Singapore, Singapore - History textbooks used by secondary school students are currently undergoing urgent revision following surprising new research which showed beyond a shadow of a doubt that the founding fathers of Singapore weren't actually hard-working and honest labourers as originally thought, but were instead cowardly quitters.

   "It was a painful discovery for us actually," said anthropologist and historian Dr. Robert Lee, one of the authors of the seminal book 'An Inquiry into South East Asian Emigration Patterns in the 1800s to 1900s'. "We did not expect such a argument to hold water, but as our field research progressed, we found it impossible to deny the facts, and I think it is important that people are updated on our latest findings. It's the least that we owe to our forefathers : the true reasons which propelled people in China and elsewhere to emigrate to Singapore during the time period in question."

   Dr Lee and his team traveled to Fujian, China to interview people who might have ancestors who left China more than a hundred years ago for countries in South East Asia such as Singapore. "It was difficult to collect data for our sampling purposes, but fortunately, we were able to find people in rural areas who knew of relatives or friends who decided to travel and settle abroad, or simply to look for better living conditions." Dr Lee said, "The turning point in our field research came when we realised that our respondents kept referring to those who had left China for places abroad as 'quitters'. Initially, we were very puzzled as to why they would say such a thing. After all, going to a foreign land to look for a new life was not an inconsequential life decision nor an easy choice to make. Heros maybe, but quitters? We were honestly stumped."

   "We dismissed the 'quitter' descriptions as mere anomalies in our data collection at first. But when we went to Guangzhou to continue interviewing peasants, it became apparent that this feeling was shared by the people of Guangzhou as well! A lot of the peasants we interviewed were angry that their ancestors had left for places such as Singapore and they felt that they had been abandoned. Rather than fight or improve conditions in their local environment, they chose to run 'at the drop of a hat' when times were hard or when there were draughts. The peasants felt those who ran away to foreign lands as having no sense of belonging; in other ways, they were basically quitters. These same immigrants later formed the backbone of Singapore..."

   "Despite the fact that our forefathers were perceived as 'quitters'", Dr. Lee cautioned, "I think it is vitally important for us to view my research in perspective and not to be too judgmental of our forefathers. Singapore, like the United States, Australia and other countries, is essentially an immigrant-state. In the early 1800s, there were virtually no people living in Singapore other than the indigenous Malays. It was only after Raffles founded Singapore that human migration from other Asian countries took place. It is very important for us to understand this : without people immigrating into Singapore, there would be no Singapore. So, even though these new immigrants, i.e., our forefathers and those who have chosen to migrate here, were quitters, they deserve to be commended for their sacrifice to work in Singapore, and to build Singapore into what it is today. I salute them, quitters all."

   The new perspectives offered by Inquiry has griped the pulse of the nation. Drastic changes in mindset are predicted in the months to come, as citizens have no choice but to change their opinions of their forefathers as quitters instead of visonaries and entrepreneurs. It remains to be seen what other areas in the Singapore psyche are going to be challenged by the new book. Already, secondary school history textbooks are being revised, with the chapter on immigration of people into Singapore to be completely rewritten.

   The perception of people who emigrate, such as those who leave Singapore, has changed drastically as well. Prime Minister Goh set the tone during this year's National Day rally when he referred to people who, rather than fight for Singapore, would choose to 'run at the drop of a hat' or felt 'no sense of belonging here' as, basically, quitters. "They are fair-weather Singaporeans," he declared.

   Some people who have read the new book are taking the news more personally, the Durian has learnt. James Tan just became a Singapore citizen after completing his National Service. His father emigrated from Beijing 20 years ago and has been doing well here. James always looked to his father as his inspiration, but after reading Inquiry, wasn't totally sure about him any more. With tears in his eyes, he confronted his father to ask about his past, "Dad, I just don't know what to think anymore. Did you feel no sense or belonging in China? How could you just leave your relatives behind like that? Didn't you want to improve the lives of the people around you then? How could you not have fought for a better life in China instead of coming here? I'm very disappointed Dad..."

   "Try to understand son," James' father reasoned, "I wasn't doing it then for myself only, I was doing it for you... can't you see that? Life in China was not the sort of life I wanted for you, my precious son... If only you knew what kind of life you would have in China, you would thank me, son, you really would...You think it was easy for me to leave everyone behind, to have everyone call me a coward, a quitter? To have people give you that look when they walk past you on the streets? To have people talk in hushed tones when they see you? You think it's easy for me to turn my back on them instead of defending my actions? I would have given everything if I didn't have to do it, son! I only wanted the best for you! In Singapore, you and I have freedom; freedom to speak out, freedom to think, freedom to disagree, freedom to choose, freedom to surf the Internet, freedom to be yourself...that's why I decided to emigrate..."

   James realised the book was right, his father was a classic quitter, but he had one last question. "Dad, did you run? Did you really run at the drop of a hat when the going got tough?"

   His father sighed, and smiled gently. "No son, I didn't run. I believe I walked."

20 August, 2002