The Nantah Spirit :
Nantah graduates are a key pillar of our multi-racial and multi-lingual society. Their "Chineseness" and Confucianist values are as essential as the "Malayness", "Indianness" and Western orientation of Singaporeans in making Singapore a uniquely cosmopolitan nation.

Forty years ago, it was not easy to get into a university. There were not many places in the University of Singapore (SU) and not many parents could afford a university education for their children.

For the Chinese-educated, the prospect of a university education was even worse. There was no university for them until Nanyang University (NU) opened its doors in 1956. They could not go to China, even if they had the money, unlike their English-educated counterparts who could go to England or Australia.

It was hardly surprising, therefore, that the effort of Mr Tan Lark Sye and other Chinese business leaders from Southeast Asia to set up a Chinese-medium university should meet with enthusiastic public response. Singapore was then still ruled by the British. Anti-colonial sentiment and the fervour for Chinese education fuelled the enthusiasm. Rich and poor Chinese, towkays and trishaw riders joined hands and proudly built Nanyang University.

The then colonial government did not look with favour on the establishment of a Chinese university because of the communist threat from within and without Singapore. Hence, Nanyang University was registered as a company and not as a university when it started. The University Ordinance, to give statutory status to the Nanyang University as an educational institution, was only passed in 1959 when Singapore gained its political independence. Nine years later, the Government formally recognised the degrees conferred by the Nanyang University.

Later, Nanyang University faced the problem of declining undergraduate enrolment from the mid-70s because more and more students had chosen to go to English-medium schools.

In October 1979, the Singapore Government invited Sir Frederick Dainton, Chancellor of Sheffield University, to study the issue of whether Singapore should have one or two universities. The Dainton Report recommended that Singapore should have a single, strong university in a new location at Kent Ridge.

In March 1980, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew wrote to Mr Wee Cho Yaw, the Chairman of Nanyang University Council, stating the problem facing Nanyang University, and the alternative solutions. Briefly, Nanyang University faced an acute problem of declining applications from Chinese-stream students, particularly the better students who were opting for the University of Singapore (SU). Because the academic staff were aware of the trends of student preferences for the University of Singapore, they were uncertain of their future. Most were demoralised. Many resigned.

Politically, despite Dainton's recommendation of one university in one campus, Prime Minister Lee was prepared to have one university in two campuses. He was even prepared to allow NU to restart after the Joint Campus transition was over in three years. As he put it, "If NU subsequently fails for lack of students, it will be seen to have failed because of the free choice of parents and the different preferences of a new generation of students".

Nanyang University and the University of Singapore merged to form the National University of Singapore in August 1980. Looking back, the merger of Nanyang University and University of Singapore had served Singapore well. Had Singaporeans chosen to have one Chinese-language and one English-language university, I believe Singapore would have been worse off. It would have perpetuated the gulf between Chinese-educated and English-educated Chinese Singaporeans. Today, there would have been two groups of Chinese Singaporeans living in two separate cultural, linguistic and socio-political worlds. Singapore is already small, and that faultline right down the middle of the country would have reduced our effectiveness as a nation.

I know that some Nantah graduates are still anguished over the disappearance of Nanyang University and that some even hope to restart it as a Chinese-medium university. I understand their sentiments but I would urge that they look forward.

We cannot live in the past however much we treasure it. Even if we can recreate the past, it must not be to tie us down. Let us cherish the past, but use its experience to build a better future for the next generation.

I know that Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is not the child of Nanyang University. But it can be adopted by Nantah graduates as the successor of Nantah, just as NUS is regarded by the University of Singapore graduates as SU's successor.

Earlier this year, NTU decided to change "Litah" to "Nantah". I was consulted. I supported the name change. It is the right move. It shows that NTU wants to be identified with Nantah. Nantah is the right and appropriate abbreviation for NTU in Chinese.

In fact, it was Lee Kuan Yew who advised the then younger Ministers, of whom I was one, to retain the name "Nanyang University" to maintain a link with the past and to recognise the contribution of Nantah. But the younger ministers also wanted the new university to reflect the future, to emphasise technology to produce practice-oriented engineers. The name Nanyang University of Technology was an obvious choice, but inappropriate as we did not wish its graduates to be known as NUT graduates. That was why we settled for the name "Nanyang Technological University".

I am glad that most Nantah graduates welcomed the name change from Litah to Nantah, and that they would want to go one step further. I have received a letter dated 8 May 1995 from Mr Chia Ban Seng, President of the Association of Nanyang University Graduates, requesting that the Nantah Graduate register be transferred from NUS to NTU. The Government supports this transfer. It will be good for the Nantah alumni to return to their old campus. It will also benefit NTU as NTU would have a history and tradition to build on. NTU is already building on this heritage.

I am glad to note that it has begun to encourage the use of Chinese. In April last year, it set up the Centre of Chinese Language and Culture. The background note sent to me by Dr Cham Tao Soon, President of NTU, says, "NTU is proud of its Nanyang heritage and resolves to promote the learning and study of Chinese language and culture with the establishment of the Centre". Well said. Nantah alumni should help NTU to realise this vision.

The Centre conducts more than 20 courses on Chinese Language and Culture, including Business Chinese and Technological Chinese, and also Chinese Culture in both Chinese and English languages. I am told that they are quite popular amongst the undergraduates.

In the past, some Nantah graduates felt left out of the mainstream of Singapore life. This unnecessary psychological baggage should now be thrown into the incinerator. Nantah graduates are part of the Singapore mainstream. They have played, and will continue to play a big role in the political, social, cultural and economic life of Singapore. They are a key pillar of our multi-racial and multi-lingual society. Their "Chineseness" and Confucianist values are as essential as the "Malayness", "Indianness" and Western orientation of Singaporeans in making Singapore a uniquely cosmopolitan nation.

As the 21st Century approaches, I see a potentially bright future for the next generation of Singaporeans, particularly those who are also proficient in Chinese.

Asia is emerging economically, and will catch up with the West in standard of living. In 30 to 40 years' time, Asia can be as developed as Europe today. This is a historic opportunity for Asia to catch up with the West.

My optimism of the future, however, is tempered by a realistic awareness of the uncertainties ahead, such as the situation in the Korean Peninsula, anxiety over a new balance of power, the People's Republic of China (PRC)-Taiwan question, and the dispute over the Spratly Islands. For Singapore, our smallness and almost total dependence on the outside world will always make us vulnerable to changes in the region and the international environment. Had Singapore been further divided by the issue of language and culture, we would not have survived, let alone attain today's national harmony and high standard of living.

Tonight's reunion is a strong statement of the sentiment you have for your alma mater. This large attendance is even more remarkable when seen against the total Nantah graduate population of just over 12,000. Of course, I must not underestimate the allure of the Nantah campus. I understand that Nantah Lake and Yunnan Yuan were two very popular spots with Nantah undergraduates and brought untold pleasure to many Nantah couples. Nantah Lake and Yunnan Yuan are truly inspirational. Many Nantah graduates have written about them in Zaobao. This reminds me of Huanghelou, which I visited in Wuhan, where many ancient poets were inspired to compose beautiful verses. Little wonder, then, that so many Nantah graduates have gone on to do great things.

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