November 10, 2025

The new Channel NewsAsia (CNA) documentary series Being Singaporean, hosted by comedian Rishi Budhrani, explores what it means to belong in Singapore on the nation’s 60th year of independence. Drawing on a CNA-Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) survey on national identity in Singapore, the programme examines how race, class, country of birth, and even National Service shape Singaporeans’ sense of identity –  and what may be challenging that cohesion today.

The CNA-IPS survey, conducted in late 2024 with 2,000 citizens and permanent residents, sought to define the Singapore identity after six decades of nation-building. It found that nearly half of respondents felt the national identity had strengthened over the past decade, with “Singlish”, multiculturalism, and national symbols like the Merlion and hawker food among the most cited markers. Yet about four in ten believed foreigners and new citizens negatively affect that identity, reflecting tensions between Singapore’s proud multicultural ethos and anxieties over economic competition and social change.

Two NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences academics, Associate Professor Daniel P. S. Goh (NUS Sociology and Anthropology) and Professor Elaine Lynn-Ee Ho (NUS Geography), offered key insights into how national identity is evolving.

In the first episode, A/P Goh noted that compared to a decade ago, almost half of respondents now feel that Singapore’s national identity has strengthened, reflecting growing emotional attachment to the idea of Singapore. He described how national rituals, such as the National Day Parade, have shifted from showcasing military strength to cultivating “emotional citizenship” – fostering shared purpose, pride, and belonging in a small city-state that must continually articulate a long-term national mission. However, he also pointed to the 30% who feel identity has weakened, raising questions about whether worries over globalisation, unequal progress, or being left behind might be shaping perceptions — and whether class differences matter in how Singaporeans experience belonging.

Complementing this, in the second episode, Prof Ho highlighted country of birth as the top factor associated with tensions around identity. Many Singaporeans feel that newer immigrants and citizens may not yet intuitively share local values, norms, and multicultural practices. Survey data shows concern that newcomers may not fully integrate socially or develop long-term commitment – prompting anxiety about displacement and whether Singapore’s social fabric is being stretched. At the same time, she emphasised that these groups are now part of Singapore’s future, and that positive engagement and value alignment can strengthen cohesion and belonging for both newcomers and locally born Singaporeans.

Together, their insights underscore a complex moment in Singapore’s national story: pride in shared progress and identity, alongside unease about inclusivity, solidarity, and what it means to “grow up Singaporean” in an increasingly global and diverse society.

📺 Watch the episodes:
Being Singaporean – Part One (A/P Daniel P. S. Goh is interviewed from 19:00 to 22:04): https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/being-singaporean/part-one-5435046)
Being Singaporean – Part Two (Prof Elaine Lynn-Ee Ho is interviewed from 25:38 to 30:04): https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/being-singaporean/part-two-5437446)