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Articles by Mathew Mathews
Commentary - ‘Shameful’ racist comments after Nepal disaster should never become normal in Singapore
SINGAPORE: There can hardly be a worse time to ask whether someone is “really Singaporean”. As families waited desperately for news of nine Singaporeans reported missing after the Nepal floods, some people online scrutinised their names and photographs and asked exactly that. Others questioned why Singapore should help them at all. Some said things far more callous.
Commentary: ‘Shameful’ racist comments after Nepal disaster should never become normal in Singapore
SINGAPORE: There can hardly be a worse time to ask whether someone is “really Singaporean”. As families waited desperately for news of nine Singaporeans reported missing after the Nepal floods, some people online scrutinised their names and photographs and asked exactly that. Others questioned why Singapore should help them at all. Some said things far more callous.
Commentary: How to redirect the ‘responsible parent’ script in Singapore’s education system
SINGAPORE: In Singapore, much has been said about the need to break away from an education “arms race”. This was reiterated by Education Minister Desmond Lee in parliament this month, when he cautioned that a fixation on grades can pit children against one another, diminish their joy of learning and crowd out character-building.
Commentary: Education reforms must let families step off the treadmill without fear
SINGAPORE: In Singapore, much has been said about the need to break away from an education “arms race”. This was reiterated by Education Minister Desmond Lee in parliament this month, when he cautioned that a fixation on grades can pit children against one another, diminish their joy of learning and crowd out character-building.
Open for business, closed in our hearts? Immigration and the future of Singapore identity
Singaporeans still see citizenship in largely civic terms where contribution and commitment matter Singaporeans remain proud of their country and comfortable with diversity, but are unsure about how immigration fits into the national story. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT FEW in Singapore need to be told that openness brings opportunities. Global capital, regional headquarters, international schools and myriad talent from around the globe is an integral part of the operating environment here.
Commentary: The CMIO model is still useful for favoured policy outcomes, but it shouldn’t define our identities
Questions surrounding the removal of Singapore’s Chinese-Malay-Indian-Other (CMIO) framework appear from time to time. On Feb 5, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai raised a question in the House about the government’s plans to review this administrative tool which it uses to manage policies concerning race. This was partly in response to a comment made by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong at the Singapore Perspectives Conference in January.
Commentary: The CMIO model is still useful for favoured policy outcomes, but it shouldn’t define our identities
Commentary Singapore’s Chinese-Malay-Indian-Other framework is necessary for government administration, but we must ensure it doesn’t become a method for propagating harmful stereotypes, say the Institute of Policy Studies’ Mathew Mathews and Izzul Haziq Murad. New: You can now listen to articles. SINGAPORE: Questions surrounding the removal of Singapore’s Chinese-Malay-Indian-Other (CMIO) framework appear from time to time.
Gearing up gigging
THE passing of Singapore’s Platform Workers Bill in September is a monumental step in addressing the evolving nature of work in the digital age in Singapore. As gig economy platforms become ingrained in everyday life, the status of platform workers has increasingly come under scrutiny. Striking a careful balance between protecting workers’ rights and preserving the flexibility that the gig economy aspires to provide is not easy. It is an issue faced by many countries.
Commentary: Singapore goes big on parental leave. Now for fathers and employers to step up
SINGAPORE: In his maiden National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 18), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled two initiatives that could prove transformative to families and society: Making mandatory four weeks of government-paid paternity leave and introducing a new 10-week shared parental leave scheme.
Commentary: In discussing Israel-Hamas conflict in Singapore, upholding social harmony is key
Concerns have sparked regarding what schools in Singapore are teaching students about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Some have expressed gripes on social media that stem particularly from the Ministry of Education’s supposed stance of neutrality. Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on Feb 26 pointed out that lessons related to the conflict are designed primarily to help students reflect on how to safeguard cohesion and harmony in a multiracial society.
Commentary: Don’t underestimate casual racism at Singapore workplaces
SINGAPORE: Diversity is both our heritage and strength in multicultural Singapore. Yet, while we pride ourselves on our ability to foster harmony amid adversity, instances of discrimination and racial insensitivity are bound to surface. Earlier this month, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam delivered a statement in parliament in relation to the late Sergeant Uvaraja Gopal's allegations of racial discrimination and workplace bullying in the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Commentary: More paternity leave is promising, but Singapore could be so much bolder
Trending Topics Budget 2023 CNA Explains China Malaysia Ukraine invasion climate change COVID-19 Wellness Snap Insight Commentary Making the increased paternity leave mandatory, narrowing durational disparities with maternity leave and shaping workplace norms for to-be fathers are essential for shared parenting and healthy familial outcomes, say the Institute of Policy Studies’ Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay.
Commentary: What does it take for a person to be truly happy in Singapore?
These findings are not limited to the US context. In the same vein, hikikomori – acute social withdrawal whereby an individual decides to stop going to work or school, and instead spends most of their time secluded at home – has become more pronounced in Japan over the past decade.
Snap Insight: Uneasy conversations spotlighted with repeal of 377A
SINGAPORE: After about 10 hours of debate over two days, Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 29) passed legislation to decriminalise gay sex and protect the definition of marriage from legal challenges. The repeal of Section 377A has been lauded as a milestone both to democracy and to inclusion in Singapore.
Commentary: Decision on Section 377A reflects ‘Singapore formula’ on difficult issues
Commentary The status of Section 377A is in a special breed of political issues where advocates feel that their personal value system and way of life are at stake. The best route in managing them is to find compromise solutions, say the Institute of Policy Studies’ Gillian Koh and Mathew Mathews.
Commentary: Here’s how far Singapore has come in making 'regardless of race' a lived reality for all
SINGAPORE: “Regardless of race, language or religion” – we affirm our collective aspiration for Singapore every time we recite the national pledge. More than 55 years after the pledge was rolled out, how far have we come? A series of high-profile racist incidents in 2021 shook Singapore, including a former lecturer making racist remarks to an interracial couple and a man charged over a racially aggravated attack against a 55-year-old Singaporean Indian woman.
Commentary: What’s behind varying attitudes about gender equality in Singapore
Advertisement Commentary Demography, upbringing and cultural differences can explain variations in receptiveness towards women’s issues. The trickier question is how concerns can be tackled so progress continues, say Mathew Mathews and Syafiq Suhaini. A man and woman in the CBD.
Commentary: ‘Softer’ approach with moral suasion better at dismantling racist mindsets
SINGAPORE: The announcement of the new Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally (NDR) signals a shifting of gears in managing Singapore’s race relations. While the Act consolidates the state’s legislative instruments in dealing with issues of race, of particular significance are its “softer, gentler touches” as PM Lee termed.
Ride the wave of goodwill to further protect and recognise the dignity of migrant workers
Migrant workers matter. The treatment and recognition of one of our most vulnerable groups will be key to how Singapore will navigate a post-pandemic future. About this time last year, infection rates among foreign workers living in dormitories numbered in the thousands. The coronavirus exposed the not-too-ideal living conditions of migrant workers that made Covid-19 rampant. They were housed in relatively secluded areas and often rendered invisible, but their plight was of national concern.
Commentary: Worries over rising COVID-19 cases are fuelling racially charged comments
SINGAPORE: Throughout the battle with COVID-19, community leaders, intellectuals and government officials have warned of the other invisible plague which must be contained for us to effectively come out of this pandemic healthier and with higher social solidarity. That other invisible virus is bigotry. Advertisement Advertisement Xenophobic comments most recently have been rife on local social media platforms following reports of community cases in Singapore involving Indian nationals.
Commentary: Protecting public health is key in novel coronavirus fight but we must also tackle xenophobia
SINGAPORE: Since it was first discovered last December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the 2019 novel coronavirus has spread internationally. The rapid proliferation of the virus and the accompanying deaths have resulted in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the outbreak to be a global health emergency. Advertisement Advertisement Governments all over the world have begun initiating various policies given the source of the virus.
Commentary: Challenging racism starts in the family
SINGAPORE: Parliament passed enhanced legislation recently to preserve religious harmony in Singapore, adding to the safeguards that seek to maintain racial and religious peace here. Such legislative provisions have proved important in maintaining the delicate boundaries of racial and religious coexistence. Advertisement Advertisement They have saved Singaporeans perhaps from the more overt and violent forms of racism that have occurred, and still occur, elsewhere in the world.
Commentary: On homosexuality and cohabitation - differences on moral issues need not lead to polarised society
SINGAPORE: Singaporeans remain generally conservative on issues of morality, as a recent Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) paper on Religion, Morality and Conservatism reported. This was based on a comparison of results from the 2013 and 2018 waves of the IPS Survey of Race, Religion and Language. Advertisement There remains strong opposition to extra-marital sex (81.2 per cent felt this was wrong in 2018, compared to 81.4 per cent in 2013), having a child out of wedlock (64.9 per cent vs.
Singapore’s Lessons on Affirmative Action
Balancing Meritocracy and Diversity By Mathew Mathews September 5, 2017 Edgar Su / Reuters In early August, the New York Times reported that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) would be looking into lawsuits filed by Asian Americans against Harvard University, alleging anti-Asian racial discrimination in the school’s admissions policies.
Commentary: Taking pride in ethnic identity does not contradict Singapore identity
SINGAPORE: The recent official opening of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlights the importance Singapore places on the preservation of ethnic identity.
Singapore Eurasians: Rewrite, refine their role
The Eurasian Association (EA) recently launched an updated edition of its popular book, Singapore Eurasians: Memories, Hopes and Dreams.
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