Singapore National Identity in 2015, Malay Sources

Abstract

Based on an interpretive discourse analysis of Malay elite and mass texts, the five most salient identity categories for Singapore in 2015 which emerged were: “a Singaporean Muslim identity”, “responsible leaders”, “developed country”, “social diversity” and “reliable citizens”. All of these categories carry a positive valence, except for “patriarchal Malay families” and “inequality”. Singapore’s predominant discourse of national identity in 2015 was Muslim identity, under which categories that reflect the conflation of local Malay and Muslim identities can be found. Overall, there are no elite-mass contentions for the top 20 identity categories. Instead, what emerged strongly was the dominance of discourses surrounding responsible leadership in elite but not mass texts, especially in categories that discuss the government’s effectiveness in delivering public goods and social services. However, alternative discourses that emerge lean towards alternative descriptions, rather than meaning to be subversive. Generally, there is a wide consensus across elite and mass texts on what it means to be a Singaporean.