Even in the working world where Standard English is supposed to be used, there are many instances when Singlish has made its way into Singaporean corporate speak. We’re all very familiar with company emails that include that ubiquitous request, “Please revert as soon as possible.” For reasons that we’ll never know, the word “reply” has been replaced with a word that does not even have remotely the same meaning. (“Revert” means a return to doing something that is usually bad or less satisfactory. For example, I would revert to the life of a lonely bachelor after breaking up with my girlfriend.)
Singlish is not considered professional
It’s safe to assume that employers will not be particularly impressed if you stroll into their offices and greet them with, “Eh, siao eh”. The sad reality is that, whether in the civil service or the private sector, submissions, minutes or reports with even a hint of Singlish would be shot down faster than you can go, “Wah lau eh”. Simply put, to be taken seriously at work, especially in service professions, good English is a must. You create a poor first impression simply by using Singlish in front of a potential client.
It is often observed that Singlish, while very much a part of our culture, is incomprehensible to the world at large. When we speak to people from different countries, we need to use a language they can understand. Therefore, in this globalised context, the working, professional world requires standards and rigour in order to function and to communicate. It becomes a simple matter of making yourself understood. Or, at the very least, attempting to do so.
Above and beyond professionalism, however, lies a far more controversial issue: snobbery, or the perception of it. The unspoken assumption in banning Singlish from formal situations is that the upper crust would not commit the faux pas of speaking the working man’s language. The implication is that Singlish is something to be ashamed of, hidden away where it cannot be seen.
But if we are ashamed even of the way we speak, how then can we hold our heads up high when we face the world?
So what should we do about Singlish?
At the end of the day, Singlish cannot be displaced. While it has its own proper time and place, pretending that it does not exist is rather like attempting to disown your offspring. And we choose to confine it, in large part, to that most inconvenient of places – the back of our heads. But like it or not, it will pop up just when we least expect it. “What to do? If go smart smart place, don’t talk Singlish lor.”