The myth of multiracialism in post-9/11 Singapore: The tudung incident

In early 2002, the easily neglected Muslim headscarf incident in Singapore has triggered a rare but fiery and continuous debate within the country, which widely involves her neighbors. Through the incident, this article reveals the plight of Singapore's Malay Muslims, who have been marginalized for a long time from the state's commitment to social mobility and ethnic integration. The article queries the Singaporean government's commitment to both multiracialism and shared values is self-contradictory, as well as the country's possible miscarriage of political openness since late 1980s. The situation seems to be getting worse in the international context of Post-Asian Economic Crisis and Post-September 11 anti-terrorism. Copyright © 2003 NZASIA - The New Zealand Asian Studies Society.