According to the Lianhe Zaobao report, on August 23 local time, Singapore's Prime Minister and Finance Minister Wong Chun Wah delivered a speech in Chinese at the National Day rally.
He said, “We must preserve the essence of our Asian society; we must never become a monolingual society.”
He pointed out that two years ago, he said, "We not only need ‘elites’, but we also need ‘essences’."
August 23, Huang Xuncai delivered a speech in Chinese. The United Early News
Huang Xuncai also mentioned the movie 'Love Letters to Granny', stating that it has sparked intense discussions in Singapore. "This is because it reminds us of our ancestors, shows us the hardships they faced throughout their lives, and also brings to mind the values they left behind."
"I watched this movie, and it was in the Teochew dialect. I heard that many Singaporeans who speak Teochew also couldn't fully understand it, so they needed subtitles. I only understood a little of what was said, but one sentence I did understand was what my grandmother said: 'One should have both compassion and righteousness.' It sounds different when said in the local dialect, and it feels more personal." he said.
"Many people view dialects as our precious cultural heritage and are worthy of cherishing and inheriting. I agree with this," Huang Chuncai said, "However, the fruits of promoting Mandarin's promotion came at a price, and we should cherish and safeguard it."
He emphasized, 'After decades of effort, the Chinese language has become the common language among Singaporeans of Chinese descent, and it has also laid a solid foundation for the bilingual policy. At the same time, the Chinese language allows us to communicate with Chinese people around the world. Therefore, the direction of the bilingual policy and the promotion of the Chinese language is correct, and we must stick to it.'
