From Kerala to Singapore

From Kerala to Singapore
Author: Anitha Devi Pillai
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Limited
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2017
Genre: Hinduism
ISBN: 9789814721837

Comprehensive study into the Singapore Malayalee communityUnique combination of academic essays, personal oral testimonies, hundreds of personal photos, and detailed family treesEach personal story complemented with contemporary portrait photograph of intervieweeAlso includes special 'In Conversation' interviews with noted personalities, such as former President SR Nathan

Multilingual Singapore

Multilingual Singapore
Author: Ritu Jain
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2021-05-25
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1000386929

This volume brings together researchers whose analysis and insights provide a comprehensive and up-to-date account of Singapore’s rich linguistic diversity. Applying a combination of descriptive, empirical, and theoretical approaches, the authors investigate not only official languages such as English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil, but also minority languages such as the Chinese vernaculars and South Asian and Austronesian languages. The chapters in this volume trace the historical development, contemporary status, and functions of these languages, as well as potential scenarios for the future. Exploring the tension between language policies and linguistic realities in Singapore, the contributions in this volume capture the shifting educational, political, and societal priorities of the community through its past and contemporary present.

A Monsoon Feast: Short stories to celebrate the cultures of Kerala and Singapore

A Monsoon Feast: Short stories to celebrate the cultures of Kerala and Singapore
Author: Shashi Tharoor
Publisher: Monsoon Books
Total Pages: 86
Release: 2012-11-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9814358843

Across the seas, the winds blow between two lands, whispering back and forth what is seen, heard, tasted, smelt, felt in each place: the green trees, the tropical heat, the lush rain, the peoples of enterprise and culture, the aromas of different flavours and more. A Monsoon Feast is the point at which these winds intermingle, their conversation celebrating the best of what Singapore and Kerala (India) have to offer. "A Monsoon Feast" comprises seven short stories by renowned writers from Kerala and Singapore that provide deep insights on the various concerns and ways of life of both communities. The collection, featuring a foreword by author and poet Professor Kirpal Singh, includes stories by well-known author Shashi Tharoor, Commonwealth Writers’ Prize-winning author of twelve books, including "The Great Indian Novel", and inaugural Singapore Literature Prize winner and popular author Suchen Christine Lim. Also featured are works by authors Felix Cheong, Jaishree Misra, O Thiam Chin, Anjali Menon and Verena Tay. A unique literary collaboration, "A Monsoon Feast" intimately connects the reader to the heart of two similar and yet different cultures.

The Second Link

The Second Link
Author: Daryl Lim Wei Jie
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2023-09-01
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 9815169386

2023 marks the 60th year since the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, comprising the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak – and Singapore. For Malaysians, 1963 is of profound national significance. For Singaporeans, the more memorable year might be 1965, the year of separation and subsequent independence. Yet for two fateful years, the destinies of the two countries were conjoined. The kinship, affinity – and tensions – are still keenly felt today. This collection brings together writers from both countries to reflect creatively and critically upon this sense of entwinement – to celebrate, to reflect, and to rue, in the tradition of volumes such as The Second Tongue (ed. Edwin Thumboo, 1976). Featured writers include: Anitha Devi Pillai, Anna Onni, Arjun Sai Krishnan, Benedict Lim, Brandon Liew, Clara Chow, Clarissa Oon, Daryl Li, Elaine Chiew, Heng Jia Min, Ho Kin Yunn, ila, Jocelyn Marcia Ng, Jonathan Chan, Joshua Ip, Kevin Martens Wong, Malachi Edwin Vethamani, Mohamed Shaker, Ng Yi-Sheng, Noor Iskandar, Paul Augustin, Rachel Fung, Sharmini Aphrodite, Sheena Gurbakhash, Sofia Mariah Ma, Sreedhevi Iyer, Sumitra Selvaraj, Tse Hao Guang, Yu Kai Tan, Zhang Ruihe

“One United People”: Essays from the People Sector on Singapore’s Journey of Racial Harmony

“One United People”: Essays from the People Sector on Singapore’s Journey of Racial Harmony
Author: Koh Buck Song
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2022-02-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9815009974

We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion… Multiculturalism is arguably the X-factor of Singapore’s admired country brand. But while the island republic’s open­ness to the world is undoubted, its ethnic cohesiveness at home came under scrutiny amidst the stresses of pandemic times. In 2021, the government announced moves to establish new legislation for a Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act. This thought-provoking collection of 23 essays – by writers including Nazry Bahrawi, Viswa Sadasivan, Kenneth Paul Tan, Poh Yong Han and Margaret Thomas – reflects on Singapore’s progress, since independence in 1965, to integrate its component communities into one society and nation. Insights are drawn from diverse perspectives – Malay, Indian, Eurasian, Peranakan, Chinese and others. Lessons from the past are analysed, and the evolving challenges of the present candidly assessed. “One United People” – a quotation from Singapore’s National Pledge – is a timely reminder that racial harmony is never a reachable destination, but an ongoing journey, an aspiration that every citizen and resident can contribute to every day.

Singapore Ethnic Mosaic, The: Many Cultures, One People

Singapore Ethnic Mosaic, The: Many Cultures, One People
Author: Mathews Mathew
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 505
Release: 2017-10-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 981323475X

Far from being a melting pot, multi-racial Singapore prides itself on the richness of its ethnic communities and cultures. This volume provides an updated account of the heterogeneity within each of the main communities — the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian and Others. It also documents the ethnic cultures of these communities by discussing their histories, celebrations, cultural symbols, life cycle rituals, cultural icons and attempts to preserve culture. While chapters are written by scholars drawing insight from a variety of sources ranging from academic publications to discussions with community experts, it is written in an accessible way. This volume seeks to increase intercultural understanding through presenting ample insights into the cultural beliefs and practices of the different ethnic communities. While this book is about diversity, a closer examination of the peoples and cultures of Singapore demonstrates the many similarities communities share in this Singaporean space.

Reluctant Editor: The Singapore Media as Seen Through the Eyes of a Veteran Newspaper Journalist

Reluctant Editor: The Singapore Media as Seen Through the Eyes of a Veteran Newspaper Journalist
Author: PN Balji
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd
Total Pages: 165
Release: 2019-05-15
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9814868035

These are the unpublished stories about the stories that you may have read in Singapore newspapers over the years. Above all, they are Singapore media stories as experienced first-hand by a veteran journalist who had to be persuaded to become Editor of a leading newspaper. PN Balji was an active participant in mainstream journalism, having spent nearly 40 years working in five newsrooms. He was part of a hardy generation of newspaper editors who wrestled with editorial issues and made tough decisions, sometimes against the will of authority. He also had a ringside view of his colleagues’ tussles and confrontations with the government. In Reluctant Editor, Balji weaves a compelling narrative, with anecdotes, of an alternative story of how some editors of his generation managed to hold the ground in challenging times. He brings back the drama, mostly played behind the scenes, and attempts to answer the question: What made the editors of the 1970s, 80s and 90s act the way they did? It was a life lived dangerously; some lost their jobs, some had to leave the country and some decided to give in and lived to fight another day.

Migration and Integration in Singapore

Migration and Integration in Singapore
Author: Yap Mui Teng
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2014-10-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317745663

Between 2000 and 2010, Singapore witnessed a huge influx of foreign migrants. The proportion of permanent residents in the total population increased from 7% to 11%, while the share of non-resident foreigners has risen from 19% to 25%. This was as much the result of the spontaneous movement of labour to economic opportunities, as it was of active policy direction by the Singapore government. The social impact, both beneficial and disruptive, of this movement was felt at all levels of society, and brought other attending public policy issues to the fore. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach with a focus on policy and practice, this book examines the social, economic, and political issues that have arisen with the influx of foreigners in Singapore since the turn of the 21st century. Drawing on empirical research, it documents the impact of increasing levels of immigration, and provides an analysis of the longer-term implications of these trends, with each chapter covering a different aspect of socio-cultural, political, or economic outcome arising from intercultural contact and adaptation. The contributors also provide policy suggestions to ensure Singapore continues to be a harmonious nation and a cosmopolitan and vibrant global city. Migration and Integration in Singapore: Policies and Practice will appeal to students and scholars of Southeast Asian studies, migration and social policy, as well as to practitioners and policy-makers with an interest in migration in the region.

Singapore-India Relations

Singapore-India Relations
Author: Mun Cheong Yong
Publisher: NUS Press
Total Pages: 322
Release: 1995
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789971691950

This primer on Singapore-India relations seeks to present a comprehensive framework within which to appreciate the multi-dimensional (namely, the historical, social, political, cultural and economic) facets of Singapore's linkages with India. It includes topics such as The Indian Economy: Past Progress, Recent Reforms and Medium-term Potentials; Singapore-India Economic Relations: Exploring Synergies for Mutual Benefit; Indian Financial System and Development Opportunities; Human Resources Complementarities between Singapore and India; and Legal Framework for Doing Business in India.

The Gulf Migrant Archives in Kerala

The Gulf Migrant Archives in Kerala
Author: Mohamed Shafeeq Karinkurayil
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2024-03-20
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0198910606

The Indian state of Kerala is one of the largest blocs of migrants in the oil economies of the Arab Gulf. Looking closely at the cultural archives produced by and on the Gulf migrants in Malayalam -- the predominant language of Kerala -- this book takes stock of circular migration beyond its economics. It combines formal and thematic analyses of photographs, films, and literature with anthropological and historical details to offer a nuanced understanding of the construction of the Gulf and its translation to the cultural imaginary of Kerala. It explores the dissonance between the private and public discourses on the Gulf among migrants and non-migrants, and demonstrates the role of this disjuncture in the continued fascination for Gulf migrant lives. An enquiry into the various dimensions of the Gulf in Kerala, as an acknowledged means of living, as a rumour, an object of gossip, a public secret, or even a private thrill, this book debunks the idea of language as a common entity and studies the tentative borders built within. Finally, it explores the resources, possibilities, and perils of affiliative communities constructed along and across those borders.