Know your S'pore? Citizens as clueless as new migrants

Tan Dawn Wei, Samantha Eng, Alex Liam & Chen Meiyue, Straits Times 3 Feb 08;

10 basic questions put to S'poreans, new citizens and PRs; majority couldn't muster passing grade of 75 per cent

THEY know what 'kiasu' means, but not what the crescent moon and five stars on the Singapore national flag symbolise.

Don't count on Singaporeans to name you their first elected president either, although they may have no difficulty coming up with the name of a Singaporean brand.

When it comes to testing their understanding of their country, Singaporeans are hardly anywhere near the top of the class. What's more, they don't fare much better than new citizens and permanent residents, according to a survey by The Sunday Times.

But they aren't the only ones flunking.

Recently, it was reported that about 30 per cent of aspiring citizens of Britain who sat for a citizenship test failed to make the 75 per cent passing grade.

Australia's test also came under scrutiny earlier last month when data showed that 20 per cent of applicants were failing. Last week, its government announced that it will review the four-month-old citizenship test.

The Singapore Government does not require its permanent residents to sit for such a test when applying for citizenship.

So The Sunday Times designed a questionnaire comprising 10 questions ranging from Singapore's history and politics to its culture, and put it to 100 Singaporeans and 100 new citizens and permanent residents.

Taking 75 per cent to be the passing grade, an astonishing 85 Singaporeans didn't make this cut, while as many as 90 new citizens and permanent residents who have plans to become Singaporeans also failed.

The question that stumped both groups was who Singapore's first elected president was. Only one in four Singaporeans and new citizens or PRs correctly named the late Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

Nearly half of the Singaporeans named Mr Yusof Ishak, the country's first president. Some not only got the answer wrong, they couldn't even muster Mr Yusof's name.

'It's the guy on the note,' said 38-year-old sales executive Jasmine Koh.

Project secretary Norzana Samsi, 34, went even further back in history: Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.

Both groups also did badly when it came to reciting the pledge and pinpointing the year Singapore became an independent nation.

Another head-scratcher: the national flag.

Half of those Singaporeans polled and nearly 70 new citizens had no idea what the crescent moon or any of the five stars symbolised - only one person knew all. One response that kept cropping up: 'The five stars represent the five races in Singapore.'

It was enough for cab driver Wong Weng Fatt, 51, to protest: 'I left school so long ago. You should ask students, they will know better.'

Dr Teo Ho Pin, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs and Law, was not surprised at the poor showing.

'The questions are too difficult. Perhaps if you asked 'when is National Day?', that might be a fairer question,' said Dr Teo, who is also mayor of North West District.

The survey does not necessarily reflect the well-held view that Singaporeans are apathetic either, he said.

'These issues may not make a lot of difference to their daily lives. They're more worried about jobs, their children, their parents.'

Nanyang Technological University accountancy student Angeline Yeo, who topped the new citizens and PR group, said her score of 85 per cent was due to an interest in Singapore.

The Malaysian, a permanent resident since last October, was already reading books about Singapore before her move here five years ago.

'As a PR, I feel that it's important to know such information, because it'll be embarrassing if people ask and you don't know,' said the 21-year-old.

According to the National Population Secretariat, there were 13,969 new citizens between last January and October, up from 13,209 for all of 2006.

Latest figures suggest more foreigners are also becoming permanent residents. About 46,900 of them were granted PR status in the first nine months of last year, compared to 57,300 for all of 2006.

Singaporeans fared better with the softer questions: More than half knew what the three acronyms AYE, CPF and SGH stood for; nearly all knew what 'kiasu' meant and about 80 per cent could correctly name a Singaporean brand that made it overseas.

The most popular brands: Creative Technology, Singapore Airlines and BreadTalk.

But to immigrant Gina Mallari Alcan, 40, what's more important than knowing the answers to these questions is how involved you are with your community.

The civil engineer from the Philippines may have got only two out of the 10 questions correct, but she has been an active volunteer at her residents' committee in Bedok since 2003.

'I'm very proud to be a Singaporean and I think I know more about Singapore than some of my neighbours. Some don't even know who their Member of Parliament is.'