THE
S.P.A.S. MANIFESTO:
What's Wrong with Singlish Anyway?
The
government (pronounced "gah-men") says that we must stop using
Singlish otherwise we cannot compete with ang-mors.
And because of this, all our TV shows, and preferably other media
as well, must stop using Singlish.
But
why not ask the ang mors to learn to speak like us? What makes them so
atas?
Not
only that, now all our shows will have these bleddy chia'h kantang drama
club types that we used to hantam in school! Who wants to see?
Why can't we have shows where the actors speak like normal
people?
Those
who argue that our shows will sell better if they are in standard
English (like Nicholas 'Under One Roof' Lee) should be reminded who
their immediate audience is. What kind of message will this kind
of argument send to Singaporean viewers? "We're not really
interested in making shows for you; what we really want is to sell
overseas."
As
if the people who make American sitcoms care less whether their jokes
also work in Bukit Batok or Batu Pahat!
And
what's wrong with Singlish anyway? It's how Singaporeans speak in casual
company.
If Londoners can speak Cockney or Liverpudlians can speak Scouse,
why can't we speak Singlish?
We're
not asking schools to start teaching Singlish as a subject (although
that might make kids stay awake: "Class, today, we'll all learn how
to use the phrase 'kio tio goo lan'…")
But
surely we Singaporeans are not so stupid that we cannot tell the
difference between the kind of language acceptable in casual settings
and the kind expected in business or official correspondence.
(When was the last time you used "'lah', 'leh' or 'wah piang
eh' in a formal letter or report?)
After
all, the British still write grammatically despite watching programmes
like Eastenders, which use colloquialisms. Are Singaporeans less
sophisticated than the British? Also, why do we accept programmes from
the USA, with their own deviations from standard English? Why are
Americanisms acceptable, but not Singlish? Why is it okay to speak like
the Nanny but not Phua Chu Kang? TCS should dub over all the US imports!
Fair is fair, what!
S.P.A.S.
has been set up to promote art that is relevant to Singaporeans, not
just propaganda!
Singlish is a language that is unique to us and we should
celebrate it:
SAVE
OUR SINGLISH! Say it, LAH! And say it proud!
Read
Prof. Ziauddin Sardar's excellent article in the New Internationalist on
why wiping out Singlish is cultural homicide
