The evolution of Singapore citizenship

• Main Author: EUGENE, Tan K. B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Legal Studies
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/3840; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/5798/viewcontent/20171104_TDYOnline_Spore_The_1_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan noted that Singaporeans must continue to embrace citizenship as not just a bundle of rights and privileges but to embrace it as an overarching civic identity that unites Singaporeans regardless of their backgrounds. It is this sense of unity that will make citizenship more than a legal status but a powerful unifying force in a turbulent world marked by identity politics. He also believed that allowing dual citizenship should be a matter of last resort. Even then, the legalisation of dual citizenship should only occur when Singapore is confident that dual citizenship will not have a detrimental impact in terms of the people’s sense of belonging to the country.