Patriotism in Hong Kong and Singapore: A world of contrast
October 4th, 2009 | 
Author: By Michael Tan
Ten years ago, when I was at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on a student exchange programme, I asked my Hong Kong friends whether they are facing an identity crisis following the return of Hong Kong into China’s fold two years earlier in 1997.
Most of them are ambivalent about China, but they all have a strong sense of belonging to Hong Kong though it is only a “Special Administrative Region” under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China.
Hong Kong and Singapore are both crown colonies of the British empire. Singapore achieved independence in 1965 while Hong Kong remained a colony of Great Britain. Now, it is part of China proper.
Though Hong Kong was never a state nor does the government care to promote a sense of patriotism through national education, Hong Kongers are fiercely patriotic.
During those days at HKUST, the campus was a hotbed of political activism. Students debated for hours issues like universal suffrage for the island, complete self-government and its role in China itself.
At that time, few Hong Kongers feel any inkling to China. They are strongly protective of their way of life, system of governance and individual rights, concepts which are utterly foreign to Singaporeans.
Hong Kong is one of the freest economies in the world, but its people are politically aware, mature and intelligent. While they know Hong Kong can never achieve real independence, they still clamor for a democratic and representative form of government.
This explains why when the former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Tung Chee-Hwa tried to introduce the Basic Law, over 500,000 Hong Kongers turned up in the streets the next day to protest.
Though the seat of power lies in Beijing, no Chief Executive of Hong Kong will dare to ride roughshod over the people without incurring their wrath.
Last week, I joined my Hong Kong friends in a four-kilometer charity walk to celebrate China’s 60th National Day. 14,000 people from 110 groups walked from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay along the Island Eastern Corridor to Quarry Bay Park.
The streets were lined with colorful banners and flags of Hong Kong SAR and China. People from all age groups, including whole families were seen walking holding hands together, donning the red colors of China’s flag.
There is a palatable spontaneous outpouring of pride, joy and elation. I asked my friends the same question again. This time, they said they are equally proud of being a Hong Konger and a Chinese at the same time.
I have never quite celebrated National Day in this manner, definitely not in Singapore where it would mean a quick getaway to Malaysia.
The Hong Kong government does not need to spend money to line the streets and roads with flags. It has no grassroots leaders to go knocking from door to door imploring residents to hang the national flag and yet the Hong Kongers decorate their flats and shops with the China and Hong Kong flags.
There are no boring speeches by the leaders reminding the people of their contributions to the island. Hong Kong never experienced the same form of one-party state as Singapore.
I wondered how many Singaporeans will dare to turn up in the streets and celebrate National Day if the restrictive laws are lifted up one day.
We have been told time and time again by our leaders that mass assembly of this sort will lead to riots reminiscent of those in the 1960s. But the Hong Kongers have shown that it is possible to gather and protest peacefully without any major upheavals.
There is at least one protest in the streets of Hong Kong every week. Two weeks ago, it was a protest organized by a group of social workers. A month ago, the minibond investors held a protest outside DBS bank.
Despite being under communist rule, Hong Kongers enjoy more freedom than Singaporeans and it is precisely because of their strong sense of individualism that Singapore will never be able to compete with Hong Kong especially with China backing it.
To the Hong Kongers, the government is just a necessary nuisance. They work hard for themselves and nobody else. Its leaders are merely servants of the people. No Hong Kong leader will ever dare to give themselves a pay rise or talk down to the people.
Had the Hong Kong government lose even a cent from investments like Temasek and GIC, they will be forced to step down. Such is the low tolerance for lapses by public officials in Hong Kong.
It is sad that 44 years after independence, our sense of identity and belonging are less than Hong Kong’s, which is not even considered a country.
The Hong Kongers are very materialistic and calculative people, but at the same time, they are conscious of their political rights as well. Singaporeans lag far behind them in this aspect.
As I walked along the streets of Hong Kong during this festive season, I can’t help feeling proud of being a Chinese too. This is a strange feeling which I had never felt during my 25 years in Singapore.
About the Author:
Michael is currently working in Hong Kong as a financial analyst. He is still proud to be a Singaporean and he hopes that Singapore will become a free society like Hong Kong one day.
Posted in Opinion
“democratic and representative form of government” is only as useful as the free press is fare/balanced/objective.
Idiots, or bigots, with a vote does not benefit society. Groups of blind-sighted, cowered, bribed electoral only means a corrupted government, even if it’s democratic.
Cockroaches given a vote would mean mankind’s doom.
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A clarification. Tung Chee Hwa never tried to introduce the Basic Law. The Basic Law is HK’s version of a constitution (which they also abide more strictly to than Singapore, by the way) after it was transferred to China’s control, so it already existed during his term. What he wanted to introduce was Article 23, which allowed the HK government to crack down on anyone who opposed the mainland government as ‘treason, secession, sedition, subversion’.
The text itself:
“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People’s Government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.”
Naturally, to the politically-aware Hongkongers, this was ridiculous and a gross denial of the right to free speech, especially when you take this in context of how Beijing interpretes ‘treason, secession, sedition, subversion’ and – given Stern Hu’s and Ching Cheong’s individual suppression by China – ‘theft of state secrets’.
On the other hand, Singapore is more like Macau. Utterly apathetic of their rights, and too concerned with ‘pragmatic’ pursuits of wealth to wonder if their quality of life is actually being undermined by giving a blank cheque to a less-than-competent, unaccountable and opaque government every election.
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PAP is just afraid that the people will riot against them if they allow protest.
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Hong kong’s economy has a great future backed by China. Our economy is about to be snuffed out like a candle in the wind. When darkness arrive soon and asked where the flame gone, the incumbent will tell you this – I don’t know, we had 44 good years till yesteryear. You loyal subjects did NOT warn us everything we did was wrong.
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Cuty-Pie.. and Cuddly Singaporeans and Equally Cuddly IncomeBENT gahmen… as…
TSH on Sun, 4th Oct 2009 1:05 pm SAID…
“On the other hand, Singapore is more like Macau. Utterly apathetic of their rights, and too concerned with ‘pragmatic’ pursuits of wealth to wonder if their quality of life is actually being undermined by giving a blank cheque to a less-than-competent, unaccountable and opaque government every election.”!!!
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//lego
Yeah, PAP is scared that they stop receiving their million dollars salaries++.
Anyway, the article rightly point out that HKers are more “intelligent” than us.
Just look at their dramas and ours.
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Singapore will lose it shine a little each year as a financial centre for the following reasons. Shanghai in the north of China together with Tokyo will be the main financial centres for NE Asia while Hong Kong will be the one for the Pearl Delta area as well as a protected low-tax entity. Singapore is currently the main financial centre for SE Asia and it is trying to attract more business from India but the latter has plans for Mumbai. If Singapore ever succumbs to pressure from the USA and EU about their low-tax status for foreign accounts, you can say good-bye to the fees earned on all the billions present and future deposited by overseas investors. One problem that HK has is high property prices making it difficult for ordinary working people to buy an apartment. Both Hong Kong and Singapore to differentiate themselves from low-cost countries such as mainland China and India. They need to go high-tech so that they could be like Switzerland catering to niche industrial markets with high margins while still having low-tax financial markets. After all the education that both cities provide is first notch and there is no reason why both places can’t create an industrial/tech development culture. As for China I can see it slowly becoming a democracy like Singapore today (or formerly like Taiwan or Japan) with one dominant party.
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With the current massive influx of FT, the SG identity is fast eroding. How to have that type of patriotism?
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HK people worry about putting food on the table, as the market is way competitive. SG people worry about where to shop and eat next. Life is good in SG. We are a luckly lot. If something goes wrong blame the government.
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Life is good in SG. If children are not used in survey to propagate political correctness, I might believe this statement. When children has been used as hostage and bargaining chips in political space, it is LIVING PROOF OF DESPERATION that life is nearing the end of seeming “goodness”
even in the minds of the power to be.
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Patriotism!!!..my foot..if you love the feeling of patriotism..join the China PR girl in China for the parade and dress like a red guard. We must learn from history..lots of overseas chinese answered to the call to rebuilt China but sad ending as of these overseas patriotic fools suffered badly when China political suddenly came under the ” Gang of 4 “. Some even suffered death.
My patriotism cause me my saving for supporting the local Bank especially the national Bank..DBSin..but cheated people of saving through “veil presentation” of their products…so Patriotism is for fools that blinded their wisdom. So do not allow the feeling of patriotism derail you of your bottom-line—–make more $$$$…so you and your family can have a good decent living…the goverments will not be there for you..Big money talks ..not only in Singapore..everywhere in the world.
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“Ask not what your country can do for you BUT what you can do for your country” sums it all.
Abraham Lincoln and all Americans (not native Red Indians) understand and practise the axion to the letter to this very day.
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Most of those people in the national day parade in HK were probably china mainland people anyway. Don’t be fooled. HK govt is forcing china patriotism down our throats after the july 1 march in 2003. Thats why stupid PRC anthem played before news now ar. We may not be one party system, but the government is still dominated by crazy ppl who only know how to suck up to beijing wor. Only half of legislature is elected by the people ma, the other half is chosen by beijing suckups ar.
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Well said Shame. My grand uncles in Singapore went back to china to find the Japanese in WWII and got caught in the Chinese civil war ago. They both survived but not before spending many years in commies reform camps. Die lonely in their hometown about 10 years, went back last year to sweep their graves, it was a sad history of my family history.
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