I am a Singaporean. A singaporean motherson. Born and bred in the city-state. Proud of my roots, our founding story. Merdeka, merger, separation, independence. Ive got the national flag pinned up above my bed, and when filling in forms which ask me whats my ethnicity, I generally reply "Others" and fill in the words "Singaporean" in the blank.
My family's roots in the region runs deep, and I'm proud of the fact. the crescent moon and stars is a recurring theme in my collection of doodles. Ive served some time of my life in the army, and I recognize that the ORD is the beginning, not the end, of the service I shall owe my nation.
this country's my home, i havent got any other. its a place where im free to act as a private citizen, without the fear of being persecuted. it grants me the freedom of speech to say what I feel in public to people around me, and I genuinely believe in the free, open democratic nature of my government. and for all these liberties and protections, im grateful.
having said that, i now come to the story of the polo boys and their patriotic trunks. i first read about it on redsports.sg, a local online sporting journal, and i was pretty damn thrilled. what an awesome pair of trunks! finally! something truly Singaporean that would stand out in the world, at multi-national sporting competitions. for too long have we gone without a real signature emblem, a real eye-catching logo that shouts "oi!" to the world and lets them know where we are from.
not to put down the attires of our other sports teams. Im a huge fan of the Orchid on the rugby jersey, and not too opposed to the lion-head that took over. and the national flag on our national team's football jersey isnt that bad, though to be honest, rather uninspired. (Im just saying; the warwick university singapore society football logo is really miles ahead in terms of creativity and design.)
but the moon and the stars.. yes! for me, that really does it. its the one thing thats really what makes our flag, our flag. unmistakable. it has to be, the one, the only, the lion city, temasek, singapura, Singapore City, Singapore. these trunks were gonna start a revolution. they were gonna change the way we designed everything! i could see it all unfolding in my mind.
i dont care how ugly it might have been to some people. people will have opinions, and opinions split. to me, though, it seemed undeniable, that these trunks were singaporean in the most proud and unembarrassed of ways. the tabloids are free to say what they want, debate and rant. whatever, i thought. the trunks were cool.
and then I had to read about MICA's official statement, in the BBC, and a wave of disappointment swept through me.
For a government ministry to criticize the design of our national team's uniform was just sad. especially an outfit so loud and proudly nationalistic. i felt embarrassed. it just seemed unnecessary and uncalled for. it seems like a rather knee jerk defensive response by MICA to disassociate themselves from the polo team, and an unfair condemnation on the design. really, i just feel that MICA should have more important things to do, and the impression that is being given to the world at large, is that Singapore is such an oppressed state, that even the slightest of matters, such as the national polo team's trunks, is required to be vetted and approved by the Ministry.
which is not true. I refuse to believe we are a nanny state. it shouldnt be the case. we are a mature modern society. i'm just very sad when this article becomes the first thing that appears in my google news feed for "Singapore".
but whats really got to me, was the grounds on which MICA condemned the outfit: this idea that the elements of the flag were not treated with dignity. and really the implications of this, is that its gonna discourage people from using the flag creatively. its just hindering people from expressing their patriotism in one more way. which is something i really dont want to happen.
you see, identity is a huge part of patriotism. and i see it every time I travel the world. the tri-colour of the ethiopian flag as a wristband. the french tri-colour as bandanas. the union jack as bikinis, the australian flag as towels, the colours of the indian flag colours in a turban, the stars and stripes on iPhone covers. national flags are embraced and loved all over the world. its being celebrated and used by people to show their pride and heritage. but you cant do that if your afraid your gonna be breaking the law by accidentally using the flag in an "inappropriate" or "undignified" manner.
I mean look at Australia. you see their flag everywhere. on tshirts, floor mats, umbrellas, car decals, tongs, its all over the place. but just because your using the national flag to dry yourself, or your stepping all over it, doesnt mean your disrespecting it. on the contrary it shows how much your in love with your country, that you want to don its colours in every conceivable form.
and i want this to happen in singapore. i want the crescent moon and the stars on belt buckles, on towel racks, as bandanas, singlets, FBTs, whatever. I want people to be allowed to wear the flag however they please, and not leave it up on a pedestal, sacred and inaccessible. not something that we only see during August, then hide the rest of the year in our bomb shelter/ store rooms. We were going in the right direction by allowing cars to fly mini flags. but why stop there?
the obvious place for this revolution to start is in the sporting scene. and as identifiable as the flags of certain countries are, are the national jerseys of their teams. the silver fern on the all blacks, the three lions on England's football jersey, and the rose on their rugby kit. it doesnt matter that new zealand or england didnt win the world cup. people still wear their country's colours and thats patriotism. helped by the fact that their uniforms were unique and identifiable.
and thats what the polo boys' uniform was. identifiable. not a plain all red top like the Singapore Lions. too many countries in the world have red in their flags and use the colour on their jerseys. look no further than Indonesia. I remember when I was relief teaching and students were allowed to wear a red top to school. And they did. boys wearing the jerseys of liverpool, arsenal, manchester united, and even Spain. I know it sounds like im digressing, but all these issues are inter-related.
the polo boys achieved something unique and impactful. good intentioned, bold, adventurous, its what we need as a society.
and what we need is more liberalization. not more measures to keep use of our national symbols in check. more freedom to play with ALL our national symbols: the orchid, the lion head, the moon and stars. more flexibility in expression, and a greater willingness by the authorities to accept its usage.
I know that being patriotic isnt the coolest thing in Singapore, and if liberalization were to occur, not everyones gonna start rushing to shops to buy a set of red and white tees and jeans. but at least those who do want to, wont have to feel worried about disrespecting the very country, they love and celebrate.
xx
rishik
