Shopping in Singapore

In the delightful world of newspaper columnists, the rule of thumb is that a successful column should include some news, some analysis and some opinion, all rolled into one. Today I want to offer only some impressions and personal reflections after a three-day stay in Singapore that included two university seminars, some travels around the city, and discussions with colleagues, professors, students, journalists and a particularly endearing Indian silk merchant on Arab Street who sold me all sorts of things that I really did not need, but that I bought nevertheless because the encounter with him was such a pleasure.

After 45 years of being a newspaper reporter, columnist and editor, I have learned that first impressions are significant, because they tend to hide deeper realities. My first impressions in Singapore confirm one of the issues that my colleagues and I have been discussing in Beirut for some years: We need to engage more with people, institutions and values in East and Southeast Asia. There are many reasons for this, including the sheer human bulk of this region that accounts for nearly a quarter of the world’s population and the economic wealth and influence it exerts, especially in China.

While I was happily discussing the value of silk tablecloths and scarves and other significant things with my new partner in rhetoric and trade at Dilip Textiles shop in Arab Street in Singapore, our transaction of just under $100 was just a blip on the global economic radar screen, but it generated immeasurable satisfaction in our two little worlds. I noticed the same day that perhaps the two most important people in the global economy were meeting nearby for their own talks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met in Beijing Thursday, where the Chinese leader made it clear that China was considering "more participation" in the European Financial Stability Facility and the European Stability Mechanism that are critical in efforts to contain the potential fallout from the European financial crisis.

As I was following this news from Singapore, I did so with a new perspective that essentially reflects a sense of satisfaction that the Chinese are being consulted more closely on this and other issues, such as the political situations in Syria and Iran. I say this because my main impression from my interactions with a wide range of people in Singapore is that the Western and Middle Eastern worlds that I inhabit can learn much from East and Southeast Asian societies and cultures.

The most striking thing that I take away from Singapore is the combination of two related phenomena: the sustained economic growth and wellbeing of the population, and the almost mathematical manner in which inter-ethnic relations are managed. The dominant Chinese ethnic community here and the smaller Malay, Indian and Anglo communities exist quite harmoniously, because they have all benefited from sustained economic growth and an orderly society that provides them with their basic rights. It also asserts their ethnic identity (by teaching their languages in school, alongside English, or proportionally allocating new state-subsidized housing units to all groups) rather than trying to suppress ethnic identity and forcing everyone to adopt the common Singaporean identity that does not necessarily capture one’s cultural sentiment. There are hidden warts and issues to resolve, to be sure, but they are overwhelmed by the positive achievements that prevail on the surface.

Had Singapore been a poor society riddled with corruption and nepotism, I am sure that inter-ethnic relations would be more strained. The country’s experience suggests that focusing on citizenship rights in a context of economic expansion and the rule of law is one good way to minimize ethnic or sectarian tensions. The other critical asset that I noticed during my visit is the very high quality of Singapore’s human talent. I spent time with faculty, staff and students from the Middle East Institute and the Honors Program at the National University of Singapore, and interacted at seminars, media events and casual encounters with many other nationals. I came away impressed with the capabilities of the professionals I met, but also with the quality work and positive attitudes of workers in more basic professions, like hotels, taxis, shops and restaurants. Investing in human capital, it turns out, is the foundation for any national success in other areas, like economic growth or racial coexistence.

The combination of self-confidence and commitment to quality work that I noticed at every turn in my encounters with Singaporeans was striking. Discussions on the democratizing experiences of countries in the region, especially Malaysia and Indonesia, opened new avenues of analysis and learning for me. I left Singapore with much to ponder and absorb about the lessons we can learn from this region’s national development experiences, far beyond the Western world’s tendency to relate to East Asia primarily in terms of its economic clout. Chancellor Merkel can handle that side of things, I thought to myself on my way back to Beirut, with a head full of new ideas to consider, a nice group of new friends, and more silk scarves from my Indian merchant pal than I can consume in several lifetimes, to his and my mutual glee.

Rami G. Khouri is Editor-at-large of The Daily Star, and Director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, in Beirut, Lebanon.