Don't give up Chinese language, says Lee Kuan Yew
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Don't give up Chinese language, says Lee Kuan Yew
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 07 October 2011 2239 hrs
SINGAPORE: Former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said if young Singaporeans give up the Chinese language, they will have lost something valuable.
He was speaking at a dialogue at the World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention on Friday evening.
Mr Lee chose to speak in a mix of Chinese and English, a reflection of Singapore's bilingual society, and responded to a wide range of questions, including one on his decision to write a book about the bilingual policy here.
Mr Lee has previously said implementing the policy was one of the hardest things he has had to do.
He told his audience that his aim in writing the book is to have younger Singaporeans understand how strongly the Chinese community felt about the decision to make English the first language.
Mr Lee reiterated his long-held belief that if Singapore had chosen Chinese as its first language, the country would not be where it is today.
However, he also advised Chinese Singaporeans not to give up their mother tongue, noting that he himself has spent his whole life trying to master the language as he did not learn it when he was young.
It is not just about the emotional and cultural connection, but a pragmatic consideration too. With many Chinese seeking new opportunities in the world, Mr Lee believes Singapore can play the role of pathfinder.
He said he is also "worried" that more and more families in Singapore are speaking English at home, adding that they should instead speak Mandarin.
"....English, you will learn it anyway. If I have a choice, I will speak to my grandchildren in Chinese and leave English to the schools," he said.
Mr Lee was also asked about the rise of China.
He said while its economic dominance is perhaps inevitable, its military dominance in Asia Pacific will be checked by the concerns of its East Asian neighbours and the continued presence of the US.http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1157934/1/.html
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Knowing chinese will be an advantage to us especially our 1st official language is english.
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However, he also advised Chinese Singaporeans not to give up their mother tongue, noting that he himself has spent his whole life trying to master the language as he did not learn it when he was young.
The mother tongue of most chinese Singaporeans is not mandarin.
Mandarin is a northern dialect of China.
The mother tongue of most chinese Singaporeans are southern dialects like hokkien, teochew.
This old anglophile banana can't even get simple facts straight. No wonder the languages in Singapore is all in a mess.
You are a banana.
banana rule over chinese, end result is destruction of chinese culture.
It's that simple.
banana is banana.
shit is shit.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
Knowing chinese will be an advantage to us especially our 1st official language is english.
My aim is to destroy english as dominant language in Singapore.
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majority of the people her speak chinese. the chinese will not disappeared but will be in the peoples heart and mind.
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Yes, Dalforce 25, the mother tongue of most Chinese Singaporeans is not mandarin, the mother tongue of most Chinese Singaporeans are southern dialects like Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, Hockchew, Henghua, Hokchia, Wenchounese, Ningpoese, Shanghainese, Leichouese and et cetera.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
majority of the people her speak chinese. the chinese will not disappeared but will be in the peoples heart and mind.
I am quite firm in my position of destroying english as the dominant language in Singapore.
I want to thoroughly cleanse this country of english. It will be reduced to the status of what it is in Taiwan.
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Originally posted by BanguIzai:
Yes, Dalforce 25, the mother tongue of most Chinese Singaporeans is not mandarin, the mother tongue of most Chinese Singaporeans are southern dialects like Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, Hockchew, Henghua, Hokchia, Wenchounese, Ningpoese, Shanghainese, Leichouese and et cetera.
That old banana is talking nonsense when he says that mandarin is mother tongue of Singapore chinese.
He is a clown.
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Originally posted by Dalforce 25:
I am quite firm in my position of destroying english as the dominant language in Singapore.
English is an international language where businesses is being used every where around the world. Shutting off english will make spore in a disadvantage position. -
Originally posted by likeyou:
English is an international language where businesses is being used every where around the world. Shutting off english will make spore in a disadvantage position.International languages changes every few hundred years. We have no soul of our own if we keep trying to follow other people's footsteps.
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Originally posted by BanguIzai:
International languages changes every few hundred years. We have no soul of our own if we keep trying to follow other people's footsteps.
meaning the next cycle of changes will be few hundred years? then fine for everybody as we will be long gone.... -
Originally posted by likeyou:
English is an international language where businesses is being used every where around the world. Shutting off english will make spore in a disadvantage position.But it cannot be the dominant language in Singapore.
Singapore is not majority peranakans like Tony Tan, Harry Lee or Lee Hsien Loong, Goh Keng Swee or Toh Chin Chye or Lim Yew Hock or Wee Kim Wee.
If Singapore is majority peranakan, then english can be dominant.
But it is not.
That is why it must be destroyed.
Dr Tony Tan attends Peranakan 'wedding banquet'
Dr Tony Tan (centre), flanked by wife Mary and Peranakan Association president Peter Wee, posing with performers of a traditional wedding procession at the annual Peranakan Ball, held at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on 9 July 2011. -- ST PHOTO: TED CHEN
DRESSED in a traditional Peranakan costume and sparkling jewels representing wealth and family status, the bride walks slowly swaying side to side to the music, accompanied by an elder woman who guides her on the strict wedding rituals.
The groom wears a Manchurian-style robe and holds a scholar's fan in one hand, fanning constantly as he walks down the aisle beside his bride, in front of more than 500 guests.
This is not an actual wedding but a celebration of the Peranakan Association's 111th anniversary.
Speaking at the event, guest of honour former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan said that the Peranakan culture is distinctive because of its ability to embrace other cultures and also its taste, beliefs, rituals and language that are a blend of Chinese, Malay and colonial British cultures.
Watch highlights from the Peranakan Ball on RazorTV.
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Originally posted by Dalforce 25:
I am quite firm in my position of destroying english as the dominant language in Singapore.
I want to thoroughly cleanse this country of english. It will be reduced to the status of what it is in Taiwan.
I don't speak chinese, and honestly cant imagine myself 'ching chonging' the language. It's a good thing LKY forced English, one of the few things he did right.
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Originally posted by Siliconchip:
I don't speak chinese
That's because an anglophile peranakan came to power in 1959.
That is the only reason why you understand english today and not mandarin.
There are no other reasons.
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Originally posted by Siliconchip:
cant imagine myself 'ching chonging' the language.
The only reason why you cannot imagine it is because a peranakan came to power in 1959.
That is the only reason.
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Actually it is because I have nothing to do with that stupid useless dying language.
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I think if peranakans like Lee Kuan Yew want to speak in their mother tongue english, that is certainly their own business.
But if you want to destroy chinese schools and impose english as dominant language or even suppress or want to annihilate the mother tongue dialects, then I will certainly oppose.
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Originally posted by Siliconchip:
Actually it is because I have nothing to do with that stupid useless dying language.
The only reason why you have nothing to do with that language and consider it to be dying is because a peranakan came to power in 1959.
That is the only reason.
If a chinese came to power in Singapore in 1959, if you don't know at least a bit of mandarin, you can't really function in Singapore.
But no chinese came to power in 1959.
Only an anglophile banana.
That is why we are having this ridiculous discussion now.
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Mr Lee reiterated his long-held belief that if Singapore had chosen Chinese as its first language, the country would not be where it is today.
Most people in Singapore during the pioneering decades of 1960s-1980s didn't speak english.
I really don't see how on earth is english a factor in building up Singapore, except for creating this rojak singlish garbage.
One of the old lao jiao reservist in my reservist unit who is an engineer told me that the most skilled engineers in his company were those who graduated from the old chinese Nan Tah university.
I was quite surprised, thinking that those trained in english should be better.
He told me that was complete rubbish.
Lee Kuan Yew's rubbish on english is also nothing but a fraud that should be exposed.
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This just shows how people are inflexible these days.
-removed-
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Originally posted by TIB783G:
Fine, Granted if people make wrong moves, Is it nessascary to bite him hard?
Bite who?
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Originally posted by Dalforce 25:
Bite who?
The peranakan you very much scorned. -
Originally posted by Rooney9:
The peranakan you very much scorned.I don't want to bite him. I want him to die that's all.
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haha...
when did madarin becomes the mother tongue of Singapore?
things change, and he do not stand firm...
such is the "banana tree" mentality.
that why he spoke Japanese during the occupation.
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
haha...
when did madarin becomes the mother tongue of Singapore?
things change, and he do not stand firm...
such is the "banana tree" mentality.
that why he spoke Japanese during the occupation.
