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91-629: The name "Simei" is the Pinyinized version of "Soo Bee", after a short minor lane off Jalan Angin Laut, Jalan Soo Bee. It acquired its name during the height of a government policy of " Pinyinization ". The current MP serving the Changi-Simei constituency is Jessica Tan . Simei used to be a Malay kampung . A large part of it was a Chinese cemetery called Hwa San Tng. It was cleared in February 1982 to make way for

182-504: A Chinese faculty and even collaborates with Confucius Institute to help train teachers with regards to Chinese language, to improve the standard of Chinese education in Singapore and in order to influence people with regards to the use of Chinese. Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew , a native English speaker who had learned Mandarin later in life, expressed his concern about the declining proficiency of Mandarin among younger Singaporeans. In

273-490: A Chinese newspaper into a bilingual newspaper and the circulation rate hit 300,000. Education is one of the most effective ways to promote use of Mandarin. In 2004, Singapore government specially set up a committee to review methods for teaching Chinese courses, whereby creative Chinese writing courses were set up in schools in 2005, as a way to intrigue and engage students in learning Chinese. Also, other education organizations such as Nanyang Technological University has set up

364-602: A fresher look, the SMC's promotional materials, from outdoor advertisements to posters and collateral, are designed with an edgy, vibrant and contemporary feel. Activists are also featured in the posters, to encourage more Chinese Singaporeans to explore Mandarin together with them. The campaign's theme song " 挑战 (Challenge)" was created by two of the most sought-after talents in Asia's Mandarin Pop scene – Eric Ng (composer) and Xiaohan (lyrics). The song

455-404: A higher standard of spoken Mandarin needs to be achieved. Having a good command of Mandarin exposes people to culture and heritage, as well as facilitating dealings with Asia 's potential economy powerhouse, China . The community and schools have new roles to play to increase and improve the use and standards of Mandarin in Singapore. 华语 COOL! (Mandarin [is] COOL!) The official speech during

546-588: A merger in 1961, with the Tunku being motivated by a desire to stabilise the security situation in Singapore, and notably to neutralise the perceived communist threat. Singapore merged with Malaya and the British Borneo states in 1963 to form the Federation of Malaysia. Merger, however, proved to be problematic for the Singapore leaders. There was a clash of fundamental principles, both political and economic, notably on

637-673: A parliamentary speech, he said: "Singaporeans must learn to juggle English and Mandarin". Therefore, he launched a television program, 华语! , in January 2005, in an attempt to attract young viewers to learn Mandarin. Following this, in June 2005, Lee published a book, Keeping My Mandarin Alive , documenting his decades of effort to master Mandarin—a language which he had to re-learn due to disuse: "...because I don't use it so much, therefore it gets disused and there's language loss. Then I have to revive it. It's

728-409: A policy of bilingual education, where Singaporean students learn both English and their designated mother tongue, which was Mandarin for all Chinese Singaporeans by default. The Goh Report , an evaluation of Singapore's education system by Goh Keng Swee , showed that less than 40% of the student population managed to attain minimum levels of competency in two languages. It was later determined that

819-589: A result of these measures, he was able to announce at the end of the year when delivering the budget that the government had achieved a surplus of $ 1 million. Goh initiated the setting up of the Economic Development Board (EDB) which was established in August 1961 to attract foreign multinational corporations to invest in Singapore. The next year, he started the development of the Jurong industrial estate on

910-456: A result, the PAP government switched its focus away from dialects, towards encouraging English-speaking and educated Chinese to speak more Mandarin. In 1994, the SMC specifically targeted English-educated business professionals and working adults. It promoted the use of Mandarin, to keep their "links" to cultural roots, so as to better appreciate the "heritage and value" and, most importantly, complement

1001-535: A risky venture that eventually paid dividends. The multinational merchant bank, Rothschild & Co , had also advised on the GIC during its early years. Goh died in 2010 at the age of 91, and he was accorded a state funeral . Goh was born in Malacca on 6 October 1918 into a middle class Peranakan family, the fifth of six children. His father Goh Leng Inn, was a manager of a rubber plantation, while his mother Tan Swee Eng,

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1092-491: A second language in Singapore". Some critics include that the Mandarin education system's goal of promoting cultural identity has left many younger generations of Mandarin speakers unable to communicate with their dialect-speaking grandparents. They have compared the policy to that of Russification and intentional language elimination . The reduction in the number of Chinese dialect speakers in Singapore has raised concerns on

1183-449: A subsequent one in 2000 which affected the vision in his right eye. According to Goh's daughter-in-law Tan Siok Sun, the medical condition caused him to be withdrawn and became introverted. In July 2007, Tan published a biography titled Goh Keng Swee: A Portrait . Goh's second wife issued a statement claiming that Goh had not been consulted on the book and had indicated to her that he did not want any book to be written about him. "Therefore,

1274-576: A terrible problem because learning it in adult life, it hasn't got the same roots in your memory." In the same year 2005, the campaign started to rebrand Chinese by using local artists and cool leisure activities, hence the birth of the slogan "Mandarin [is] Cool!". The success of the campaign was evident 20 years from the launch of the campaign. The campaign has significantly reduced the number of non-Mandarin speakers in Singapore. The use of other varieties at home dropped from 81.4% in 1980 to 19.2% in 2010. Meanwhile, households that claimed to use Mandarin as

1365-991: A venue for Chinese opera performances. In 1968, Goh encouraged the establishment of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Goh was also instrumental in introducing rugby in the Singapore Armed Forces and later in schools. In recognition of his role in promoting the sport, the Schools "C" Division Cup is named after him. Impressed by an oceanarium in the Bahamas , he contacted the Sentosa Development Corporation and persuaded them to build an oceanarium in Singapore. Underwater World opened in 1991. In 1986, Goh divorced his first wife Alice. In 1991, he remarried his former Ministry of Education colleague Phua Swee Liang. Goh suffered his first stroke in 1999, and

1456-478: Is The Straits Times . For instance, as part of the campaign to promote greater use for Chinese, the English newspaper would publish daily Mandarin vocabulary lessons in order to help Singaporeans improve their standard for Mandarin. Other ways of encouraging people to learn Chinese is to sign up for speak Mandarin courses, listen to Chinese music, explore online resources and download audio lessons, which can be found in

1547-514: Is a "stepmother tongue" and "dialect is the real mother tongue". Furthermore, in 2009, in spite of the ongoing 华文？ 谁怕谁 (Be heard in Chinese) movement, Lee admitted that the teaching of Mandarin Chinese in schools went the "wrong way" and that due to his insistence on bilingualism, "successive generations of students paid a heavy price". In June 2010, Lee also said that "Mandarin is important but it remains

1638-561: Is also Singapore Expo , Changi Business Park and Changi City Point nearby. Commercial tenants of the shopping centres include restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, bookstores, jewellery and gift shops. Simei Park is the only park in Simei, consisting of a playground, elderly fitness corner and running tracks. There are different kinds of residential dwellings in the area, comprising landed properties, condominiums, mansions and public housing flats. For medical needs, Changi General Hospital

1729-660: Is an initiative by the Government of Singapore to encourage the Chinese Singaporean population to speak Standard Mandarin Chinese , one of the four official languages of Singapore . Launched on 7 September 1979 by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and organised by the Promote Mandarin Council , the SMC has been an annual event promoting the use of Mandarin. In 1966, the Singapore Government implemented

1820-540: Is composed, arranged and produced by Iskandar Ismail and performed by Singaporean artiste, Tay Kewei. The Speak Mandarin Campaign is a year-round campaign, which uses publicity and activities in the community to create awareness and to facilitate the learning of Mandarin. Every year, the Speak Mandarin Campaign will collaborate with different partners to reach out to a wider scope of audience. For instance, in 2005,

1911-727: Is located here as well, and serves many Singaporeans living in the eastern area. There are wide range of amenities at Simei, including Changi General Hospital , retail outlets and the Changi Simei community centre. Education facilities situated in the town include ITE College East , the Metta Development School, Changkat Primary School, Changkat Changi Secondary School , as well as the Singapore University of Technology and Design . Being in between Bedok and Tampines, residents are within reach of even more amenities. Simei

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2002-458: Is transmitted through written words", were some highlights of the campaign launching speeches in 1983. 讲华语？ 没问题！ Speak Mandarin? No problem! The official speech during the launch of the Speak Mandarin Campaign 2000 was given by Mr. Mah Bow Tan , Minister for National Development. In the speech, he gave credits to the SMC, for successfully establishing Mandarin as a principal language of communication amongst Singaporean Chinese, but says that

2093-410: Is trying to alert Singaporeans to embrace Singaporean heritage and pass it on to the next generation. The purpose of these "Be heard in Chinese" videos was not to mock Singaporeans, who are born Chinese but cannot speak Chinese. Instead, it reminded parents to create a learning environment for their children, to get to know Chinese via culture and knowledge, instead of seeing it as a tool to venture into

2184-651: Is well served by public transport. Most of the town is within 10 minutes walking distance from Simei MRT station . It also enjoys close proximity to Singapore Changi Airport via the Pan Island Expressway . Public bus services that serve Simei's town centre, the MRT station and the outskirts include 2, 5, 9, 10, 12, Express 12e, 17, 20, 24, 31, 35, 35M, 38, 47, 48, 118, 531, 753 and TS1. Short-trip bus services that also serve Simei include 9A, 31A, 118A and 118B. Public bus services that ply express sectors along Simei Flyover on

2275-502: The 1959 general election and won. He was subsequently elected into the Legislative Assembly on 30 May 1959, and appointed Minister for Finance under Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew 's first Cabinet . As Minister for Finance, Goh assumed the stewardship of Singapore's economy . As a budget deficit of S$ 14 million was forecast that year, he introduced stringent fiscal discipline which including cutting civil service salaries. As

2366-583: The 1980 general election from 1981 until his retirement in 1985. From 1 June 1980, he was redesignated First Deputy Prime Minister upon S. Rajaratnam being made Second Deputy Prime Minister, and served as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore until he stepped down from Parliament on 3 December 1984, at the age of 66. In a tribute to mark the occasion, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew wrote: "A whole generation of Singaporeans take their present standard of living for granted because you had laid

2457-574: The Malayan Forum , was formed in 1948 with Goh as the founding chairman. Goh graduated in 1951 with a first class honours in economics, and won the William Farr Prize for achieving the highest marks in statistics . Upon his return to the Department of Social Welfare, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of Research. In 1952, together with fellow civil servant Kenneth Michael Byrne , he formed

2548-597: The Malays and Tamils , have argued that the effort placed into promoting Mandarin weakens the role of English as Singapore's lingua franca and threatens to marginalize Singapore's minorities. Dialects such as Hokkien, along with Malay have served as a language for the Straits Chinese, or Peranakan . In the Singaporean and Malaysian version of Hokkien, one cannot deny the plethora of Malay loan words, and vice versa. During

2639-724: The Middle Road Baba Church while Hood Keng was pastor there. Goh attended the church as well. Goh attended the Anglo-Chinese School between 1927 and 1936 where he was second in his class in the Senior Cambridge examinations, Goh graduated from Raffles College (now the National University of Singapore ) in 1939 with a Class II Diploma in Arts with a special distinction in economics . After graduation, Goh joined

2730-500: The Order of Sikatuna , which is given to diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign states who have rendered conspicuous services in fostering, developing and strengthening relations between their country and the Philippines. Following his retirement from politics, in 1985 Goh was awarded the Order of Temasek (First Class), Singapore's highest civilian honour. He was also presented with

2821-563: The Pasir Panjang rubber estate when his father found work there, and became manager in 1933. In common with many Peranakan families, the Gohs spoke both English and Malay at home; church services were held at home on Sundays in Malay. Goh's father Leng Inn and the latter's brothers-in-law Chew Cheng Yong and Goh Hood Keng taught in the Anglo-Chinese School for various periods, and were also involved in

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2912-654: The Singapore Conference Hall followed by a private ceremony for family members at the Mandai Crematorium . The latter was conducted by the pastor-in-charge of Barker Road Methodist Church, with a message delivered by the Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore , Robert M. Solomon . As a mark of respect, State flags at all Government buildings were flown at half-mast from 20 to 23 May. In 1966, Goh

3003-776: The State Council of the People's Republic of China on Coastal Development and Adviser on Tourism in 1985, Deputy Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore between 1985 and 1992, Chairman of the Singapore Totalisator Board between 1988 and 1990, Director of Gateway Technologies Services Pte. Ltd. from 1991 onward, Adviser to the United Overseas Bank Group from 1993 onward, Chairman of N. M. Rothschild & Sons (Singapore) Ltd. from 1994 onward, and Vice-Chairman of Hong Leong Asia Ltd. from 1995 onward. Goh

3094-429: The iTunes Store . Android mobile phone users can also download the iHuayu ( i华语 ) application on Google Play . Also introduced is a new song – Shuo ( Chinese : 说 ; pinyin : shuō ; lit. 'speak [as in 'speak a language']') – as part of the initiatives for 2012. The song encourages listeners to speak more and to use the language, as it gets easier with use. Shuo

3185-407: The 1960s, Bazaar Lingua was a confluence of Malay, Hokkien, Tamil, English and other dialects. Some have expressed concern that requirements of Mandarin fluency or literacy could be used to discriminate against non-Chinese minorities. Current employment laws prohibit racial discrimination, but employers often circumvent this by requiring applicants to be bilingual in English and Mandarin. The move by

3276-490: The China market. In the following year, the SMC started a series of promotions on "The Chinese Challenge", where it moved to a wider audience and became more general. The main purpose of "The Chinese Challenge", which is an online contest, is to provide an interactive platform, to encourage Singaporeans and even Permanent Residents to enjoy and improve their Mandarin and deepen their knowledge of Chinese culture, through experiencing

3367-558: The Council of Joint Action to lobby against salary and promotion policies that favoured Europeans over Asians. Byrne later became Minister for Labour and Minister for Law . In 1954, Goh was able to return to the London School of Economics for doctoral studies with the help of a scholarship conferred by the University of London . He completed his PhD in economics in 1956, and returned to

3458-676: The Department of Social Welfare, where he served as Assistant Director and subsequently as Director. In 1958, he was appointed Director of the Social and Economic Research Division in the Chief Minister's Office . He resigned from the civil service in August that year to work full-time for the People's Action Party (PAP). Goh was a key member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee (CEC), and serving as Vice-Chairman. Goh contested in Kreta Ayer during

3549-560: The GIC. In 1971, Goh put together the Electronic Warfare Study Group, a team of newly-graduated engineers who had excelled in their university studies that was headed by Tay Eng Soon , then a university lecturer. The group worked on Project Magpie, a secret project to develop Singapore's defence technology capabilities. In 1977, the group was renamed the Defence Science Organisation (DSO). Originally part of

3640-727: The Government plan was to boost Mandarin lessons, by making them more fun and engaging through the use of digital media. New initiatives, such as the Theme Song Contest and Short Video Clip Competition, were introduced and targeted at youths and students. Newly appointed Chairman of the Promote Mandarin Council, Mr Seow Choke Meng, extended his invitation for all to support the Promote Mandarin Council in its efforts to promote Mandarin, and urged all Chinese Singaporeans to leverage on their foundation, and use Mandarin frequently to keep

3731-500: The HDB estate at Simei. For a brief period, the roads in the estate were named after the legendary Four Beauties (i.e. Xi Shi , Wang Zhaojun , Diaochan and Yang Guifei ) in Chinese history. These confusing names were swiftly changed following complaints. Simei is a well-developed estate with plenty of amenities and facilities. There are schools, an MRT station, coffee shops and a shopping mall, Eastpoint Mall . While outside of Simei there

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3822-643: The LSE's Distinguished Alumnus Award on 21 January 1989, and made the first Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Development Board Society in 1991. During the National Day Rally on 29 August 2010, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the Singapore Command and Staff College , where senior officers of the Singapore Armed Forces receive training; and a complex to be constructed at

3913-774: The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak and Minister for External Affairs Ismail Abdul Rahman in July 1965 for Singapore to have a looser arrangement with Malaysia within the Federation. However, following the discussions, Goh ultimately decided that it would be better for Malaysia and Singapore to have a clean break and go on their separate ways. Upon the independence of Singapore in 1965, Goh relinquished his portfolio of Minister for Finance and became Minister for Interior and Defence in 1967, assuming responsibilities for strengthening Singapore's military and domestic security capabilities. A key policy

4004-640: The Ministry of Defence, the organisation became a non-profit corporation called DSO National Laboratories in 1997. Goh was also responsible for projects that sought to improve Singaporeans' cultural and leisure life, such as the Jurong Bird Park , Singapore Zoo and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra . He backed the construction of the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre in his constituency as

4095-541: The Ministry of Education to standardise Hanyu Pinyin names for schoolchildren also received widespread backlash among polarised parents. The Speak Mandarin Campaign is one of the four official language campaigns in Singapore, the other three being the Speak Good English Movement , Bulan Bahasa (Malay Language Month) and the Tamil Language Festival. Each of the language campaigns are overseen by

4186-685: The PIE, Simei Avenue and Upper Changi Road East include 27, Express 513, Express 518A and City Direct 661. Mass Transport System Xilin MRT station will be a future station as part of DTL3 extension. It will be completed in 2024 in tandem with the opening of the Stage 4 of the Thomson–East Coast line . Speak Mandarin Campaign The Speak Mandarin Campaign ( SMC ; Chinese : 讲华语运动 ; pinyin : Jiǎng Huáyǔ Yùndòng )

4277-448: The campaign aimed to simplify the language environment for Chinese Singaporeans , improve communication between them, and create a Mandarin-speaking environment conducive to the successful implementation of the bilingual education programme. The initial goal of the campaign was for all young Chinese to stop speaking topolects in five years, and to establish Mandarin as the language of choice in public places within 10 years. According to

4368-469: The campaign for that year is 我想听你说 (wǒ xiǎng tīng nǐ shuō) by Singaporean singer, Joi Chua . Some of the other partners include ComfortDelGro , Lianhe Zaobao, Mediacorp TV , STOMP, Tong Shui Café and the SAF Music & Drama Company. To promote Mandarin as an enjoyable, fun and living language via popular lifestyle activities, to show how Chinese Singaporeans can embrace Mandarin in their daily lives,

4459-659: The colonial Civil Service as a tax collector with the War Tax Department but, according to his superiors, was not very good at his job and was almost fired. Shortly after the start of Second World War , he joined the Singapore Volunteer Corps , a local militia, but returned to his previous work after the fall of Singapore . Goh married Alice Woon, a secretary who was a colleague, in 1942 and they have one son, Goh Kian Chee, two years later. In 1945, he relocated his young family to Malacca, but returned to Singapore

4550-468: The dominant language at home increased from 10.2% in 1980 to 47% in 2010. The Speak Mandarin Campaign has come under criticism from several fronts. Dialect speakers have complained that their children have to study two foreign languages – English and Mandarin. This is contrasted to a possible alternative policy of English and their native language. Lee Kuan Yew himself recognized this and acknowledged that for many Chinese Singaporeans, Mandarin

4641-420: The doors to SMC's target audience. 华文？ 谁怕谁 (Be heard in Chinese) The 2009 SMC started with a series of videos on foreign children speaking correctly pronounced and fluent Chinese, showed that anyone can learn Chinese, that it is not something only the Chinese people can acquire. The video shows foreign children talking about either Chinese myths or other Chinese related culture. The Promote Mandarin Council

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4732-422: The economical aspects as China began to rise in the business sector. In 2010, through The Chinese Challenge, the SMC moved towards a cultural aspect, whereby its main focus is to promote Singaporeans to hold on to their "roots", knowing their own culture well. For each SMC, a slogan was created and a different segment of the Chinese community was targeted. 华人讲华语，合情又合理 (Mandarin's In, Dialects Out) In 1983,

4823-416: The editor in The Straits Times Forum, he highlighted the importance of English and Mandarin over dialects and spoke of how speaking dialects ultimately "interferes with the learning of Mandarin and English". He added that "it would be stupid for any Singapore agency or NTU to advocate the learning of dialects, which must be at the expense of English and Mandarin." Non-Chinese language communities, principally

4914-434: The finest in Chinese culture and language. Therefore, it is not to just asking people to learn Chinese, but also to create an environment that allows them to learn Chinese effectively. In addition, in order to attract more youths towards speaking and knowing Chinese, in 2010 "The Chinese Challenge" added a student category, to reach out to more youths. 华文华语，多用就可以 (Mandarin. It Gets Better With Use) For 2011's campaign,

5005-543: The following year after the Japanese occupation ended. That year, he joined the Department of Social Welfare, and was active in the post-war administration. He became a supervisor of the Department's Research Section six months later. Goh attained a scholarship which enabled him to further his studies at the London School of Economics . During his time in London, Goh met fellow students seeking independence for British Malaya , including Abdul Razak , Maurice Baker, Lee Kuan Yew and Toh Chin Chye . A student discussion group,

5096-457: The foundations of the economy of modern Singapore." In 1981, Goh expressed the view that the central bank need not hold large amounts of cash in reserve to defend the currency, proposing that the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) be established to invest excess reserves. At the time, it was unprecedented for a non- commodity -based economy to have such a sovereign wealth fund . The foreign merchant bank, Rothschild, advised on

5187-571: The government began to place greater emphasis on English. As a result, many English-educated Chinese Singaporeans began to lose their Mandarin or Chinese language skills. During the 1991 Singaporean general election , the People's Action Party (PAP) won a lower majority than usual, in part because of opposition parties' exploitation of the linguistic anxieties of working-class, dialect-speaking Chinese Singaporeans. Those Singaporeans clung onto their dialect as part of an identity , refusing to register their children in schools with Mandarin names. As

5278-511: The government, for the bilingual policy to be effective, Mandarin should be spoken at home and should serve as the lingua franca among Chinese Singaporeans. They argued that Mandarin was more economically valuable, and speaking Mandarin would help Chinese Singaporeans retain their heritage, as Mandarin supposedly contains a cultural repository of values and traditions that are identifiable to all Chinese, regardless of topolect group. The focus of SMC began with encouraging more people, especially

5369-407: The institute was reconstituted as the East Asian Institute, an autonomous research organisation under the auspices of the National University of Singapore . On 14 May 2010, Goh died in the early morning at his home in Dunbar Walk off East Coast Road in Siglap , at the age of 91. His body lay in state at Parliament House from 20 to 22 May, and there was a state funeral on 23 May 2010 at

5460-471: The issue of Malay dominance. Communitarian violence in 1964 was inflamed in Singapore by Malay and Chinese activists. According to Lee Kuan Yew, Goh fought to protect Singapore's interests against the Federal Minister of Finance, his cousin Tan Siew Sin , "who was out to spite Singapore". Goh played a crucial role in orchestrating the subsequent secession of Singapore from the Federation on 9 August 1965. After two difficult years, Lee asked him to negotiate with

5551-421: The issues of preservation of these dialects. In March 2009, when The Straits Times ran an article by Dr. Ng Bee Chin, who was quoted as saying that "40 years ago, we were even more multilingual.... All it takes is one generation for a language to die." The article soon caught the attention of Mr Chee Hong Tat , the Principal Private Secretary of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew . In the letter from Mr Chee to

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5642-417: The labour cost at least in its initial years would be too great for the newly-independent nation. During Goh's tenure as Minister for Finance, he declined to allow the central bank to issue currency, favouring instead a currency board system as this would signal to citizens, academics and the financial world that governments cannot "spend their way to prosperity"; the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

5733-417: The language alive in our community. In 2012, to celebrate the 33rd year of promoting Mandarin in Singapore, the Promote Mandarin Council introduced a brand new initiative- the iHuayu iPhone app (released on 24 July 2012). iHuayu offers 50,000 bilingual business and Singapore-related terms frequently used in the media, accompanied with sample sentences and scenarios. The app can be purchased for free from

5824-530: The launch of the campaign was given by Wong Kan Seng , Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs at the official launch. The message for that year was for Chinese Singaporeans to use Mandarin "not in place of, but in addition to English as Mandarin adds so much to our cultural and personal enrichment and business effectiveness. Together with its partners, the Promote Mandarin Council is now encouraging Chinese Singaporeans to go beyond just seeing Mandarin as "hip" or "cool", but also to deepen their knowledge of

5915-488: The learning of Mandarin among Chinese Singaporeans was hindered by home use of native Chinese varieties , such as Hokkien , Teochew , Cantonese and Hakka . Hence, the government decided to rectify problems facing implementation of the bilingual education policy, by launching a campaign to promote Mandarin as a common language among the Chinese Singaporean population, and to discourage use of other Chinese varieties. Launched in 1979 by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew ,

6006-591: The official launch of the campaign on 5 November 2007, Mr. Lee Swee Say, Minister in Prime Minister's office, announced the partnership between the SMC and various sports organizations. The sports partners for 2007's campaign include the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), the Football Association of Singapore , the S-League , and The Cage. The Straits Times and STOMP! also launched a new initiative, 'On Your Marc, Get Set, Go!' following The Straits Times ' correspondent Marc Lim on his Mandarin-learning journey as he picks up pointers from national athletes. Going for

6097-424: The official website of Speak Mandarin Campaign. Besides, in 2005, there were publications of CD-ROMs and tapes on Mandarin lessons, handbooks of English-Chinese terms as well as telephone Mandarin lessons to help people to learn Mandarin. Notably, in 2006, my Paper which was published by the Singapore Press Holdings became the first free Chinese newspaper to be given out in Singapore. In 2008, my Paper went from being

6188-510: The only Hong Kong TV series shown being dubbed in Mandarin. However, these were hindered by the aggressive expansion of Hong Kong's Cantopop industry into Singapore, although state-owned television tried to simultaneously promote Mandarin by requiring subtitles in the standard language on dialect programming. The government proved more successful in limiting access TV3 from Malaysia, which carried Cantonese programming, by preventing people in government-built housing blocks from installing

6279-429: The partners of Speak Mandarin Campaign, which are the Singapore Zoological Gardens and Singapore Night Safari, started to add Chinese interpretation for signs and directions and even the pamphlet were written in Chinese. By doing so, not only does it help tourists from China, it also helps create a learning environment for local children to learn Chinese. Initially in 1979, where the campaign first started, use of Mandarin

6370-440: The promotion of Mandarin moved to markets and food centres, closer to the heartlands. Between 1983 and 1987, Telecoms also offered 'Dial for Mandarin Lessons' services on a 24-hour basis every day. Peak-hour calls averaged about 40,000. "A need for common language between different ethnic Singaporeans or effective communication of thoughts" and to "preserve cultural roots by learning written Chinese and speaking Mandarin, since culture

6461-415: The publication of this book is contrary to his wishes, and is a show of disregard and utmost disrespect to him." In an interview with The Straits Times , Tan said she did not start the dispute between Mrs. Goh and herself, nor did she wish to prolong it. After retirement from politics, Goh continued to be active in public life, serving as Deputy Chairman of GIC between 1981 and 1994, Economic Adviser to

6552-480: The respective language councils, with secretariat support from the National Heritage Board of Singapore. Goh Keng Swee Goh Keng Swee DUT (6 October 1918 – 14 May 2010), born Robert Goh Keng Swee , was a Singaporean statesman and economist who served as 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore between 1973 and 1985. Goh is widely recognised as one of the founding fathers of Singapore. He

6643-447: The rich heritage." 2006's theme of the campaign is " 华语 COOL ", with the goals of making people deepen their appreciation of the Chinese heritage and to be able to communicate in "cool" Mandarin in addition to English. The Campaign uses a lifestyle-oriented approach, revolving around movies, music and metaphors, extending the theme of " 华语 COOL ". Some examples of resources of the movies, music and metaphors include: The theme song for

6734-434: The special antennas required to receive the channel. It also prevented local newspapers and magazines from carrying listings for it. In addition, in collaboration with Speak Mandarin Campaign, Golden Village started to show more Chinese movies especially of local production to increase the awareness of speaking Mandarin. The Singaporean state did not prioritize the suppression of the dialects. However, suppression of dialects

6825-564: The transformation of the system over 30 years from "fair" to "great", according to a November 2010 McKinsey report. He set up the Curriculum Development Institute, and introduced key policies such as religious education—subsequently discontinued and, in 1980, the channelling of students into different programmes of study according to their learning abilities, known as "streaming". Goh served two terms as Minister for Education, his first term ended in 1980, and his second following

6916-466: The ultimate mistake." In the 1960s, there were great pressures from communist agitators working through Chinese-medium schools and trade unions. Divisions existed within the PAP as well, with a pro-communist faction working to wrest control of the party from the moderate wing, of which Goh and Lee Kuan Yew were key members. A key source of division was the issue of merger with Malaya to form a new state of Malaysia. Goh and his fellow moderates believed this

7007-482: The western end of the island which was then a swamp, offering incentives to local and foreign businesses to locate there. According to former Permanent Secretary Sim Kee Boon , Goh admitted that the Jurong project was "an act of faith and he himself jokingly said that this could prove to be Goh's folly". Nonetheless, Goh also felt strongly that "the only way to avoid making mistakes is not to do anything. And that... will be

7098-409: The young, to speak Mandarin in place of dialects, allowing people from different dialectal groups to communicate better with a common language and, at the same time, reducing language barriers between the different groups. This is important in the unification of all Chinese in Singapore, especially after independence . To meet the demands of globalisation and other economic challenges as a young nation,

7189-523: Was a necessary condition for Singapore's economic development because Malaya was a key economic hinterland; merger would also provide an alternate vision against communism for Singapore's Chinese majority. In July 1961, 16 members of the pro-communist faction broke away from the PAP to form the Barisan Sosialis , and captured control of the main trade unions . The Singapore Government attained approval from Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman for

7280-455: Was also Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute of East Asian Philosophies between 1983 and 1992, which was founded to study Confucianism . The institute later turned its focus on China's political and economic development, renaming itself the Institute of East Asian Political Economy, and Goh continued as Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Governors until 1995. In April 1997,

7371-567: Was also one of the founders of the People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed the country continuously since independence. Goh was a prominent member of the country's first generation of political leaders after Singapore became independent in 1965. He served as Minister for Finance between 1959 and 1965, and again between 1967 and 1970, Minister for Interior and Defence between 1965 and 1967, Minister for Defence between 1970 and 1979 and Minister for Education between 1979 and 1985. As Minister for Interior and Defence, Goh's main objective

7462-514: Was from the family that produced the Malaysian politicians Tan Cheng Lock and his son, Tan Siew Sin , who would later become Goh's lifelong political opponent. Goh was given the Christian name Robert, which he disliked and refused to respond to. When he was two years old, his family moved from Malacca to Singapore where his maternal grandparents owned several properties. The Gohs later relocated to

7553-412: Was later established in 1971. In 1981, Goh also expressed the view that the central bank need not hold large amounts of cash in reserve to defend the currency, proposing that the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) be established to invest excess reserves. At the time, it was unprecedented for a non- commodity -based economy to have such a sovereign wealth fund , and was initially seen as

7644-594: Was made an Honorary Fellow of the London school of Economics . In 1972, he was the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Services, which is often regarded as "Asia's Nobel Prize". It is awarded to people who have demonstrated integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. That same year, the Philippine Government conferred upon him

7735-479: Was never a major part of the campaign, since the government was tolerant of old peoples' use of dialect, and assumed that young people would have no use for dialects. In fact, the government promoted Cantonese opera as a traditional ethnic performance and sponsored night classes in Cantonese music in government-run community centers. One of the most influential implementations that the Speak Mandarin Campaign has used

7826-686: Was performed by Ngak, a good example of a predominantly English-speaking Chinese Singaporean. Partners, including Theatre Practice and Funkie Monkies Productions will be tapping on theatre and music, to encourage Chinese Singaporeans to enjoy speaking Mandarin. Partners such as Night and Day – Bar+Gallery+Friends and 77th Street came together for the first time with some of Singapore's 'edgy' designers, to create an exciting initiative to promote SMC 07/08. Theatre Practice also continued to make Chinese Theatre accessible to Singaporeans who are interested in Chinese Theatre and culture, thus, opening

7917-458: Was promoted from all public domains; in the early years, there was some selective dialect suppression as well. Government officers including those in hospitals were not allowed to use dialects except to those over 60 years old. People under 40 in the service line were also made to communicate in Mandarin instead of dialects. Attempts to limit the domain of dialects began in the 1980s, with the last Cantonese TV programmes being phased out in 1981, and

8008-469: Was reappointed Minister for Defence . On 1 March 1973, Goh was appointed Deputy Prime Minister concurrently with his other Cabinet portfolio. On 12 February 1979, Goh moved on from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Education , where his Goh Report greatly influenced the development of Singapore's education system. He was described as both a key political and strategic leader responsible for

8099-448: Was the aim of SMC in 2007/ 08. The tagline is ' 讲华语, 你肯吗? ' ( Speak Mandarin – Are You Game? ). SMC also retains its " 华语 COOL! " branding which is now familiar and popular among Chinese Singaporeans. For a period of 12 months, starting from 5 November 2007, the campaign featured a series of fun and engaging programmes and activities by its partners. Key strands of SMC 07/08 are Sports, Culture and The Arts, Design and Lifestyle. During

8190-435: Was the creation of National Service , a mandatory conscription system for able-bodied young males. Goh served as Minister for Finance again between 1967 and 1970, during which he declined to allow the central bank to issue currency, favouring instead a currency board system as this would signal to citizens, academics and the financial world that governments cannot "spend their way to prosperity". On 11 August 1970, he

8281-524: Was to strengthen the country's military and domestic security capabilities after the British had withdrawn its troops from Singapore, which made the newly-independent nation vulnerable. A key policy was the creation of National Service (NS), a mandatory conscription system for able-bodied young males. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had mentioned that he had wanted a conscription consisting both men and women similar to Israel . However, Goh rejected it, citing that

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