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Creating and Recreating Heritage in Singapore

(Article review)

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Background of the Article

Investigators apply different types of research methods when carrying out an

investigation. Suitability of a research method is defined by the type of study and type of data an

investigator intends to collect. Among the most used research methods include experiments,

surveys, case studies, questionnaires, and interviews. The article used a case study research

method. Case study research entails a detailed study of a particular case, either a person or a

group of a small group. The primary objective of the study entailed in the article is evaluating the

extent to which planning and policy in Singapore have enhanced the creation and recreation of

Singapore’s heritage. Additionally, the study aimed at finding out the importance of heritage in

Singapore and finding out how heritage is marketed to Singaporeans and visitors of the region.

Following that, the study is focused on a specific phenomenon (Singapore's heritage); it can be

argued that the article followed a case study.

The author of the article has presented his audience with a wide scope of information

regarding Singapore’s history. This information is gathered from literature items composed by

various authors in the region, a fact that enhances the ideology that the article used a case study

research method. Case study research articles apply various data collecting methods with the

most notable ones, including interviews, consulting public and personal records, and consulting

other people. Information entailed in the second part of the article “The Role of Government in

Creating Identity and Marketing Heritage” was gathered from consulting public records such as

the Ministry of Information for Arts, Singapore Tourism Promotion Board, and other

government bodies in Singapore. The most distinct character of articles carried out through case

studies is a progressive nature. It is evident in the article that the topics covered in the article are

continuous. As earlier mentioned, the major objective of the article is evaluating the extent to
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which public policy and planning in Singapore have created and recreated the heritage of the

region. Policies governing a nation are frequently altered to fit the particular needs of the nation.

The study entailed in the article assumes a continuity nature since, as policy changes, they affect

Singapore’s heritage continuously.

Findings of the Research

The findings of the article are classified into three sections. The first section explains

Singapore's national heritage, and it's important. The second section of the findings explains how

Singapore’s image has been changed by cultural planning and policymaking. The last section of

the finding identifies the role of the Singapore government in marketing the region’s heritage.

Singapore’s National Heritage and It's Important

Singapore's heritage and history form its foundation on early indigenous history, which

was Malay. Indigenous Singapore citizens had established a trade relationship with traders from

China, India, and Arabs. The invasion of Singapore by British and Japanese during the

postcolonial period also made a vital contribution to the formation of Singapore's Heritage. The

identity of Singapore is thus rooted in Chinese traders, sojourners, immigrants, and indigenous

Malayans. According to Saunders (2004), Singapore’s identity is shaped and created by the

region’s government policies. Singapore citizens follow a culture of Confucian borrowed from

Asian values. The noted culture is practiced in a multi-racial, multi-lingual, and multi-religious

democratic society where citizens are required to abide by the nationally shared values. Heritage

and culture in Singapore play a vital role in biding Singaporeans together to achieve social

cohesion, economic prosperity, and political stability. An additional foundation on which

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Singapore’s culture forms its foundation is the encouragement of art, cultural lifestyle, and

lifestyle exposures in modern society.

Creation of Singapore’s image through culture planning and policymaking

The findings of the article indicate that Singapore's image has significantly evolved in

the last four decades. Tourists, as well as Singaporeans, have witnessed significant changes in

the region's image from policies initiated by the first Prime Minister (Mr. Lee Kuan Yew) of the

regions. The minister initiated a policy of greening the city (Saunders, 2004). In the 1980s and

1970s, Housing Development Board in the region started a building project whose objective was

setting up high rise houses to replace kampongs and shophouses. The latter mentioned policies

improved Singapore's image, making it a major tourist destination. It should also be noted that

Singapore’s planning aimed at exposing the Asian culture, people, and various festivals

celebrated in Singapore to the world. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1997 initiated a

program aimed at marketing the region as a tourist destination with a unique cultural heritage.

Singapore's government efforts to change the image of the nation continued in 2000 when the

government announced its objective to transform Singapore into a global arts city. Measures

partaken by the Singapore government positioned the nation as a doorway to Asia. Currently,

Singapore’s image has improved to the extent that the region is perceived as a focal point for

technology, arts, transport, and tourism. In 2000, tourism contributed $6 billion of the region’s

foreign income.

Marketing of Singapore’s Heritage

The article has presented evidence that Singapore used its national airlines to market its

heritage globally and locally. The first move embraced by the region’s government to market its
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heritage globally required MSA (Malaysia, Singapore Airlines) to fly the flag on the new nation.

The ideology of flying the national flag was enhanced in 1972 when Batey’s advertising

campaign introduced the “Singapore Girl: A Great Way to fly” slogan (Saunders, (2004). The

slogan was incorporated in Singapore’s local culture and in contemporary society represents

Singapore and Singaporean’s abroad. Singapore government perceived that basing the logo of its

airplanes on traditional aspects is the best means of portraying the image of the nation abroad.

According to Saunders (2004), many traditional arts and crafts vital to Singapore were getting

extinct in 1970. Singapore handicraft center constructed in Chinatown was setup in1980s to

provide a retail platform for endangered crafts in the region. Singapore has also constructed

natural museums to offer its citizens and guests a platform to enjoy local festivals and

celebrations. Among the festivals showcased at natural museums and theaters include the “Taoist

Festival of the Hungry Ghosts, Thimiti (Tamil Firewalking), Chinese New Year, the Hindu

festivals of Thaipusam and Deepvali, and the Malay Hari Raya

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A critical review of the article

Information presented in the article reveals the author’s capability of carrying out a case

study analysis of precise phenomena (Singapore’s Heritage). The article also displays a smooth

flow of ideas and a good transition from the first paragraph to the last one. The article’s abstract

section has highlighted the major objectives of the essay. Sections in the body of the article have

addressed objectives of the essay without leaving a point behind. Despite the strengths evident

in the report, the author does not indicate an individual's research method. It requires a reader to

read the contents of the article carefully to deduce its research method. All that the author does is

citing various authors and government bodies. This shows that the data entailed in the article was
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collected from peer-reviewed articles. The credibility of the information presented in the report is

low. This is because errors in the secondary materials where data was collected were transferred

in the article.
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Reference

Saunders, K. J. (2004). Creating and recreating heritage in Singapore.