Description
About the Editor

Singapore's success story is essentially a "people" story. Singaporeans have good reason to celebrate the nation's golden jubilee with pride. In the short space of five decades the country has moved from Third World to First, and its real GDP has grown by 40 times! For this phenomenal progress, credit must go to its people, the Republic's primary resource. Against all odds and amidst dire predictions, Singaporeans proved that a united and resourceful community could build a nation from scratch. This book is dedicated to one segment of these Singaporeans – the Chinese community.

In particular, this collection of essays focuses on the Chinese speaking members of the community whose many contributions are less familiar to those brought up on a strict diet of the English language. This celebratory book is divided into four broad categories. The first section examines the major Chinese organisations and their contributions in the past five decades. These include the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, the Chinese Development Assistance Council and the Chinese Heritage Centre. In addition, it looks at the history and work of some of the social clubs and charitable organisations in the Chinese community. The second section examines some community issues that have engaged the Chinese community in Singapore's first 50 years. Two senior journalists and two academics review the evolution of the Chinese language, the integration of new immigrants from China and the influence of Chinese religions.

The five essays in the third section trace the development of Chinese visual and performing art in the Republic. The last section looks at the interactions between Singapore's Chinese community and China on the one hand, and with the regional Chinese communities on the other. The contributors of this salute to the Chinese community are/ have been directly involved or are passionate about the subjects of their essays.
Pang Cheng Lian has been involved in many of the organisations in the Chinese community, first as a journalist with the New Nation, and subsequently as Special Assistant to Mr Wee Cho Yaw, chairman & CEO of United Overseas Bank and widely acknowledged as a leader of the Chinese community.

Her MA thesis on the People's Action Party was published by Oxford University Press in 1971. She helped edit many of the English books published by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, and wrote an authorised biography of Wee Cho Yaw which was published in 2014.

A graduate of the University of Singapore, Ms Pang has served as Singapore's Ambassador to Italy and Switzerland (Non-Resident) as well as chairman of the Films Appeals Committee.

Authors

50 Years of the Chinese Community in Singapore