Normalising Cultures into One Identity
Enter Jurong Point’s Mongkok, the first Hong Kong-themed shopping street in Singapore, my
eyes were immediately struck by the excessive brightly lit neon signboards, which I did not
often see elsewhere in Singapore. The confusion sets in. Am I even in Singapore was not my
first doubt but rather, why am I seeing this in Singapore? The fact that multiculturalism is
evolving in Singapore with the introduction of foreign culture is inevitable year by year as
we see more and more identities of foreign culture integrating into Singapore society.
Personally, looking down the neon-bathed shopping streets, it seemed so unfitting yet
spectacular compared to the ordinary shopping mall outlook which one often visits.
Authentic Hong Kong cuisine can be found in several restaurants along the street, not to
mention the most welcoming Legendary Hong Kong Restaurant. The picturesque entrance
into the restaurant was reminiscent of Hong Kong's small alleys, yet once inside, the
expanse of the dining spaces was truly breath-taking. It was almost like being transported to
Hong Kong with the frantic diners' chatter, even though it was mostly Mandarin and
Hokkien rather than Cantonese. The fact that the languages spoken consist of dialects of
Singapore in a “Cha Chaan Teng” is an example of Singaporeans having accepted foreign
cultures while devouring Hong Kong cuisine. This indirectly demonstrates that part of a
foreign culture and its specialty could be possibly replicated in another country and
shopping malls are proven to be a good starting point for such exposure to foreign cultures
since Singaporeans are well known for their shopping obsession.
While walking through Mongkok Street, I came across NTUC FairPrice Extra. Entering which,
the state of change of the surroundings was instantaneous with bright natural light LED light
tubes illuminating the interior. Provided that FairPrice is the largest supermarket chain in
Singapore and carries the slogan “Singapore's very own”, it offers a quick sense of familiarity
shopping in FairPrice Extra compared to other shophouses along Mongkok Street. Once
walking out of Mongkok Street, Malaysia Boleh Hawker Centre is visible from the second
floor which is not a local culture initially. However, the Malaysian food culture has been
integrated seamlessly into the Singapore identity as the food culture of both countries is
similar in most ways. This demonstrates how inclusivity of food culture, and a certain sense
of conformity, is achieved within Singaporean society.
Our own set of distinct cultures, norms, and shared values is a continuously evolving and
additive process that has been continuously developed since independence. Singapore is a
multicultural society, and it is undoubtedly difficult for various cultures to be widely
accepted within Singaporean society. It is when various cultures become normal to
Singaporeans that the integration of foreign culture into Singaporean society is successful.
As we value the significance of cultural integration, we should ask how will Singapore strike
a balance between conforming to its own set of distinct culture and maintaining a sense of
acceptance towards foreign culture to continuously establish a harmonious multicultural
country without undermining the unique Singaporean identity?