

me realize that life is banal. If it has to end, life is meaningless. So perhaps out of

desperation, I became restless […] I must plunge into life, dive in headlong. And

when I found that I could not do that, could not do that always, then came the

moments of inertia, of boredom” (Goh 192). Kian Teck is clearly searching for the

meaning of his life because although he has already attained all the other needs

required for holistic human development, he still remains unfulfilled, which

shows that the quality of one’s life does not wholly rely on the fulfilment of one’s

physiological needs nor the fulfilment of one’s materialistic desires. Thus, these

individuals have to undergo the process of self-‐actualisation as proposed by

Maslow in order to find meaning in their lives and be happy. Kian Teck, amongst

others, is neither happy nor contented with his life and he concludes, “man is not

made for happiness” (Goh 36). His unhappiness is further evident from his

statement that his “soul [is] dark because [he] has no light within [him], so [he]

propels [him]self towards these external lights, these materialistic lights” (208).

However, the fulfilment of material desires does not help in answering

existential questions such as “who am I, really?” or “where does my real self lie?”

(Wilson 91).

Goh’s aforementioned statement is instrumental in implying that

Singapore lacks a support system or structure beyond fulfilling physiological

needs and materialist desires. The individual is left alienated and isolated

because he is trapped in his socio-‐economic role. He undergoes an identity crisis

because he does not know who he is outside of this functional role. His identity

crisis is further compounded by the fact that “the Efficient do not bother with

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their subconscious [because] for them, survival rules firmly” (Goh 153),

reiterating the lack of a support system that directs the individual towards

achieving the process of self-‐actualisation.

This existential crisis that Kian Teck faces is also faced by his wife, Li Lian.

Li Lian is unhappy despite living a comfortable life that Kian Teck has provided

for her and their children. Li Lian suffers and undergoes an identity crisis of her

own because she is not being recognised as an individual with her own self-‐

interests and opinions “since marriage and since having kids” (Goh 190). Li Lian

as an individual is unacknowledged because she is also strictly defined by her

socio-‐economic role, which lies in the domestic domain. The only role that Li

Lian plays in the narrative is one of a wife and mother. She is expected to upkeep

the family unit and ensure that the needs of her husband and her children are

met. Precisely because her identity is strictly defined by her social function, she

has “not been [her]self” (Goh 190), only “a wife, a mother” (Goh 190). She has

only been “fulfilling a functional role as a wife, mother and friend [and] [she]

began to wonder whether [she] [is] [her]self anymore […] as an individual

named Ong Li Lian, with [her] own thoughts, feelings [and] ideas” (Goh 190).

This explicitly informs us that Li Lian’s current social role under-‐represents her

as an individual. Her socio-‐economic function illustrates the fact that there is a

lack of development of the self outside of one’s socio-‐economic role as evident

from Li Lian’s lack of definition as an individual entity but rather, a functional

entity. She undergoes an identity crisis precisely because of the fact that her

social functions have made her invisible “as a person – an individual named Ong

Li Lian” (Goh 190), which makes her feel neglected since she is only recognised

by her socio-‐economic function. This sense of neglect is the loss of the sense of

Azmi 21

self because in the process of pursuing and fulfilling her domestic

responsibilities, she becomes thoroughly defined by her social role. Both these

individuals, exemplified by Li Lian and Kian Teck, are merely cogs in the societal

machine “in order to turn the wheels of commerce and industry” (Lim, Rice Bowl,

51). The incomplete acknowledgement of the individuals outside of their socio-‐

economic roles has made them unhappy and caused them to “slowly go out of

[their] mind [and] go insane” (Goh 190).

The pursuit of economic success and how it does not acknowledge the

existence of the individual can also be seen in Mr Chan, who had to “put his

shoulder to the yoke, whatever people might think of him” because “emotions,

and even personal feelings, were luxuries he could not afford” (Goh 127). He too

undergoes an identity crisis, which he considers to be “a practical problem, a

vital problem” (Goh 217) but one that he could not attend to since he has to deal

with meeting his physiological needs as well as the physiological needs of his

family. With regards to the expression of his “emotions” and “personal feelings”,

he can only “grapple with it the best way he could at that time” (Goh 217)

because his physiological and economic security are his primary concerns. Thus,

this results in Singaporeans becoming “people [who] knew the prevailing price

of everything and the value of nothing” (Goh 247), as these individuals are only

concerned with fulfilling their physiological needs, which, if they have fulfilled,

will result in them fulfilling their materialistic desires. This is how the survivalist

mentality eventually manifests to become a consumerist culture.

The aforementioned examples that depict the various characters being

unhappy despite their material wealth shows that the pursuit of economic

prosperity is an insufficient experience for a meaningful life. Furthermore,

Azmi 22

individuals in the various primary texts realise that eventually, “money loses its

values, everything has lost its value” (Goh 15). This denotes that the chase for

material success ceases to be meaningful after awhile because “even if all these

needs are satisfied” (Maslow 382), it is human nature to expect that “a new

discontent and restlessness will develop” (Maslow 382). Hence, this causes the

individual to feel a loss in the sense of self and undergo existential crises.

Therefore, they have to seek other ways; non-‐material ways and means to find

their happiness to attain happiness since material objects are deemed

insufficient.

IV. Absence of Art and Culture Results in a Lack of Development of Personal

Identity, which Leads to the Inability to Achieve Self-Actualisation

Other than the existential identity crises that these individuals go through

due to their identities being restricted to only their socio-‐economic functions as

illustrated by characters from Dance of the Moths, the lack of acknowledgement

of the individual outside of his functional roles can also be seen in the absence of

arts and culture (and music as depicted in the narrative, The River’s Song) in

Singapore. The absence of arts and culture is detrimental to an individual’s

identity because “a person’s identity [and] psychological security must reside in

his culture” (Wilson 92). Without the presence of arts and culture, the process of

self-‐actualisation cannot be attained as the absence of arts and culture leads to

the underdevelopment of the individual’s personal identity and the starvation of

the soul.

The idea that the body of the individual must be sustained through food,

which has to be acquired through work in order for a person to survive

Azmi 23

physically cannot be overemphasised. However, the idea that the soul of the

individual must also be fed in order to sustain true happiness and for one’s life to

be meaningful is as equally, if not more, important because if individuals are

starved of arts and culture, which is the “epitome of human life” (Langer 5), there

will be “hunger in [one’s] eyes” (Lim, The River’s Song 215). Thus, a more

complete development of human life in order to achieve success and happiness

requires meeting both the physiological needs of the human body and as

proposed by Maslow, the process of self-‐actualisation through the realisation of

his potential and the fulfilment of his talents.

Lim illustrates the importance of attaining the state of self-‐actualisation

by using a historical angle as a point of reference. In her narration, she uses the

Chinese Cultural Revolution5 in August 1966 through the memories and

experiences of a Chinese professor, Professor Chen Ma Xian, who lived through

the Cultural Revolution and is therefore, considered a first-‐hand witness.

Through the Chinese professor, Lim expresses the “hunger and longing” (Lim,

The River’s Song 215) that an individual feels not because he is literally deprived

of food but because of the prohibition of artistic and cultural expressions during

the Cultural Revolution. This results in the Professor Chen being unable to attain

self-‐actualisation through music at that point of time in his life because he had

“no pipa” (Lim, The River’s Song 215), which meant that he had “no music” (Lim,

The River’s Song 215) and by extension, “no life” (Lim, The River’s Song 215) and

no culture, which just made him part of “the walking dead” (Lim, The River’s Song

215). Professor Chen’s comparison of himself to the dead emphasises how

5 sourced from the History Channel, a production of A&E Television Networks http://www.history.com/topics/cultural-‐revolution

Azmi 24

lifeless an individual can be when deprived through music because “a musician

must make music” (Maslow 382). Despite fulfilling one’s physiological needs, one

can still feel “hunger” if he is denied a manner to express himself, which in the

case of The River’s Song, is through the medium of music. Lim’s characterisation

of the professor belies how “art is an important part of reality” (Langer 7). This

statement qualifies the idea of how music and life are co-‐dependent because the

absence of one, like “music”, leads to the absence of the other, “life”. It justifies

the idea that cultural development and development of the arts is crucial for the

survival of the soul, similar to how attaining physiological needs (like acquiring

food to feed the human body) is crucial for the sustenance of the human body.

Without the development of the arts or culture, individuals become lifeless. The

Chinese professor’s personal experience during the Chinese Cultural Revolution

encapsulates the idea that an individual’s life is incomplete and that true and

complete happiness cannot he attained unless one is allowed to express himself

completely through the realisation of his potential and the fulfilment of his

talents, as proposed by Maslow. Any form of cultural expression, whether

through music or art does not matter, as long as it is not a socio-‐economic role.

Furthermore, the quote strongly implies that whilst someone might have enough

food to eat or a decent standard of living, they may be alive only physically but

otherwise, dead emotionally and psychologically. The human consciousness

cannot merely be sated with food or material wealth and this is true universally,

across all human beings, as shown by Kian Teck and Li Lian in Goh’s Dance of the

Moths and the aforementioned Professor in Lim’s The River’s Song. Thus, this

justifies how the lack of cultural, artistic and musical development in Singapore

results in the lack of a soul in the nation, which is seen as important in sustaining

Azmi 25

people and their lives because it provides a sense of happiness and a means of

self-‐expression outside of the acquisition of material goods and desires.

However, this becomes a struggle for the individual because there is

tension between his physiological needs and his need for self-‐actualisation as

they both sustain different aspects of an individual. A man’s physiological needs

are based on his most base needs, like eating, which determines his physical

survival. On the other hand, cultural development helps facilitate the process of

self-‐actualisation as it allows the individual to have a self outside of his socio-‐

economic role.

The predicament faced by Weng and his father in Lim’s narrative, The

River’s Song, demonstrates this struggle. Weng’s father is conscious of the fact

that “things would have been different if his family had the money. But his family

is poor” (Lim, The River’s Song 140). This implies that if he had no problems

fulfilling his physiological needs, then he would be able to undergo a process of

self-‐actualisation, as evident by his statement that “heaven lights up the soul just

once, if we fail to feed the flame, it dies” which causes him to become “a spent

candle” (Lim, The River’s Song 140). It appears that an individual has to make a

choice of between his two needs: feeding his body or feeding his soul.

Art and culture provides a medium to express feelings and identity. It is

the “primary function of art, to objectify feeling so we can contemplate and

understand” (Langer 9) what life is outside of the socio-‐economic roles

individuals are meant to play. For instance, in Lim’s The River’s Song, Weng’s

father plays a song that expresses human emotions that disassociates from

concerns with material culture or consumerist culture, which are

overemphasised by the Singapore government. This is seen in the following

Azmi 26

passage: “with a flick of his fingers […] a thousand arrows whizzed across the

sky. Stars fell at the emperor’s anguished cry. The enemy’s armies pounded

across the plains as his father’s fingers drummed on the pipa’s soundboard, and

the horses’ feet, anxious drumbeats, and the soldiers’ battle cries filled the room”

(Lim, The River’s Song 65). Music, and by extension, arts, convey the self-‐

expression in an aesthetic manner, in a manner that sometimes cannot be

captured by words, in a manner that is relatable to all because music is a

language understood by the human soul, an “important part of reality that is

inaccessible” (Langer 8) through the attainment of one’s physiological needs.

Thus, this shows how fulfilling physiological needs and materialistic desires are

insufficient for one to lead a meaningful life of eudaimonia.

In Goh’s Dance of the Moths, both protagonists, Kian Teck and Kok Leong

are constantly “in search of happiness” despite their respective acquisitions of

economic power. There is the sense of loss of self because it causes these

individuals to question their lives. The lack of meaning in their lives is apparent

because Kian Teck questions, “what was there to aspire to anyway” (Goh 165)

since the issues that seem to matter only revolve around economic matters.

There is a sense of absence of personal identity for these characters because

their lives are “but a cycle of these urges and habits” (Goh 165), comprising

merely of their functional roles at a societal and familial level. This results in the

characters suffering from existential crises, where the meanings of their lives

become a source of concern for them and although they are successful stories in

their own rights, they are also soulless.

In contrast, with references to Lim’s Rice Bowl, Marie also lost her sense

of self, her personal identity, when she failed to get a scholarship to pursue her

Azmi 27

studies. The failure for her to get a scholarship meant that she could no longer

identify herself as a lawyer, a socio-‐economic role that she wanted to procure.

However, when she was “no longer part of the ‘cream’” (Lim, Rice Bowl 20) and a

participant in the pursuit of economic prosperity, she was able to find herself. In

her case, finding herself meant joining a convent since it was a “vocation intact

with a goal and a meaning” because her “mission lay in living life fully and

embracing the world’s pain and suffering” (Lim, Rice Bowl 98). This shows that

when the focus of an individual shifts from the pursuit of material goods to the

pursuit of self-‐fulfilment and the development of a personal identity, they are

able to attain a process of self-‐actualisation, as demonstrated by Marie.

Marie, also known as Miss Wang in the narrative, is recognised by her

students as being “different from others [because] she is not a rice bowl teacher”

(Lim, Rice Bowl 34) implying that she is something other than a teacher. This

demonstrates that Marie is recognised as herself – her personal identity – and

not by her socio-‐economic functions that includes being a nun and a teacher.

However, Marie is an exception as compared to the other characters because in

Singapore, the survivalist mentality prevails among the majority, where “the

popular demand that their rice bowls be kept full, their hands busy” in order to

“forge a sense of purpose and direction in order to turn the wheels of commerce

and industry” (Lim, Rice Bowl 51). When the survivalist mentality remains the

foremost concern of individuals, they are unable to define themselves beyond

their socio-‐economic roles as the overconcentration on economic success results

in the lack of development of the soul due to the lack of attention given to

personal development. This is because to achieve economic success, it requires

strict dedication where the “numbered Singaporean slave[s] for four wheels,

Azmi 28

three rooms, two kids and one wife as the supreme goal in life” (Lim, Rice Bowl

22).

There is a sense of a loss of self and personal identity, as exemplified by

the aforementioned characters from the respective narratives because although

all of them have fulfilled the necessary conditions that will ensure their survival,

they have not, with the exception of Marie, fulfilled the sufficient conditions of a

life with meaning through self-‐expression or cultural development. Their

inability and incapacity to fulfil these sufficient conditions is only restricted by

pragmatism that is stressed upon by the survivalist mentality rhetoric, which

demands complete attention and devotion to the pursuit of economic progress,

since “because of this [physiological] necessity, human beings must labour, must

produce and consume those things that sustain the basic life process itself”

(Miczo 135-‐136). This is a powerful and compelling justification to the idea that

Singapore is a success story without a soul because in reality, according to Mak,

“when respondents are asked to offer the most important aim”, the middle class

chose “maintaining a high rate of economic growth” (Mak 39). As demonstrated

in the examples above, the desire to maintain a “high rate of economic growth” is

the result of the creation of a consumerist culture that occurs due to the

continuous pursuit of economic progress despite already fulfilling their

physiological needs. The needs that these individuals then seek to fulfil are no

longer physically necessary physiological needs that would ensure their survival

but rather, materialistic needs that will fulfil their capitalistic or worldly desires.

However, it is a “fundamental assumption [that] human beings seek to

maximise ontological security and minimise existential anxiety” (Miczo 134),

which reiterates Maslow’s fifth stage of human development that is attaining the

Azmi 29

process of self-‐actualisation. That being said, the characters are unable to

“maximise their ontological security and minimise existential anxiety” simply

because the physical landscape in Singapore fails to provide for the ability of self-‐

expression and cultural development due to the prioritisation of its economic

pursuit.

The government has created an environment that “provides for

everything except for the soul” (Goh 191). Hence, this leads to the “common

culture of a Singaporean professional [who] was neither here nor there” (Goh

44), which emphasises the loss of the sense of self. The emphasis of the rhetoric,

which is a combination of familial and social expectations as well as economic

aspirations, “marriage, domesticity and career building, by our functional roles”

(Goh 191) succinctly summarises this rhetoric that defines an individual only

according to how they perform these roles and nothing more. There is a lack of

acknowledgement of the individual outside of his socio-‐economic role.

V. Treatment of Space in Singapore

The survivalist mentality that has determined the personal successes of

the individuals also configures in the government’s treatment of space in

Singapore, as portrayed by the respective authors. The reason for the

penetration of the survivalist mentality with regards to the issue of space stems

from another acute weakness of the nation that lies in the scarcity of land. In the

light of the “smallness and permanent land shortage” (Koolhaas 1035) faced by

the nation, authors across the primary texts engage in the “poetic treatment of

space as the means of constructing a shared communal and ultimately national

space” (Watson 686). Space is “shared”, “communal” and “ultimately national”

Azmi 30

because the scarcity of land demands the usage of land must be dealt with

pragmatically in order to maximise its utility. This reflects the government’s

“guiding concept over the whole island: the first principle should be the

acceptance of Singapore island and Singapore city as one unit” (Koolhaas 1027).

Space is important to the development of culture because of an “organic

interdependence [which] exists between [the] [people] and the frameworks”

(Koolhaas 1045). When assessing the treatment of space with regards to the

development in culture, it must be noted that space in itself is multi-‐purposeful

and multi-‐functional. On one hand, space can be used to further economic

purposes and goals through the “building steel towers of banks” (Lim, The River’s

Song 12). This is one of the ways that exemplifies how land is multi-‐functional.

Land can be used to build financial architecture and infrastructure, which makes

the nation more economically viable by providing more financial opportunities

for the nation. On the other hand, land is also needed to house the citizens of the

nation. Thus, this is a way in which space is multi-‐functional because it also

addresses certain social issues, like housing, that would benefit the citizens of

the nation. Bearing these in mind, the limited land available requires maximum

utilisation of space, which explains the constant redevelopment of the landscape

and space in Singapore. However, the constant redevelopment of the landscape

inhibits cultural development because through redevelopment, “Singapore’s

modernism is lobotomised: from modernism’s full agenda, it has adopted only

the mechanistic, rationalistic program and developed it to an unprecedented

perfection in a climate of streamlined ‘smoothness’ generated by shedding

modernism’s artistic, irrational, uncontrollable, subversive ambitions –

revolution without agony” (Koolhaas 1041). Hence, this justifies the idea that the

Azmi 31

treatment of space in Singapore, motivated by the survivalist mentality, which

“explains Singapore’s uptightness” (Koolhaas 1083), results in the inhibition of

cultural development in the nation.

In order for culture to thrive, there must be “physical markers of

community history which captures the past” (Nowell et al. 36) because the

presence of these physical markers “symbolically affirm a resident’s membership

to the local community by communicating to residents that they are part of

something distinctive, valuable and important” (Nowell et al. 40). A community’s

sense of self and identity is entwined with the environment because the

familiarity that individuals have with their surroundings and the environment

lead to “conscious identification” (Nowell et al. 40). This conscious identification

is aided by the familiarity of the landscape and space, which is why they are

considered important factors in defining Singaporean culture and identity. The

landscape and space illustrate the way Singaporeans live, interact and make use

of the space as part of their lifestyle outside of their socio-‐economic functions.

Without the presence of familiar physical markers that acts as a symbol of

familiarity for individuals due to constant urban renewal, there is an erasure of

culture, identity and history. This erasure of culture, identity and history

displaces the people emotionally.

In Lim’s novel, The River’s Song, she narrates the urbanisation of a newly

independent Singapore, where villages and communities have to be torn down in

order for modernisation and progress to take place. In the introduction, readers

are introduced to Weng, who is a recreational flute player, who used to play his

flute in Chinatown before it was redeveloped. The sound was “part of a forgotten

song” (Lim, The River’s Song 11) because it is symbolic of the culture that was

Azmi 32

once present in the Chinatown area, a culture where musical forms of self-‐

expression are expressed, untouched by urbanisation and the pursuit of financial

prosperity. In Lim’s novel, the physical spaces that allowed for cultural

development to take place through music were in Chinatown. However, once

these physical places were redeveloped or urbanised, the culture that used to be

present in these spaces ceases to exist. As Wilson states, “a person’s identity

must reside in his culture” (Wilson 91). Ah Weng’s flute-‐playing creates a sense

of nostalgia for the old men who used to live in the Chinatown area. Upon

hearing his song, they “heard the clang of the boats once again, the shouts of

coolie and lightermen, the heaving and hawing, hammering and clattering in the

boat yards long gone” (Lim, The River’s Song 11). This illustrates the culture that

used to be present in that area, a culture that helps to characterise and identify

the people. Thus, Ah Weng’s song is reminiscent of a time where the landscape

was recognisable to its inhabitants, where they “order[ed] their lives” (Wilson

90). However, due to the urban renewal,, these former inhabitants “gazed up at

the steel towers of the banks with names they could not read, with offices they

had never entered, and remembered the hawker stalls along this river where

their food had once fed the hordes of hungry workers every afternoon” (Lim, The

River’s Song 12), they are unable to identify a place that had meaning to their

lives at a point of time. The old way of life has completely been replaced with the

modern way of life and the Singaporeans who had their spaces affected had little

say in this. Thus, the erasure of the space and landmarks in order to “emulate the

advancements of the West while forsaking its cultural dimensions” (Wee 84)

results in a loss of an aspect of Singaporean culture that used to exist in that

space. With space being sacred, economic prosperity and not cultural

Azmi 33

development is prioritised. It gives rise to the issue of how there is a lack of

space for both economic and cultural development, which then provides

justification of why Singapore is a success story without a soul.

The issue with regards to how the treatment of space reflects the

survivalist mentality in the environment lies in the fact that the function and use

of a particular space has changed, altering the lifestyle and culture that used to

exist in that particular area. Thus, when space is redeveloped, the function of the

space changes. Thus, the constant redevelopment of space in Singapore results

in the erasure of Singapore history, culture and identity due to the pragmatic

preference of the government to use the land for the pursuit of economic goals.

The pursuit of economic progress and modernity results in the sacrifice of the

nation’s cultural development and by extension, inhibits the development of the

nation’s soul. In addition, the erasure of cultural space results in a decreased

accessibility for Singaporeans to get in touch with their roots and their culture.

That being said, the treatment of space in Singapore has to be examined because

it partly explains how Singapore became a success story without a soul.

Therefore, space represents the accessibility that Singaporeans have to places

and spaces that allow them to indulge in self-‐expression, which can ultimately

help them attain the process of self-‐actualisation. This is exemplified throughout

the texts where the pragmatic use of space meant for economic purposes came at

the cost of space that could be used for self-‐expression and cultural

development.

When space is redeveloped for other purposes, the meaning of the space

changes because the new architecture that is being built has a different purpose

to what it formerly was. Thus, with new architecture, the space will have a

Azmi 34

different meaning. This is explicitly illustrated in Goh Poh Seng’s Dance of the

Moths, where Kampong Java Park is “converted into a public park when it had

formerly been one of Singapore’s oldest Christian cemeteries” (Goh 4). Kian

Teck, his family and other Singaporeans are now using the space, which was

used to let the dead rest, as a place for activity and recreation. This demonstrates

how the same space is physically multi-‐functional. This shows that the meaning

of the space is also multi-‐purposeful. In this instance, it demonstrates that

government policies are so pragmatic, the survivalist mentality so embedded

intrinsically as well as in the environment, to the extent that even the dead

cannot be left in peace and have to be displaced in the constant pursuit for

modernity and progress. This shows that the pursuit of economic prosperity

comes at a cost for both the living and the dead, reinforcing the survivalist

mentality that demands a pragmatic approach to the use of land in Singapore.

The redevelopment of the Christian cemetery demonstrates that “the dead must

give way to the living in this crowded city” (Goh 4), which emphasises the

secondary astute weakness of the city-‐state, that is, the scarcity of land. The

government’s approach to the urban development of the Christian cemetery is

pragmatic in nature and it is unforgiving to the families who have their relatives

buried in that cemetery. This disallows for the self-‐expression of grief that the

space used to allow when it was a cemetery since the meaning and function

behind the space has changed. The use of a space always has a function and

when the aforementioned space ceases to be a cemetery, it ceases to have the

function of allowing people to grief at that place.

Lim further reinforces the idea that the redevelopment of space leads to

the erasure of Singapore history and in turn, leads to the erasure of Singapore

Azmi 35

culture through the eyes of Ping. Upon Ping’s return to Singapore after a stint in

America, she questions, “where were all the familiar landmarks of [her]

childhood?” (Lim, The River’s Song 233). She goes on to mention that the

reinforcement of the idea of how space is sacred in Singapore is so distinct that

“the erasure of place and memory is the hallmark of the city” (Lim, The River’s

Song 282). An unfamiliar city to its native inhabitant justifies Koolhaas’

statement that a community’s sense of self and identity is entwined with the

environment.

In Lim’s other novel, Rice Bowl, the persistence of the survivalist

mentality, which is translated as a form of rationality and practicality is also

exemplified. Physical landscape and architecture is so meticulously planned that

there is little opportunity for the freedom of expression of culture because there

has to be an “effective utilisation of space” (Lim, Rice Bowl 49). This supports the

argument that in order to overcome Singapore’s weakness of land scarcity, one

needs to have a survivalist mentality. This is why the treatment of space and

landscape is said to be pragmatic in nature, as it requires maximum utilisation of

space as reiterated by Lim.

The nation’s identity outside of its socio-‐economic capabilities and

function remains underdeveloped because of the pervasiveness of the pragmatic

survivalist mentality. The constant urban renewal of the landscape amplifies the

survivalist mentality and this causes Singapore to be rigidly defined by its socio-‐

economic success. This leads to a distinct loss of culture because there is a lack of

permanence of physical markers that help to sustain Singaporean history and

culture and thus, Singaporean culture cannot thrive if “an entity [has] no

discernible beginning or end” (Koolhaas 1044).

Azmi 36

Conclusion

In conclusion, what remains constant in Singapore is that the continued

aggressive pursuit for progress makes it challenging to define the nation outside

of the nation’s success, based on Wilson’s assertion that “a person’s identity

either must or ought to reside in his culture” (Wilson 92). Hence, the nation’s

soul is determined by the co-‐dependence between the personal identities of the

individuals, since the collective identity helps shape the character of the nation;

the culture and the space in which culture can thrive since it carries the

embodiment and spirit of what it is like to be Singaporean. However, it is crucial

to note that the soul of the nation is not defined by the socio-‐economic prowess

of the nation since the socio-‐economic prowess of the nation determines the

nation as a success story. The survivalist mentality that is used and adapted

intrinsically as well as extrinsically has resulted in Singapore being a success

story. However, the success story repute comes at a sacrifice of culture and

identity as the pursuit for economic progress overwhelms the need for personal

identity development and national identity development. This is because without

personal identity development, a culture cannot emerge since the identity and

the culture of the nation is supposed to emerge from all the people within a

nation. Yet, the chances of this happening remains limited precisely because of

the survivalist mentality that pervades in all aspects of human life in Singapore.

The very fact that Singapore’s weaknesses are permanent weaknesses that can

never be removed testifies the idea that this survivalist mentality will always

remain integral in the lives of the people of Singapore and the nation. Thus, we

might consider this survivalist mentality to be a value or mindset that is uniquely

Azmi 37

Singaporean since it has penetrated the minds of Singaporeans. Still, being

defined only as a success story will eventually reach a plateau and Singapore will

never be able to identify itself out of this mould and thus, will always be

considered a nation without a soul.

Azmi 38

Notes

1. Anthony Oei. From Third World to First World in One Generation. The

Straits Times.

2. Official website for the People’s Action Party (Singapore).

https://www.pap.org.sg/

3. L. Quentin Dixon. The Bilingual Education Policy in Singapore. Harvard

University.

4. Ambassador Ong Keng Yong. Singapore’s Social Policies: Vision,

Accomplishments and Challenges. National University of Singapore.

5. History Channel. A&E Television Networks.

http://www.history.com/topics/cultural-‐revolution

Azmi 39

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