Singapore\u27s Ethnic Politics and Representations of the "Malays"

This paper examines Singapore\u27s ethnic politics through an analysis of the representations of people in the Malay "racial" group. Ethnic politics plays a significant role in a process of multiethnic Singapore\u27s nation building and economic development. The state classifies its citizens into four "racial" categories ; Chinese, Indians, Malays, and other and defines culture and mother tongue of each of the three main categories. Cultural and language differences within each category are ignored. Each "racial" category is imposed specific representations based on culture seen as shared by the entire group. These representations construct an ethnic hierarchy in which "racial" groups are positioned according to a degree of its contribution to the state\u27s economic development. In this hierarchy, the Malays hold its position at the bottom while the Chinese at the top. The mass media have reported problems particular to the Malays, which are derived from their representations and which are closely linked with their economic positions in Singapore. In contrast to such representations, the representations of "new Malays" reported in the 1990s have been created in a process of cultural homogenization : they are similar to those of other successful Singaporeans unless their religious affiliation is specified